Indigenes (Days of Glory)

Here's timely theme for us to consider: Muslim fighters fiighting a war on our side.  I know, it sounds crazy, but it's true.  There are Muslims in the U.S. military, of course, and some U.S. allies are Muslim nations.  But I never thought about Muslims fighting for the Allies in WW2.  Indigenes follows a group of Muslims from the French-colonial North Africa who were recruited to fight for France.  They fought valiantly, but suffered indignity and discrimination, not from their enemies but from the French themselves.

Like many good war movies, Indigenes has gripping, realistic fighting scenes, relatable characters with whom we can sympathize, and moral challenges.  The war really provides the backdrop for the Muslims' struggle for acceptance and equal treatment.  The great story and filmmaking won Indigenes an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, and the great acting won the cast a Best Actor award at Cannes (Apparently it was awarded to the male ensemble cast.  I don't know how often that happens. . . .).

Bottom line, 3 stars.