Leonard Maltin's 151 Best Movies You've Never Seen - Maltin, Leonard [40]
In the Shadow of the Moon is an extraordinary—and hugely entertaining—film about an exceptional human endeavor.
55. INDIGÈNES (DAYS OF GLORY)
(2006)
Directed by Rachid Bouchareb
Screenplay by Rachid Bouchareb and Olivier Lorelle
Actors:
JAMEL DEBBOUZE
SAMY NECÉRI
ROSCHDY ZEM
SAMI BOUAJILA
BERNARD BLANCAN
MATHIEU SIMONET
BENOIT GIROS
MÉLANIE LAURENT
ANTOINE CHAPPEY
Will filmmakers ever run out of stories to tell from World War II? It doesn’t seem likely. Indigènes (given the blander title Days of Glory for its U.S. release) casts light on an unfamiliar facet of the war: the recruitment of the “indigenous” people of North Africa to fight for France, even though Frenchmen still looked down on them as second-class citizens. This riveting drama was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards but failed to capture a sizable American audience.
The film was greeted as a call to arms in France and caused then-president Jacques Chirac to reexamine the country’s treatment of nonnative veterans. It was nominated for a raft of César Awards, winning Best Screenplay, and received a special prize at the Cannes Film Festival for its director and another for its leading cast members who collectively took home the Best Actor prize.
Those same actors admitted that they never knew about the discrimination that their countrymen faced until they read Rachid Bouchareb and Olivier Lorelle’s script.
The reason that screenplay works so well is that it doesn’t attempt to capture a sweep of history: instead it tells a big story in a personal way, focusing on specific characters. We follow young North African and “Black African” men as they prepare for the adventure of going to war, despite hasty and ineffectual training. Saïd (played by Jamel Debbouze, a familiar face from his usually comedic roles in films like Amélie) is so thrilled to be part of the army that he’s unwilling to complain, even in the worst circumstances. Corporal Abdelkader (Sami Bouajila) believes in the cause he’s fighting for, and also naively believes that his dedication and bravery will force the French commanders to recognize the North Africans’ contribution. The most complex character is Sergeant Martinez (Bernard Blancan), a martinet who recognizes his troops’ bravery but won’t fight for their rights. That’s because he is conflicted about his own identity.
Some critics thought Indigènes fell short of greatness because it applied its specific story to a familiar template of war movies, alternating vignettes of the soldiers in quiet moments with bursts of action in battle. That may be, but if it is a flaw, it’s a minor one given the potency (and relevancy) of the drama and its ability to grapple with issues of prejudice and injustice in the midst of war. Indigènes packs a wallop.
56. INNOCENT BLOOD
(1992)
Directed by John Landis
Screenplay by Michael Wolk
Actors:
ANNE PARILLAUD
CHAZZ PALMINTERI
DAVID PROVAL
ANTHONY LAPAGLIA
ROBERT LOGGIA
ANGELA BASSETT
DON RICKLES
LUIS GUZMÁN
ROCCO SISTO
TONY SIRICO
TONY LIP
KIM COATES
MARSHALL BELL
I grew up watching classic Hollywood horror movies on television—Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, et al—and I must confess I’ve never developed a stomach for modern-day horror, which substitutes graphic gore and torture for atmosphere. When pressed to name a relatively recent movie that might be suitable for Halloween viewing, I always cite John Landis’s Innocent Blood, a sexy, funny, extremely bloody vampire yarn that ought to be better known.
One selling point that didn’t help the movie in 1992 is its cast, which includes Anthony LaPaglia, the terrific actor who’s now well known as the lead in the long-running TV series Without a Trace; Angela Bassett, who was just on the verge of stardom; and several familiar faces who became regulars on The Sopranos. Throw in Don Rickles—in a serious role—and Luis Guzmán and you’ve got a highly watchable cast. Oddly enough,