Indigènes (2006) - film review

In 1943, at the height of the Second World War, around 200 thousand natives from French colonial Africa are recruited into the French First Army of the Free French Forces.  Known as "the indigènes", these men will play a crucial role in the liberation of Italy and France from the Germans.  But they will also face continual discrimination from their superiors, denied the privileges that other soldiers take for granted.  Four of these men – Abdelkader, Saïd, Messaoud and Yassir – enrolled to save France from the Nazis and to find a better life for themselves.   Will France honour the debt it owes them...?

Indigènes is a remarkable work from French film director Rachid Bouchareb, who had previously won acclaim for such films as Poussières de vie (1995) and Little Senegal (2001).  Frequently referred to as a French-African version of Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, Indigènes is a compelling wartime drama that pays homage to those soldiers from the French African colonies who contributed to the liberation of France in the Second World War.  The film is uncompromising in its depiction of the flagrant prejudice which these soldiers were subjected to, both during the war and afterwards.  It is shocking to learn that once their countries had obtained independence from France, these war veterans (including those resident in France) had their right to an army pension revoked by the French government.  It was not until after this film was released in 2006 and raised public awareness of the issue that the pension rights were restored by the French government.

Whilst the film does periodically come across as awkwardly didactic, labouring its political messages somewhat in a few places, it achieves its aims admirably – to offer a convincing portrayal of warfare and expose the injustice that many soldiers experienced  on account of their ethnic grouping.  The action scenes are particularly well-realised and are some of the most viscerally horrific to have ever appeared in a French war film, without ever appearing gratuitous.

This film’s quieter moments are equally effective, thanks to an intelligent script and some sensitive performances from a talented cast.  Unlike many war films, where writers and directors tend to focus too much on set-piece action scenes, here the spectator is given the opportunity to get to know the main protagonists.  We see the world through their eyes.  We see their dreams and their fears, and we sympathise with their frustration at being regarded as second rate soldiers. The five principals – Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Sami Bouajila, Roschdy Zem and Bernard Blancan – were jointly awarded the Best Actor award at Cannes in 2006, and rightly so.

Indigènes was one of the most commercially successful French films of 2006, attracting an audience of just over three million in France.  The film may have a specific humanitarian issue to address but it is also a powerful statement of the horrors of modern warfare.  It portrays war in all its ugly and vicious barbarity, giving us but a shadow of a glimpse of the human cost of the conflict, the full extent of which will forever be beyond the comprehension of non-combatants.

© James Travers 2009

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