Film Critique #2 Indigenes
This film tells a story about four African soldiers, Said, Ardelaker, Messaoud and Yassir, who fought for France in World War II. As the film going on, audiences start to know the little-known history about Indigenes through these four African soldiers’ life story.

They joined the war for various reasons. Said joined the war to survive. As he said he is “from total poverty”, and he at least can have something to eat in the army. Yassir joined the army for money. During the battle he was busy to pick up watches and other belongings of died German soldiers. Ardelaker and Messaoud joined the war for the loyalty to France, just as most of other African soldiers. They want to fight for France; even this is the country they have never seen, they still think they are “the children of the fatherland”.

However, their attitudes changed during the war because of the identity recognition and Discrimination. I think it is also the main themes of these films. These soldiers consider themselves as French citizens, but French military treats them as second-class soldiers. In the scene of they dining on a ship, the French officer refuse to offer North African soldier tomato for their meal. Ardelaker had a fight with his officer, but it not just because of a tomato, he want to be treat equally as his “French brother”. Ironically, after that, they heard the news of the victory from the radio, and they proudly sang the French national anthem together with their “French brothers”. It is pathetic because France does not and will never treat them as “own children”, and they just using their patriotism to fight for France.

This film portrays this discrimination and self-recognition of African soldiers in many times. For example, they never got promotion no matter how loyal and brave they were during the battle, because the military only give promotion