7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
1943. They’d never set foot on French soil, but during WWII, four North African men — Saïd, Abdelkader, Messaoud and Yassir — along with 130,000 other "natives" enlisted in the French Army to free “the motherland" from the Nazis. These heroes, forgotten by history, found victory in Provence and in the Vosges before finding themselves on their own to defend an Alsatian village against a German battalion.
Starring: Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Roschdy Zem, Sami Bouajila, Bernard BlancanDrama | 100% |
War | 83% |
History | 70% |
Foreign | 40% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
French: Dolby Digital 2.0
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: DTS 5.1
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Selected to represent Algeria during last year’s Oscars, Rachid Bouchareb’s “Indigenes” a.k.a. “Days of Glory” (2006) tells a powerful story about the fate of thousands of North Africans who fought for France during WW2. The film drew huge attention in France where two weeks after seeing it President Jacques Chirac reinstated pensions for North African veterans who enlisted as volunteers in the French Army. Courtesy of UK-based Metrodome Video.
The beginning
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Rachid Bouchareb's Days of Glory arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Metrodome Video.
The transfer for this fairly recent French production is solid. Contrast is pleasing throughout the entire film, clarity is impressive, and fine detail exceptionally strong. In fact, a lot of the nighttime scenes, especially during the first half of the film, are as strong as the daylight scenes. The color-scheme is also very well handled. During the desert scenes in Days of Glory blues and yellows appear to be the dominant colors (in all sorts of different varieties), and the 1080p transfer certainly allows one to fully appreciate the nuanced composition of the film. This being said, I did not spot evidence of DNR manipulation. The transfer provided by Metrodome Video has a fair amount of film grain and an overall natural look. Furthermore, the actual print is of exceptionally high quality – it is free of debris, specks, and dirt. To sum it all up, Days of Glory looks fantastic on Blu-ray! (Note: Even though this Blu-ray disc is marketed as Region-B it is in fact Region-Free and you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).
There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: French: DTS 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1, and French: Stereo 2.0. Obviously, it is a bit disappointing that Metrodome Video have not supplied a lossless track for their release of Days of Glory, but this was one of the company's early releases and since then they have certainly adjusted their practice accordingly. This being said, the DTS 5.1 track does a good job of capturing the intensity of the impressive battle scenes. These are certainly intense and the DTS 5.1 track adds plenty to the overall viewing experience. The surround channels are very active, though I must assume that had Metrodome Video offered a DTS-HD MA 5.1 track this disc would have been regarded as one of the very best on the UK market. The powerful explosions as well as the flying bullets during the massive clashes between the two fighting sides are so impressive, it is really hard not to speculate with "what ifs". Still, the DTS 5.1 track does a decent enough job and I am certain you would be satisfied with the audio treatment it provides. Finally, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report here. For the record, Metrodome Video have supplied optional English subtitles and they are split between the image frame and the black bar underneath it.
Aside from a large text-format "Historical Background" exploring the nature of the issue covered by Days of Glory (this is an incredibly informative summation of the developments that followed the release of the film as well as Jacques Chirac's decision to unfreeze and update the pensions of North African war veterans), on this Blu-ray disc you will also find an introduction to the film by Rachid Bouchareb, a Q&A session with the director where he addresses the history of Days of Glory, a standard "Making Of", and the original theatrical trailer. I must note, however, that all of the extras, with the exception of the "Historical Background", are in standard-def PAL, so unless you have a player capable of converting PAL-NTSC, or a TV set capable of accepting PAL signal directly, you won't be able to access them.
A powerful film with an important message that forced the French government to reconsider an unjust policy that has been in existence for well over 40 years, Days of Glory arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Metrodome Video. Aside from the fact that a lossless audio track was not supplied by the British distributors, this Blu-ray disc is the complete package. The video treatment is superd and the extras probably as fascinating, if not more appealing, than the actual film. If interested in the subject Days of Glory addresses I strongly recommend that you consider adding this disc to your libraries.
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