Angel-A

Inspirado pela recente visita de Rie Rasmussen ao Rio para o lançamento de “Human Zoo“, resolvi rever “Angel-A”, que vi no Festival do Rio de alguns anos atrás. O filme não passou nos cinemas daqui, mas o dvd já foi lançado – e o meu está autografado pela Rie!

André é um cara todo errado. Baixinho, feio, deficiente físico, deve dinheiro para todo mundo e só se mete em roubadas. Aí surge Angela, uma loira de 1,80m e corpo de modelo, que muda a sua vida.

O grande trunfo do filme é seu casal protagonista. Jamel Debbouze (que esteve em “O Fabuloso Destino de Amelie Poulan) está ótimo como o looser André. E Rie (que também fez “Femme Fatale“), linda como sempre, arrasa em seu curtíssimo vestidinho preto. É um casal completamente improvável, e a química entre os dois está perfeita.

“Angel-A” foi dirigido por Luc Besson em 2005. Besson passou seis anos sem dirigir nenhum filme (desde “Joana D’Arc”, de 99). Não sei o que o fez ficar tanto tempo sem se sentar na cadeira de diretor, mas, como fã de filmes como “Subway”, “Imensidão Azul”, “Nikita”, “O Profissional” e “O Quinto Elemento”, espero que ele não pare de novo!

A fotografia do filme, toda em p&b, traz cenas belíssimas. E o astral do filme é ótimo. Besson abandonou o estilo “ação estilizada” que tem usado muito nos filmes que produz (como “Taxi” ou “Carga Explosiva“), e fez um filme de pouca ação, poucos efeitos especiais e uma reflexão sobre o bem e o mal, sobre como o ser humanopode ser melhor.

Não é para qualquer um, não é para qualquer hora. Mas, no clima certo, é um ótimo filme!

La nouvelle campagne de l’Agefiph (l’Association de Gestion du Fonds pour l’Insertion Professionnelle des Personnes Handicapées) se fait avec comme ambassadeur l’humoriste Jamel Debbouze.

Plusieurs spots de pub décalés vont être diffusés à la télévision, Jamel s’y met en scène pour proposer un regard nouveau sur le Handicap. Un site internet a été également lancé aujourd’hui pour relayer cette campagne de l’Agefiph dont la mission principale est d’ouvrir l’emploi aux personnes handicapées. Sur ce site, on peut découvrir des épisodes inédits, les internautes trouveront également des informations sur le rôle de l’association et le plan de soutien 2009/2010. Côté entreprises, le site donne des explications pratiques sur les aides à l’embauche de travailleurs handicapés et des ressources utiles.

Et du 16 au 22 novembre 2009, l’Agefiph mobilise les personnes handicapées, les entreprises et l’ensemble de ses partenaires pour la semaine pour l’emploi des personnes handicapées.

]]> http://droolingisntpretty.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/jump-off-a-bridge-and-save-me/ Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:08:25 +0000 Emmanent Entertainment http://droolingisntpretty.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/jump-off-a-bridge-and-save-me/

Of course angels are leggy chain-smoking platinum blondes who wear LBD’s and pearls.

Rie Rasmussen and Jamel Debbouze in Angel-A (Luc Besson, 2005)

“The world’s most beautiful news reporter” … Daily Express

“TV’s sexiest news anchor” … Poll conducted by the U.S. edition of Maxim

“Most beautiful woman in the world” … Poll conducted by the French edition of FHM

“La bombe cathodique” or “The television bombshell” … Paris Match

Thats Mélissa Theuriau for you! Born on 18th July, 1978 in Échirolles, Isère in France, Mélissa Theuriau is a journalist and news reporter who has been active on French television since 2002 and is currently working for the French television channel M6.

She started her career as a reporter for Match TV in 2002. Later she worked with La Chaîne Info and TF1 and finally moved to M6 in 2006 as editor-in-chief and presenter of a weekly magazine show called Zone Interdite. She is also a presenter of many shows on a channel called Paris Première in partnership with Paris Match.

Mélissa founded an organization called “La Rose” along with 5 of her journalist colegues Marie Drucker, Claire Chazal, Béatrice Schönberg, Laurence Ferrari and Tina Kieffer. “La Rose” works with the U.N.I.C.E.F. to educate girls.

In 2005-2006, Mélissa Theuriau became an internet rage when her pics and youtube videos became immensly popular and started receiving millions of hits. In 2006, a French entertainment newspaper called Voici even published photographs of Mélissa Theuriau topless and relaxing on a beach which spread on the internet like wild fire. Mélissa’s lawyers have been trying to purge these images from the internet since then.

She got married to Jamel Debbouze who is an actor of French and Moroccan descent on 7th May, 2008. They now have a son named Léon.

1^ère semaine des vacances de la Toussaint difficile avec les jeunes inscrits à l’Espace J de la MJC de Persan. Toutes les propositions culturelles sont refusées d’emblée, que ce soit une visite de l’exposition « Crim’ expo » à la Villette ou une séance de cinéma avec « Shining » de Stanley Kubrick. Mission quasi impossible de les amener sur des terrains inconnus, d’autant plus s’il y est question de se cultiver.  Il faudrait estampiller toutes les sorties par « Vu à la télé » ou « Certifié par Jamel Debbouze » et on y gagnerait déjà quelque peu. Même des sorties sportives, genre karting, peuvent tourner au fiasco dès que l’on sort de l’Ile de France et que l’on se confronte à un rejet voire une peur du personnel d’accueil suscités par les comportements de ces jeunes de cité, souvent intimidants et borderline…

En vérité, il  est quasiment impossible d’obtenir quelque résultat tant que l’on s’adressera à ces jeunes de manière collective et communautaire et que les actions qui leur sont dédiées ne s’inscriront pas sur du long terme. On ne change pas les comportements et les habitus en quelques mois… A force de fantasmer sur la jeunesse, l’immigration et la précarité, la politique de la ville et les Conseils Locaux de Sécurité et de la Délinquance se confrontent ici à leurs propres  limites. Même constat, pour épouser l’actualité, sur les journalistes et les politiques cherchant à alimenter le débat sur l’identité nationale ; parisianisme oblige, tous expriment à leur insu une méconnaissance profonde et  inquiétante de la banlieue et de ses habitants. Si loin et si proche…

Faute de résultats, la disparition imminente de la politique de la ville pourrait in fine n’être pas si dramatique que cela, et tant pis pour l’ascenseur social, la paix des quartiers et la démocratisation culturelle…

”Jaoui realiza esta pequena e divertidíssima obra-prima”

A primeira cena de Enquanto o Sol Não Vem é uma pequena síntese da trama que está por vir: está chovendo, dois homens discutem um assunto sério enquanto um deles fuma um baseado.
O roteiro não espera o espectador para começar a contar sua história, já existe uma situação estabelecida, e só vamos entende-la ao longo da metragem, quando personagens e suas relações são reveladas. A forma como essas revelações acontecem, sem mudança de clima ou alardes é prova da sutileza e do talento de Agnès Jaoui. Assim como nos outros dois longas da roteirista-diretora (O Gosto dos Outros e Como Uma Imagem), o foco é justamente o que acontece quando pessoas distintas se cruzam aleatoriamente.

Os dois homens conversando na chuva são Michel (Jean-Pierre Bacri) e Karim (Jamel Debbouze), dois amigos que pretendem realizar uma série de documentários sobre mulheres fortes e independentes. Karim é filho de Mimouna (Mimouna Hadji), imigrante e mãe solteira que sempre trabalhou para a família de Florence (Pascale Arbillot), que juntamente com sua irmã Agathe (Agnès Jaoui), são os xodós da velha senhora – embora exista entre as duas irmãs, um antigo ressentimento.

Agathe está de volta a antiga propriedade da família. Ela é uma bem-sucedida escritora que está ingressando na política e tem uma posição claramente feminista quanto a isso… ou não.

Por intermédio da mãe, Karim conhece Agathe e sugere a Michel que façam um documentário sobre ela. Agathe aceita.

Em seu terceiro filme, Jaoui demonstra uma maturidade excepcional e usa elementos dos dois longas anteriores para construir essa inteligentíssima análise.

Na frente da câmera de Karim e Michel, Agathe é vista como uma feminista, uma mulher amarga e controladora. Fora do foco dos dois, ela se mostra uma mulher que passa por um eterno dilema. Aos olhos de Agathe, Michel é um “banana” e Karim é um grosseirão preconceituoso.

O roteiro vai mais além em sua inteligência: cria para cada um dos três protagonistas, uma relação com um coadjuvante, o que nos revela a densidade e até a ambiguidade de cada um.

Agathe mostra, através de sua relação conjugal, seus questionamentos enquanto mulher, uma vez que seu marido se queixa de sua ausência e falta de atenção.

Karim testa os limites de sua grosseira com uma sensível garçonete.

Michel revela-se um pai carente, que vê no filho os últimos resquícios de seu casamento.

Enquanto isso, outros temas são abordados através da relação com coadjuvantes iniciais e isso vai gerando as mais diversas e inusitadas situações que ao público surgem como aleatórias, mas que são escolhidas a dedo e calculadas milimetricamente por Jaoui que cria para cada situação diálogos que, calcados no humor, colocam suas idéias em confronto e as levam até a resolução – mesmo que tal resolução não exista.

Jaoui ainda consegue fazer com que cada personagem seja protagonista de sua própria história, o que impossibilita a eleição de um personagem principal, todos são necessários para a trama e todos tem sua exigüidade muito bem estruturada. Não é diferente na direção, Jaoui é excelente na hora de dirigir atores e ela mesma, como atriz, é fantástica.

Juntando o elenco, maravilhoso, com o timing da direção, temos cenas genuinamente hilariantes. E mesmo que os personagens sejam colocados em situações constrangedoras, Jaoui nunca os deixa cair no ridículo, apenas usa o humor para revelar a fragilidade de cada um e também a fragilidade dos ideais. Ainda que sejam discutidas, a diretora faz questão de evidenciar como opiniões formadas e tratadas com seriedade podem ser facilmente desestabilizadas por um simples balido de ovelha.

Em determinada cena, durante a gravação de um depoimento de Agathe, Karim e Michel percebem que por trás dela há uma planta em formato de coroa que a faz parecer líder de tribo indígena. Logo pedem para que o marido, que apenas observava a mulher, segurar a planta para não aparecer no frame.

Há dois motivos para a inserção de cenas como essa: dar uma dose de niilismo a seriedade com que os assuntos são tratados mas também mascarar as alegorias com humor. Existe por trás do balido da ovelha, da planta “coroa” e de cada um dos outros elementos piadistas, um significado que os transforma em alegorias visuais. E, a escolha em mascarar tais elementos com o humor é o que torna Enquanto o Sol Não Vem tão divertido e inteligível. Um filme para todo tipo de público, mas que não se deixa sabotar pelo desejo de agradar o espectador que busca apenas entretenimento. A complexidade está ali para aqueles que desejam ve-la através de uma reflexão mais aprofundada, mas sim, o carater niilista predomina.

E nada poderia ser mais coerente do que dois homens discutindo seriamente, debaixo de chuva, enquanto um fuma um baseado. E atendendo com perfeição e exatidão sua proposta que Jaoui realiza esta pequena e divertidíssima obra-prima. O restante é lucro… e que lucro.

Para conferir fotos, vídeos, curiosidades, notícias e mais sobre o filme: www.xcine.com.br/filme_enquantoosolnaovem.html

(Xcimetro – Mais ou Menos)

Podem comentar

Directed by French-Algerian Rachid Bouchareb, Days of Glory is an exciting, action-packed war movie that many will consider akin to Saving Private Ryan or other combat adventure pictures. But there’s a difference here, as Bouchareb’s heroes are couched in a sense of historical injustice that has continued on into modern day France.

Days of Glory was the Algerian nominee for the Best Foreign Language Oscar and won an acting ensemble award at Cannes. It is a powerful, well-acted movie that tells a distinctive, easy-to-follow ensemble story. Bouchareb does well to shoot the performers and the settings, drawing the viewer in with a realistic but not overly bloody portrayal of World War II and the North African soldiers who fought on the side of the French.

The French title for the picture, Indigènes, is a term for the hundreds of thousands of colonial African soldiers who fought for the French in the War. They were Algerians, Tunisians, and Moroccan natives and many were Muslims. Enrolled in the French First Army of the Free French Forces, these men were tasked with liberating the motherland after Nazi occupation. The film chronicles the formation of the crew and highlights many of the campaigns they fought through Italy and France.

In an ensemble picture such as this, there’s no single plotline that springs to the foreground. Instead we experience this group of men as they should be. We are transported into their world and we experience the sights and sounds they experience. The performers bring the characters to life skilfully and passionately.

Among the characters are Saïd Otmari (Jamel Debbouze), an illiterate peasant with rough edges, Sgt. Martinez (Bernard Blancan), a straightforward leader-type who enlists Saïd as a sort of personal assistant, marksman Messaoud (Roschdy Zem), a man who considers himself unlucky until he meets a French girl (Aurélie Eltvedt), and Abdelkader (Sami Bouajila), a natural leader and intellectual who unofficially leads the group. Brothers Yassir (Samy Naceri) and Larbi (Asaad Bouab) steal from corpses and have joined the army to make money.

The story is unique in that it features characters fighting for a France that they have not experienced. They are fighting for a land that they perhaps will never go to, except on missions of liberation, and they are fighting for a people that likely consider them to be second-class human beings. The grungy treatment of the men is highlighted by a particularly powerful scene involving tomatoes and a small rebellion with the aim of treating all men equal.

The film closes informing us that injustice from the War continues on in the lives of the surviving North Africans. It tells us of the decolonization of Africa and how the French government froze pensions and benefits for the wounded for those soldiers who fought on their behalf in World War II from colonies. This occurred in 1959 as the countries began to win their independence. Former French President Jacques Chirac saw Days of Glory in 2006 and abruptly changed the policy to ensure that the pensions were paid.

Days of Glory is an important picture. The resulting justice drawn from the picture is hard to ignore, of course, and Bouchareb’s skill for shooting the piece is well worth a look. The performances are good without overshadowing the subject matter or showing off and the sense of adventure and danger are very real. For a slightly different take on the ensemble war adventure film, check out Days of Glory (Indigènes).

8.6/10

Trailer:

Ramzy (Sabri) et Jamel dans la série H : 5 passages cultes

1. Sabri imite Jamel : un passage absolument délirant !

2. Sabri et Jamel au tribunal : très drôle !

La campagne nationale de L’AGEFIPH et son slogan “Fonce” déclinée par Jamel DEBOUZZE va t’elle permettre de porter un regard différent sur le  handicap,  mais également mettre en lumière les professionnels de l’insertion socio-professionnelle et de l’accompagnement des personnes handicapées, qui oeuvrent quotidiennement sur des territoires locaux ?

J’ai fait le choix de ne pas attendre  la réponse,  pour consacrer mon  billet aujourd’hui à Savoir et Compétences, un acteur majeur au service du handicap en Alsace.

SAVOIR ET COMPETENCES :

Crée en 1990, Savoir et Compétences réunit des chefs d’entreprise, des acteurs de la vie économique et sociale et des universitaires pour promouvoir toute initiative favorisant l’insertion sociale et professionnelle des personnes en situation d’exclusion et des personnes ayant un handicap.

Pour réaliser son objectif Savoir et Compétences s’est doté de 2 entités :

• Savoir et Compétences Formation,
• Savoir et Compétences Emploi,

1. Savoir et Compétences Formation : L’association s’est fixée trois objectifs principaux :  (intégrer et insérer, faire reculer les situations de handicap, développer l’expertise et l’échange de pratiques).

Pour réaliser ses missions Savoir et Compétences Formation s’est dotée d’un ensemble complet d’outils : centre de bilan et d’orientation, préparation, accompagnement et suivi dans l’emploi, centre de formation, recherche action dans le cadre de l’ingénierie de projet, veille et prospective.

2. Savoir et Compétences Emploi : Sa mission est de développer l’offre d’emplois  pour permettre l’insertion socio-professionnelle de travailleurs handicapés et/ou défavorisés.

Savoir et Compétences Emploi,  basée à  Illkirch-Graffentaden,  rassemble deux structures d’insertion par l’activité économique (SIAE) :

ASC :

Depuis 2007 le Groupement Associatif “Autonomie, Savoir et Compétences” (ASC) regroupe 4 associations oeuvrant au service de la personne et défavorisées :

• CEP FORMATION : http://www.cep-formation.fr/ (Formations professionnelles pour la prévention des situations de handicap)
• CEP CICAT : http://www.cep-cicat.fr/ (Information et Conseil en Aides Techniques)
• SAVOIR ET COMPETENCES FORMATION : http://www.sc-formation.fr/
• SAVOIR ET COMPETENCES EMPLOI : http://www.sc-emploi.fr/

ASC a pour objectif de permettre une mutualisation des moyens pour ses associations membres (Favoriser la qualités des services, Apporter une offre globale au niveau du handicap et de l’accessibilité, Etre un interlocuteur privilégié des partenaires économiques, institutionnels et financiers, Développer l’offre d’ingénierie et de recherche action au service de l’insertion sociale et professionnelle des personnes handicapées et du développement de leur qualification, Mieux lutter contre toutes les formes de discrimination, d’inégalités et pour une meilleure cohésion sociale, rationaliser les coûts de gestion associative)

L’architecture d’ensemble du Groupement ASC : http://www.sc-emploi.fr/images/stories/architecture.jpg

Sources : Savoir et Compétences / ASC / CEP

EN SAVOIR PLUS SUR LE HANDICAP :

L’espace Publications de Savoir et Compétences : http://www.sc-formation.fr/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=40&Itemid=61

L’ASSOCIATION  LEA : Une Association au service de l’Action pour le développement de la performance des Entreprises Adaptées en Alsace : http://www.association-lea.com/

L’Atlas 2008 de l’emploi et de l’insertion des personnes handicapées : http://www.agefiph.fr/img/ATLASNational2008.pdf?IdTis=XTC-DXUW-ONZDP-DD-HNDN-J35

Le Plan de soutien : http://www.agefiph.fr/docs/Compte%20Rendu%20revise%20AGEFIPH.pdf

Le livre bleu, recueil de proposition pour l’évolution du Plan de soutien : http://www.agefiph.fr/docs/Livre_bleu_plan_soutien_agefiph.pdf

Jamel Debbouze, le célèbre humoriste s’investit pour changer les mentalités vis-à-vis des handicapés et de leur embauche en France. Il a tourné une pub pour l’Agefiph. Saluons cette initiative!

Photo par Dalyna, RER C, juin 2006

On s’en doutait,  « l’ascenseur social est bloqué au sous-sol et pue la pisse » (Jamel Debbouze, spectacle Jamel 100% Debbouze). Mais en se rendant sur le site de Copains d’Avant, on en a la confirmation.

Comme beaucoup, je suis inscrite sur ce site qui permet de retrouver ses anciens camarades de primaire, collège, lycée et autres. J’en ai retrouvé plein, avec qui nous échangeons régulièrement des demandes d’amis sans vraiment rentrer en contact à nouveau. La plupart du temps, les personnes que l’on souhaite réellement retrouver n’y figurent pas, et pour les autres, Copains d’Avant est surtout un outil qui permet de satisfaire notre curiosité primaire. Alors, quelle tête maintenant ? Marié ? Enfant ? Boulot ? J’avoue m’y balader souvent rien que pour ça.

L’autre jour, alors que j’étais en mode big brother sur Copains d’avant, je commence à remarquer une tendance qui se dégage de l’évolution de tous ces profils. J’ai comme le sentiment que la majorité de mes copains d’avant ont tous le même parcours de vie.

Après cette constatation, je décidai donc de mener ma propre enquête statistique. Je vous rassure tout de suite, c’est une enquête qui m’a pris 30 minutes et qui n’a rien d’universitaire. Néanmoins, j’ai essayé de la faire en toute objectivité. J’ai donc établi des statistiques sur ce que sont devenus mes copains d’avant. Mais pour que ce soit plus drôle, j’ai voulu les mettre en relation avec d’autres résultats : ceux d’un fidèle lecteur de mon blog, le dénommé BaRT, qui a gentiment accepté de se prêter au jeu.

Mais vous me direz, pourquoi BaRT et pas Gertrude ? Et bien comme vous le savez, je viens d’une banlieue bien réputée pour son côté hardcore que nous appellerons Harlem pour ne pas la trahir. BaRT, de son côté, a la particularité de venir d’une banlieue également, mais… d’un tout autre type, que nous appellerons ici Wisteria Lane, (les férus de Desperate Housewives reconnaîtront, pour les autres, c’est ici). Voilà pourquoi il me semblait intéressant de comparer les chiffres de BaRT avec les miens.

*CSP inférieures/Non-cadres

Deux petites précisions toutefois. Nous avons tout deux obtenu ces chiffres sur 17 amis de Copains d’avant. Pourquoi 17 ? Tout simplement parce que j’en avais 17 et BaRT a pris les 17 premières personnes arrivant dans ses recherches. C’est donc totalement le fruit du hasard, il n’y a pas eu de sélection sur les amis choisis. Autre chose, BaRT est plus âgé que moi de 9 ans, donc ce n’est pas exactement la même génération. Mais en tentant de le refaire avec un autre membre de sa famille plus proche de mon âge, nous obtenons les mêmes chiffres. Ce qui signifie que les choses ne s’améliorent pas avec les années.

Maintenant, que dire à part que ces chiffres sont effrayants. J’avais envie de montrer à quel point la naissance détermine quasiment tout dans la vie. A l’heure où l’on nous brandit partout la fameuse méritocratie, la « Dati l’ambitieuse » présentée comme modèle de réussite, ça me fait rire (jaune) de voir tous ces parcours qui, de mon côté, se ressemblent comme deux gouttes d’eau. Qu’est-ce que cela signifie ? Que 70 % des jeunes de Harlem n’ont pas d’ambition ? Ou un cerveau plus petit alors, qui justifierait le fait que 2 fois moins d’enfants d’Harlem font des études en comparaison à ceux de Wisteria Lane ?

La vérité, tout le monde la connaît, mais je trouve qu’on ne la dénonce pas assez. Sans doute parce qu’il y a une part de la population, celle qui est née du bon côté de la barrière souvent, qui s’en contrefiche de ces chiffres. Le facteur déterminant dans le parcours de vie de quelqu’un reste sa naissance et le portefeuille de ses parents. Si cela n’a l’air de rien, plus de 200 ans après l’abolition des privilèges, la déclaration des droits de l’homme et du citoyen (remixée récemment par Dati), je trouve scandaleux que l’égalité brandie fièrement par la France, ne soit en fait qu’une égalité de façade. En réalité, c’est plutôt « Dis moi qui sont tes parents, je te dirais qui tu seras ». Quand on voit que 82.4 % des enfants de Wisteria Lane finissent cadres comme leurs parents, quand ceux de Harlem sont, à l’inverse, non-cadres pour 70 % d’entre eux, cela nous montre bien que le « mérite », « la volonté » et toutes ces qualités que les sarkozistes (entre autres) se plaisent à mettre en avant pour mieux taire les inégalités, ne pèsent, au final, pas lourd dans le parcours d’un individu.

Alors fort heureusement, il y a des variantes. Certains s’en sortent mieux que d’autres : la vie, l’éducation, la chance… autant de facteurs qui entrent également en ligne de compte. Mais ce qui m’inquiète, c’est cette orientation générale, qui se perpétue de générations en générations, sans que rien ne soit fait pour changer les choses. Dans ces stats, je me suis intéressée aussi à la mobilité des individus, parce que nous avons constaté avec BaRT que la majorité de ses amis, qui au départ étaient déjà plutôt bien lotis, ont une situation sociale ascendante. Ils quittent la banlieue pour Paris, ou bien vers des quartiers plus cotés, ou d’autres pays. De mon côté, 29.4 % de mes anciens amis vivent dans le même quartier, et 76 % dans la même ville ou département. Cela montre que de ce côté-là, c’est plutôt la stagnation qui prédomine. Donc, soit on naît aisé et on s’enrichit au cours de sa vie, soit on naît modeste et le demeure toute sa vie.

Alors, il est vrai que cela fait des lustres qu’on sait tout ça et on n’a pas besoin de Copains d’avant pour en avoir la certitude. Mais même si nous sommes au courant, en parallèle, d’autres œuvrent à plein temps pour démentir cette réalité. Exemple, un Sarkozy qui nous brandit Rachida Dati ou Rama Yade comme pour dire aux autres jeunes issus de la diversité et autres jeunes des milieux populaires, que c’est possible de partir de rien et d’arriver tout en haut. En d’autres termes, si les autres n’y arrivent pas, c’est de leur faute et pas celle de l’Etat. Ils doivent manquer de « volonté » et de « persévérance ».  Or, ces chiffres nous montrent bien que c’est faux. Nous avons d’un côté une Education Nationale présentée comme vecteur d’égalité des chances, et de l’autre, des enfants dont le destin se joue dès leur naissance. Elle est là, la réalité de ce pays.

Pour les lecteurs fidèles de ce blog, vous constaterez qu’une fois de plus, l’un de mes articles aborde la question des inégalités sociales. Autant le dire, c’est l’une de mes plus grandes révoltes, et je ne cesserai jamais de m’insurger contre ce système qui les favorise. J’ai un parcours particulier, qui m’a fait intégrer différents milieux, et qui m’a confrontée très tôt à beaucoup d’injustices. Depuis, je n’ai eu de cesse de leur cracher dessus. Pas pour moi, car si cela laisse forcément des traces, elles ne m’ont pas empêché d’aller là où je le souhaitais. La chance, un peu de persévérance, beaucoup d’éducation, des choix, des hasards de la vie. Plein de choses que d’autres ne rencontreront peut-être jamais. Et c’est justement pour eux que je gueule. C’est pour eux que ça fait mal. Et aussi pour la France. Pour les hommes et les femmes qui, il y a 200 ans, ont payé de leur vie pour lutter contre ce foutu système de castes. Que de potentiel, que de gâchis.

Jusqu’à quand ?

Being a favourite film genre of mine, I’m always prone to stringing together several war films back-to-back on days when I need reminding of the horrific injustices man inflicts upon man (or when I’m just bored and they have a sale on in the war section of HMV). There’s just something about the bloody misery of the war genre that appeals to me more than most. The intense battle scenes, the unbreakable camaraderie and the sickening devaluation of human life always make for unmissable viewing.

Whenever I buy a new war film, the lure to watch it immediately is not one that is easily overcome, as opposed to other films which can remain wrapped in cellophane for months after purchase. As filming techniques improve, the intensity and realism of war movies follows suit. Now, the dissipation of young life is no longer captured with a dramatic pause and mask of agony on a the face of a falling actor, but instead with cheerless and uncompromising brutality. Limbs lost, skin torn from bone, character personalities built up and then destroyed in a second. These advancements enhance the believability of war films, force you to empathise more with the characters involved and ultimately make them much more difficult to watch.

Reviewed here are four films; Days of Glory, Saints & Soldiers, The Star and Assembly. Three are set during World War II, and the latter during the Chinese Civil War which occurred just after.

Days of Glory (Indigenes)

Days of Glory offers a refreshing new viewpoint into the events of World War II. It tells the story of indigenous troops drafted from French-owned African territories in order to fight for the freedom of the French motherland against Nazi occupation. The troops are almost completely unskilled in battle techniques and are completely unprepared for war. It wouldn’t be too unfair to suggest that they are used merely as cannon fodder in the opening battles in Italy.

The men who survive are sent to the front and into France itself. For many of the troops this is the first time that they have seen the country they have been drafted to protect. Each man continues to give his best, but despite striving for honourable goals, the African troops encounter nothing but racism from their European French colleagues. Constantly overlooked for promotion and outcast from their fellow Allied soldiers, the indigenous troops even receive worse food, drink and leave time as they continue to fight against Nazi Germany. One soldier is even depicted fighting in the snow covered countryside still wearing African-style sandals.

The performances from the African troops in this film are extremely believable and endearing. Their personal leader, Abdelkader is a budding intellectual who consistently battles the injustice faced at the hands of the French higher order. He guides three others through to the bitter end as the Indigenous troops take on a mission that claims to offer great personal glory and recognition for the aid offered by African sons. The climactic battle scene is dripping with intensity and raw human emotion as we see the now mildly experienced troops battling way beyond their capabilities in the name of misplaced notions of honour.

If anything, you will finish this film with a very bitter taste in your mouth, as the final credits point out that African soldiers have continually been neglected the same war pensions as French soldiers by several successive governments. I certainly learned something new whilst watching and felt a particularly strong attachment to all characters involved.

Saints and Soldiers

Saints and Soldiers follows a small group of men who escape from a botched German massacre at Malmedy in Belgium. The unit of four men persevere through the frozen wastes of the Belgian countryside in a bid to reconvene with Allied lines. Their task is hindered even more by the fact that they only possess one rifle and four rounds of ammunition. Tentatively, they make their way through snow-covered forests in constant fear of detection and extermination at the hands of the weather.

Each of the soldiers brings his own unique slice to the overall personality pie, and it was this factor that grated on me the most. The medic is an ultra-pessimist, their ’sniper’ is a man haunted by his accidental killing of innocent children, the commanding officer is an all-round normal guy, whilst the fourth and final member of the team is utilised as clumsy comic relief. The four men are eventually joined by a British pilot who crash landed with top secret information and he hams up the British stereotype with flamboyant overacting. Once I’d realised the characters were all so specifically designated these ‘unnatural’ roles, I almost completely lost interest in them. They are the major weak spot of the entire film.

The scenery is consistently amazing, and there is some great imagery of blood, and the red cross against white snowy backgrounds. The combat is fairly scarce on the ground until the finale of the film, by which time the absurdity of the situation clouds your judgement on just how believable the fighting can be enacted. The side plot of this film dealing with the spiritualism of ‘Deacon’, the troubled sniper, and his unwavering faith in God is kind of the icing on the cake. It just doesn’t go anywhere, and it leads to nothing.

In all, what started off as a promising film was severely let down by the ridiculous roles the major characters were scripted to perform. Including a fat clumsy soldier with accompanying ‘butt of all jokes’ music was too much to swallow and decimated the atmosphere of the film.A real shame.

The Star (Zvezda)

The Star is a well executed, Russian-made war film directed by Nikolai Lebedev. The film derives its title from the codename used by a team of Soviet Scout troops during World War II. ‘Star’ are sent behind German lines to gather intelligence on German armour and troop movement during Operation Bagration, near the Polish border. The story begins with a Soviet outpost under artillery attack. The next day a meeting is called and it is proposed that the Red Army send another scouting patrol across the lines to report back on Nazi front-line activity.

Two previous patrols have already been sent and contact with both units has been lost. Two soldiers remain from a veteran scouting unit and are reinforced with several other recruits of varying competency. There is no real time for introductions and the usual bravado and hostility that usually pervades this type of ‘meeting’ scene is completely absent, which was a refreshing change. The scout leader, Travkin, is a reserved individual who effortlessly instills faith and discipline in those around him and commands empathy from the viewer. He is helped by an extremely youthful complexion which serves as a constant reminder of how hopelessly wasted the youth were during the conflict. The Star team rapidly gels to the extent where you begin to think of them as a single entity, with each man ready to face certain death in the hope of overall victory.

Set behind enemy lines, the film is stuffed with extremely intense scenes and moments of nervous confrontation. The undercover unit are experts of stealth and subterfuge, but must regularly go beyond their comfort zone in search for prisoners to interrogate or a more tactically relevant location. The combat scenes involving Star are relatively sparse to begin with, though their skirmishes always convey the sense of pressure that is suffocating the team at all times. Bigger battles are shot from interesting angles and are generally well choreographed, though what separates this film from many others in the genre is that most of the action is not derived from the all-guns-blazing battles.

The film isn’t devoid of faults. There is a generally dismal love story between the chief scout and a new radio operator recruit (she only saw him briefly ride past on a horse and she was deeply in love from that point on), and the casting of a young, scared and perpetually liable translator is a generic one that we’ve seen before, it seems there’s a guy like this in every unit in World War II. But neither of these detract enough from the film to make it any less brilliant.

The only other Russian war film that I could compare this to is 9th Company, and this film is much more favourable. Indeed this film was my favourite out of the four reviewed here.

Assembly (Ji jie hao)

Assembly is a war film with a difference in that it does not follow the events of the Second World War. It portrays the events of the Chinese Civil War in the post-1945 battles. The opening scene is a blinder, and throws you into a bloody street battle with blood and dismemberment coming at you from all angles. However from this memorable opening scene, it is all downhill.

The general in charge of the opening attack is then given a mission to defend an old mine from enemy attack – right down until the last man. The mine is of no military importance but serves as the flank for the main land army involved in the conflict. General Gu Zidi is told that he must remain at the mine until he hears the Assembly bugle call from down the valley which will signify their retreat. With just under 50 weary men, a defensive perimeter is established and the company repel wave after wave of enemy attack. Their numbers dwindle rapidly, to the extent that some men claim to have heard the trumpet call. Gu ignores these claims and ends up the only human being to survive the battle.

Up to this point the action was spectacular. The film seems to be shot with a saturated pallet in which everything is grey, dead and dreary coloured. The men fight with unwavering zeal and this makes the battle scenes all the more realistic. But then the film takes a turn for the more mundane as the war ends and Gu spends the rest of the movie trying to prove that his platoon were ever on the hill in the first place. The mine has been reactivated after the war and the dead are buried deep beneath tonnes of coal. He makes it his personal mission to recover their identities and grant his men official government recognition.

I’ve no doubt that – if this really is a true story – then Gu’s exploits would have been desperate and fraught with sadness and frustration. However, these emotions don’t really come across in the film as the years progress rapidly and you often get lost in the time scale. Gu’s actions are of a man possessed with recovering honour for people who deserve nothing but, yet every other character or his own periods of down time are simply tiring and uninteresting to watch. What started off as an intense action film sadly petered out into a predictable and uninteresting ending, which was regretful considering the natural skill the director possessed for depicting epic wartime battles.