"NATIVES"
ALGERIA - 1943
We must rid France of the German occupation
Come along! Come with me!
We must wash the French flag with our blood!
Come with me, men!
We must liberate France and sort out this situation!
Come, you men!
We must liberate France.
Saïd!
Come back!
Be reasonable.
Come back inside.
- Your grandfather never came back. - Don't worry about me, Mother.
I want to help France. I can't stay here.
I prefer the worst poverty to losing you.
You have endured much worse.
Please, let me go. It will be all right, Mother.
Pray for me.
Get in.
Move it!
Long live France!
Climb in.
MOROCCO - 1943
To the left... Left!
I know that you Aït Tserouchen, the mountain men.
are the French army's best fighters,
better than the other Berbers.
And you'll prove it!
Listen carefully now.
We permit raids in enemy territory for food.
But hands off the women or you'll be shot.
In France. No raids at all.
We show discipline!
It's our home, our motherland!
To the left... Left!
Yassir, they make us march like mules. Let's go back home.
Serve France with pride, and France will be of service to you.
Why did you get us enlisted?
For the money... so you can be married.
Forward...
March!
The Sergeant communicates with his men...
SÉTIF, ALGERIA - 1943
through verbal orders...
and through signals...
through verbal orders and through signals...
used simultaneously.
We're the men of Africa. Come here from afar
We've come from the colonies To save the fatherland
We've left behind Our families and homes
And our hearts are full Of invincible fervour
For we wish to bear high and proud
The cherished flag of sweet France
Should someone try to part us
We're here to die at her feet
Drums roll to mark our love For our country and land
We've come from afar to die We're the men of Africa
At ease!
Company...
Halt!
Left turn!
Don't salute me here.
They always pick officers as targets.
Corporal Abdelkader, 2nd Company, 7th Algerian Infantry Regiment,
reporting. Sir!
What can your lads do?
No idea. Sir. They're my first group.
You got your rank how?
I passed the exam. Sir.
I took mine with the Boche.
Corporal Leroux reporting, sir.
You can go.
Praise be to God.
Take this German rifle. The best.
You'll be the marksman.
Take it.
Hit the deck!
Don't blame him, Sergeant.
They're still green.
I have the power of life and death over you!
Starting with you.
Yes... Sergeant.
The Germans are dug in up there. At ease.
Tomorrow, our mission is to climb up to the Boche.
to flush them out.
We have to do it.
It's a light infantry job.
You'll lead the men.
Any trouble, take out a cigarette.
Before you light it, it'll be over.
Yes, Sergeant.
- It reassures the lads behind. - Yes, Sergeant.
Hitting a soldier isn't allowed.
I know the Sergeant from Tunisia. He's a good man.
He knows his job.
Where are you from Saïd?
From total poverty.
Listen, in that uniform... you are just like me.
You're like all of us.
We're the same family. The army means equality.
Wait a while. You'll get your share of bullets tomorrow.
Corporal... Are you afraid?
Enough talk.
Tomorrow, you'll know...
if you're soldiers or not.
Your coffee, Sarge.
Thank you, Ali.
Careful. it's hot.
We'll be in for it tomorrow.
Yes, tomorrow we have a party.
God willing.
O Merciful Compassionate Lord of the Worlds,
Merciful. Compassionate King of Judgement Day.
You alone we worship and seek help from.
Guide us along the right path...
Merciful. Compassionate King of Judgement Day.
You alone we worship,
it is You whom we beseech,
Guide us along the right path...
God is great.
I declare that no God but Allah...
...and Mohammed is his Prophet.
Move forward!
Abdelkader, move!
Abdelkader!
Corporal!
What do we do?
Shut up!
Move!
We'll die if we stay here.
Messaoud!
Ahmed!
Saïd!
Let's go!
Colonel, the artillery!
Battery number 5.
938-991
Battery number 5. Position 938-991.
- Copy. - 903-940.
Battery number 4. Position 903-940.
Bearing 1400, order 340.
Charge 5. Loaded.
First gun, ready!
Second gun, ready!
Attention... Fire!
Stay down! That's our side.
Larbi? Larbi!
Don't be afraid, my little friend...
we're not going to die today.
Forward, Messaoud, over there!
Move forward! Keep going!
Sergeant!
Stay behind me!
Ali, are you hurt?
Keep going!
Come out of there!
Open his mouth.
Stop! What are you doing?!
We're soldiers, not savages.
Fuck you!
Scum!
We're pulling out!
Long live France!
Colonel...
How many casualties?
How many dead?
It's a magnificent victory.
For the first time since the 1940 defeat...
our army has defeated the Germans.
France has regained glory and the Allies' trust.
Write that.
A photo Colonel?
Write what I said.
Let's go.
Lower...
That's it!
Yes?
At ease.
What do you want?
I come to say thank you.
You save my life, Sergeant.
You want to thank me?
Make some coffee. You can replace Ali.
If I'm pleased, I'll promote you to First Class.
Well? What did he say?
Are we going home?
- Soon, God willing. - Is it true?
Thank you, my friend.
Where's my chocolate?
- Here. - Thank you.
No tomatoes for you.
- Why? - They're not for you. Move!
What do you mean?
Let go of him!
You're cooking while he fights.
Yes, Sergeant.
Move it.
Why aren't the tomatoes for everyone?
He's right.
We want tomatoes too!
He's right!
Shut your mouths!
You're not happy?
No one will have any now...
Sergeant.
They're ready to die for us but any injustice will cause mutiny.
You know the natives, Martinez...
Avoid that term, sir.
- The Muslims... - That's just as bad.
So what do I call them?
The men, sir. The men.
What's going on here?
Captain,
we fight alongside our French brothers in arms.
On the same terrain, against the same enemy.
We must share the tomatoes too.
German bullets don't pick and choose, sir.
Sergeant. When we have tomatoes
let everyone have them.
Yes, sir.
Thank you, sir.
My boys... My dear boys!
The dream for which so many have died
is coming true at last!
Your wounds and suffering,
all the pain
and bloodshed,
are the price to pay to be on this journey
We shall soon see France again! The motherland!
We are going home!
PROVENCE - AUGUST 1944
Smell it.
- It's not like at home. - No.
French soil, is better.
Look!
Long live France!
Do you speak French?
Yes, I understand it.
- What's your name? - Messaoud.
And what's your name?
Irène.
The sergeant says,
"Go up the mountain."
I was scared but I go up the mountain.
I go up the mountain, I run and run.
Messaoud to my right, Abdelkader to my left.
I'm not scared then.
But Germany shoots at us. Left, right, everywhere it shoots.
Messaoud says, "Lie down in the hole."
I don't speak. The sergeant looks at me.
I look at the sergeant.
I know what he wants.
I take the grenade, pull the pin and throw it at Germany.
All of Germany, they die.
I free a country, it's my country.
Even if I never saw it before.
It's my country.
Your country is all you like?
God willing, we'll beat Germany. Thank you very much.
Look.
Iron Cross. German.
Very beautiful.
Dangerous soldier...
Take this.
Good quality.
Iron Cross.
Unlucky
Why unlucky?
I didn't know you.
Sorry.
Good night.
Why are you scared?
The Germans won't be back.
You wiped them out.
It's not that.
But...
In my country, we don't go with French women.
Leave it!
Don't touch it!
It's a sin! I swear in God's name.
Aren't you ashamed?
Why. Yassir? Is it God's?
- Don't touch it. - All right.
Look...
Their God suffered a lot.
A lot
Tell me, Yassir...
When I was little,
the French soldiers killed our whole family.
Did they massacre them?
What did they call it?
They called it...
Pacification.
Pacification?
- Corporal, can you read? - Yes.
I can't read.
I never went to school.
You can learn. Listen, Saïd...
Corporal, come here!
It's a military handbook, Sergeant
"The Infantry NCO's Handbook"
You want to be a Colonel?
A Sergeant first, Sergeant.
Let me read you a passage.
"In theory,
"no soldier should return home illiterate from the army.
"Classes are obligatory for all men
"upon their enlistment."
Yet none of these African troops can read or write.
Saïd...
You want to learn to read?
It's too late, Sergeant.
And to read what?
Get me a clean shirt.
You'll come back?
Yes, I promise I come back
You wait for me?
Yes.
RHONE VALLEY - OCTOBER 1944
I never loved a girl like this.
I want to marry her, have kids and make a family.
You sure work fast.
Marseilles is paradise. Here, Corporal,
they respect me. I'm not a wog.
I swear! I make my life in France.
You'll always be a wog.
Shut it! Ever slept in sheets before?
Saïd!
Saïd! Get in!
Get in.
Aïcha!
Me and Mother 1903
What is this shit?
Only you French guys get leave?
- We've fought since Marseilles. - Us, Italy.
We're off to Paris. You need to get back to Wogland.
This wog says fuck you.
You miss home, your family?
Why speak Arabic?
Me too. I like to go leave to see my mother.
- Any mail for me? - There's none for you.
Look again. It's not normal.
I wrote three times. Messaoud Souni.
- Or maybe I'm listed as dead. - I said no.
- Private! - There's nothing for you.
Here's Aïcha!
How is she?
Has Sergeant Martinez rejected you?
Marrying a Moroccan?
Why are you hassling me?
Go to your Marseilles girl... A Yank is probably fucking her now.
It doesn't matter. Want to know why?
You're the one I want, Aïcha
Our beautiful Aïcha.
She takes care of us.
- As God is my witness... - Saïd calm down!
If you ever call me Aïcha again...
If any of you...
No problem, my brother.
- Everyone has understood. - Stop it!
Leave him be. Calm down..
If anyone calls me Aïcha. I'll kill him.
Let go of him.
- I'm not a child! - Let go of him.
Let go of him!
You're mad!
Are you soldiers, idiots, or what?!
Shame on you!
Get out of here!
Get out now!
Quickly!
And don't do that again!
Listen to me, you.
You're not a slave.
There are no slaves here!
No one here has bothered with me. Except the Sergeant!
Learn your book by heart to become a Colonel!
Who's becoming a Colonel?
This donkey? This mule?!
Why can't they become Colonels?
Why not him? And even him?
Why not!
So try...
It's over! Get to your bunks!
Do it!
I want no more trouble!
THE VOSGES - NOVEMBER 1944
Yes, it looks ugly!
It'll be worse in there!
It'll be tougher than Italy.
But I have faith in you.
I have faith in you to liberate the motherland.
The French people have placed their fate in our hands.
and are watching us with eyes full of hope.
We have to be up there by dark!
And, even dead, we shall be! Even dead!
Is it Omar, Sergeant?
Sergeant...
I've taken the position.
I'm here, Sergeant.