The opening sequence of scenes in Days of Glory, a film about the colonial African men who fought and died for France in World War II, contains an intimate exchange between a mother and son in a poor, dusty village. She’s begging him not to enlist, “I’d rather be poor than lose you,” and the physicality of his reaction tells volumes about this character: love, respect, anger, shame – a yearning to rise above his station but the inability to act on it. It is a small scene and yet it is enormous, and for me it was one of those moments that ever so slightly and momentarily took my breath away, raising my expectations for what lay ahead. The following 115 minutes delivered on those expectations, as they must have for the nominating jury for the Academy Awards two years ago, when the film was one of the five nominees. (What an especially great year for that category, with The Lives of Others winning among the other nominees, Pan’s Labyrinth, Water, and After the Wedding.)
I’m usually disinclined toward war pictures, but this one defies the category. It is an observationally astute human interest story, pulling no punches while exposing France’s disgraceful treatment of its colonial soldiers, both during and after the war, as well as the unfathomable loyalty and bravery shown by the soldiers (sometimes with moments of significant reservation). Aside from the consistently authentic performances, perhaps Days of Glory resonates because of the universality of its theme. Most of us endeavor with the hope that our acts will someday meet with a deserving reward, yet fearing that such recognition may never fully come.
Here are this morning’s Oscar-nominated films, alphabetically. The nominees for foreign language film and documentary feature are compiled at the end of the list. (Short format nominees are listed in a 
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