Saturday

Many of you have written to ask why I am boycotting Days of Glory. 'Why, Nick, why? Why are you doing this to us?' I hear you cry. My answers are entirely superficial. I don't like films that are so overtly political in their intent: that is, to make European governments aware of the sacrifice of Algerian soldiers during WWII, who receive very little, or no, compensation for doing so. This film's 'message' has been forced upon us before we've had a chance to experience it as a film. The letter from the director that was printed in newspapers was sickening, I thought. What an utterly terrible way to try to get your message across - to use film so uselessly. More than this, however, annoyed me. I first heard about the movie through the trailer in cinemas. It begins with text saying something like 'In 2006 one film changed the world'. If it changed the world, why didn't I hear about it? Why is it being released in 2007, and if it changed the world, do you really have to tell me it changed the world? Isn't that counter-productive, or something? The whole thing seems too righteous. I think good filmmakers are more sensitive than this.