Days of Glory

Pretty boring. Just an exercise in WW2 uncool propaganda. Leave it to the soviets you swine

Viewed March 9, 2021. Wartime propaganda about a group of underground Soviet soldiers directed by Jacques Tourneur. Tourneur's fingerprints are all over this in the way he uses nature as an unsettling counterpoint to the action on screen — shadows of leaves dancing across people's faces, a hanging set during a heavy snowfall. The final image of a tank heading directly towards the camera is not so much rousing and propagandistic as it is ambiguously evil.

A surprisingly effective--and relatively unsentimental--Pro-Soviet propaganda piece about heroic comrades fighting the Nazis in the forests of Russia. Jacques Tourneur embraces his small budget with enthusiasm, creating some interesting noir effects and unusual battlefield camera set-ups. The cast of new comers--including a 27 year old Gregory Peck--adds much to the natural feel of the film.

Interesting film as it has a pro-soviet storyline, is multi lingual in places with no subtitles and attempts to create a sense of realism.

Cheap production with a lot of talking heads shots - but great given historical context. In spite of limitations Gregory Peck's talents shine through.

Gregory Peck, an instant leading man! I doubt many would class his performance in Days of Glory (1944) as anything more than a starting point. Heavily influenced by his stage style acting, it's far from the more mature and tougher roles he became known for. Not that he isn't tough here, being the spirit in fighting back against the Nazis, but there was a softness which didn't really fit his screen persona. Nearly everyone was making their feature film debut with this one.