Gregory Peck made his debut here in this unusual propaganda film; American made during the Second World War and about a unit of Russia guerrilla fighters living in the countryside during Operation Barbarossa in 1941/42. It is not a bad film by any means but it gets bogged down by its own melodrama and the jingoism is very cringe-inducing to watch these days; especially when it is an American-made picture about the Soviets. The film begins with an excellent scene where we look down the scope of sniper out in the woods, as she takes down a German scout out on a motorbike. She then returns to the underground hideout occupied by the guerrillas, where they have just taken in a famous dancer who became separated from her group out in the woods. They don't know what to make of her because she can't cook, in fact little Olga is disgusted by the idea that a woman can not cook! The underground hideout has a real family dynamic to it with a good mixture of young and old, male and female, and it is all led by Vladimir (Peck), who is waiting to receive orders from command on what his small, but battle-seasoned, group are to do next... Overall, this has not aged well at all but I would not dismiss it entirely, as it is Gregory Peck's debut and there are a few good scenes, particularly the ones involving the German armour.
Review of Days of Glory
