Tracing the struggle of the Algerian Front de Liberation Nationale to gain freedom from French colonial rule as seen through the eyes of Ali from his start as a petty thief to his rise to prominence in the organisation and capture by the French in 1957. The film traces the rebels' struggle and the increasingly extreme measures taken by the French government to quell the revolt.
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A really well made and fascinating film about the beginning of the big anti-imperialist war that took place Algeria against France. A conflict which would be incredibly contentious war in France, especially in regard to torture of enemy militants. This film is really well done about what is essentially a terrorist group in Algiers fighting for their freedom against their French oppressors. While I think this group is largely sympathetic they also commit some fairly grotesque acts towards French people living in Algiers. In terms of filmmaking this makes the dynamic between the French forces and insurgent group very interesting.
This film was commissioned by the Algerian government to show both sides of the conflict in the war for independence against the French during the 1950s. The way it is directed in black and white together with the naturalness of the actors and the realism of the violence seems almost a documentary. Of good historical value and with an end with good message.It had its relevance at the time and I consider it a good film, but unfortunately it is dated: although the theme of war is always timeless and parallels can be established with current conflicts, there are already better films within the genre with best script and that appeal more to the casual viewer. I recommend this one only to historians or movie buffs.
With the Italian-Algerian film "The Battle of Algiers" from 1966, Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo managed to create a timeless classic and a great depiction of a long and fierce conflict between the French colonial power and the Arab population in the city of Algiers. Shot in an Italian neorealism style and with a documentary-type editing and effective black-and-white photography, the film has all the aesthetics to give to viewer the feeling of being there, in the centre of actions, showing that both of the parts of the conflict were guilty of awful crimes.
Superbly done in all aspects. In years of movie viewing I've never seen staged events look so realistic. I don't know how Pontecorvo and Co. managed it, but they did. I first saw the movie in a packed LA theatre in 1967. The place absolutely rocked when the FLN vowed to continue their struggle— shades of the anti-Vietnam war then shaping up. I guess the colonial French learned their lesson in Vietnam and Algeria, a lesson neo-colonial Americans are still learning. Anyway, there's not much I can add to the hundreds of reviews already in place. That is, except to say that what stayed and still stays with me are the peasant faces, etched by years of hardship. Plus, the native quarters with their claustrophobic passageways that resemble a prison more than a neighborhood. No way Hollywood can duplicate these. Thanks Mr. Pontecorvo and all the others for a world-class lesson in movie making and difficult truths.
