Return to Algiers (1991), Movie Review Example

Economic concerns were central to both the Algerian War (1954–62) and the tensions described in Return to Algiers (1991)

At one point in the film, when Gillo Pontecorvos visits the university, a conflict breaks out between the students. One student claims that the people are impoverished, while another student claims that the people are doing fine and can take care of themselves. Another student attributes the social conflict to the heavy economic debt imposed on the country. He states that the potential civil war stems form the civil unrest caused by the debt. This concept is further reinforced by the fact that Pontecorvos is unwelcomed by many of the students as well as many of the people living in Casbah. When he first arrives, he is turned away, largely due to the pride of the people, the insecurity caused from their impoverished environment, and the resentment for western media’s spin that they feel paints Islamic countries in a bad light.

The economic difficulty of French colonization of Algeria was not just felt by the Arab population but the French as well. During the initial settlement, of the million European settlers, 79% of them were born in Algeria and they had to coexist with nine million Algerians.

At the top of this economic ladder were the rich Colons, which represented a small group of people that held all of the power and wealth in Algeria. The majority of settlers were poor. The average living standard of the settlers was 20% lower than in France. When the FLN sought to take power, they did so with limited resources and a military force that was formed primarily out of peasantry. The six main founders of FLN all came from a group of rural elite who were ultimately impoverished by colonialism. This idea is depicted early in the Battle of Algiers when Ali la Pointe is shown on the street hustling for money. It’s also depicted in Return to Algiers in the contrast between the students at the university who argue things are ok, and the ones who are conscious of the impact economic crisis is having on civil unrest, and they argue conditions could be much better.