The Battle of Algiers, Movie Review Example

The film “The Battle of Algiers,” directed by GilloPontecorvo, tells the story of the Algerian uprising against French rule in the 1950s. Algeria had been colonized by the French, and Algerian rebels mounted a guerilla-warfare campaign in an effort to drive the French out of the country. The film is compelling on several levels, the greatest of which is its realism. Considering the period in which the film was created, it is quite vivid in its portrayal of warfare and combat, and the footage often looks as if it is real documentary footage rather than something that had been created for a movie camera. It is subtitled in English for those who do not speak Italian.

The opening scene shows French paratroopers attacking a man as they seek information from him about the FLN, the resistance movement opposing French rule. The soldiers then head of in search of Ali la Pointe, one of the leaders of the movement. As they near his hideout, the film moves back in time to trace the history of the revolution. Scenes of French people treating the Algerian natives poorly are presented as if it is a routine occurrence. Ali is seen being harassed by young French men who appear to be hassling him merely for sport.

The native Algerians begin to demand freedom from the French. Rebels plant bombs in various places, injuring and killing several colonists. The Algerians begin to mount a more aggressive rebel campaign, where women as well as men get involved. Women can be seen putting aside their traditional clothing so that they can look unthreatening to the French colonists, therefore allowing them to get close enough to plant bombs. At one point, the natives mount a strikeand the French soldiers can be seen breaking the entrances of shops in an effort to get the owners to open them.

“The Battle of Algiers” stands the test of time, offering valuable lessons for modern audiences about the nature of military dominance, political uprisings, and the use of “terrorist” tactics by those who have no other recourse. Parallels can be drawn to the material covered in this course, as Spain was dominated by Arab forces for centuries; they can also be drawn to the modern-day occupations of Middle Eastern nations by the United States, and the resistance movements that have arisen in those nations. The film calls to mind the old saying that “those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.” It seems that generation after generation continues to forget the lessons of history.