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THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS ***** out of *****
Genres
1965 Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo Written by Gillo Pontecorvo Franco Solinas Cast Brahim Haggiag .... Ali La Pointe Jean Martin .... Col. Mathieu Yacef Saadi .... Djafar Samia Kerbash .... One of the girls Ugo Paletti .... Captain Fusia El Kader .... Halima
Originally released in 1965 and banned by the French (its screenings were removed from the Cannes Film Festival), Gillo Pontecorvo's historical masterpiece has been called "One of the most remarkable films of all time" (The Observer). Commissioned by the Algerian government, Pontecorvo's film brings us into the middle of the 1954 to 1962 Franco-Algerian conflict and the struggle that faced both the Algerians and the French colonials who had occupied the nation since the 1830s. In the 1960s the French Foreign Legion had pulled out of Vietnam in shameful defeat, a defeat which left many French with deep scars, including the government. This defeat would not happen again in any French territory and efforts where directed to Algeria where the people are rising up and shouting for independence.
 It's not long before a full scale revolution is at hand; this film closely studies both sides and shows the inhuman face of killing versus the struggle of achieving freedom and independence. The malicious torture of the French versus the Arab-led bombing campaigns that used women and children as couriers. It truly shines light on what man is willing to do in order to gain what is far from his grasp.
From the beginning Pontecorvo wanted his film to feel real, to play out like a documentary as if they were there when the revolution was happening. In order to achieve this the filmmaker shot in black and white, used the real Algerian locations, and, most importantly, used real revolutionaries that fought the French, including one of its leaders Yacef Saadi. Yacef was also an adviser to the film, making sure that the practices of the Algerian campaign was as accurate as possible.
 The cast give wonderful performances, considering the majority have never acted before in their lives. Pontecorvo's direction and sense of drama is high, the camera movements feel natural and unscripted. Also, the inclusion of Ennio Morricone’s wonderful music adds a new level to the film, the music accents what plays out on screen perfectly. The result is sometimes shocking in the way it echoes today’s world with the recent terror events, 9/11, Palestinian suicide bombings, and the war in Iraq. It is said that this film is referenced by the CIA and has been screened at the White House. There is no doubt that this is one of the most important films of all time and a stunning achievement in film. I urge everyone to see this film. Finger_Of_DOOM's reviews also appear on DVD Compare, where they include details of the DVD release. For this review click here and here. Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts) |
