The Battle of Algiers (1966)

The Battle of Algiers (La battaglia di Algeri)
Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo
Written by Franco Salinas and Gillo Pontecorvo
1966/Italy/Algiers
Casbah Film/Igor Film
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

[box] Journalist: M. Ben M’Hidi, don’t you think it’s a bit cowardly to use women’s baskets and handbags to carry explosive devices that kill so many innocent people?

Ben M’Hidi: And doesn’t it seem to you even more cowardly to drop napalm bombs on defenseless villages, so that there are a thousand times more innocent victims? Of course, if we had your airplanes it would be a lot easier for us. Give us your bombers, and you can have our baskets.[/box]

This amazing documentary-style re-enactment of terrorism and retaliation in Algeria’s struggle for independence is hard to take but more relevant than ever.

The story begins with the radicalization of Ali, an illiterate teenager living in the Casbah of Algiers.  He is readily accepted into one of many terrorist cells in the city.  We witness many brutal attacks, including a major strike in which the Air France office and two cafes frequented by French people are targeted.  The retaliation is equally brutal.

The French call in the army and Col. Mathieu sets about to destroy the Casbah.  We are told terrorism was wiped out in Algiers and the war moved to the mountains.  In the end, independence is won, not by terrorism, but by a shift in French opinion and a mass uprising of the people.

I just watched in awe as I contemplated the gigantic task Pontecorvo set for himself. There are crowd scenes with hundreds of extras that look exactly like newsreel footage. The chaos of the upheaval is vividly captured.  It’s a masterpiece but not anything I will pull out on a regular basis.

In 2003, the Pentagon famously screened this film for officers and civilian experts who were discussing the challenges faced by the US military forces in Iraq. The flier inviting guests to the screening read: “How to win a battle against terrorism and lose the war of ideas”.  Folks didn’t seem to learn much.

The Battle of Algiers was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director, and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Written directly for the screen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i9V1rlY-PQ