The Battle of Algiers (1966)

About The Battle of Algiers

This is an Italian-Algerian historical war film directed by Gillo Pontecorvo and co-written by Pontecorvo and Franco Solinas. The film depicts the Algerian War (1954-62) against the French Government in North Africa; the most striking feature of the film is its depiction of the guerilla tactics used by the National Liberation Front (FLN) and the French response.

Making / Production

Produced by Antonio Musu and Yacef Saâdi, the film was shot on location and events depicted were recreated within three years of their actual occurrence. It was crafted to appear as a documentary; however, all scenes were staged.

Actors

• Brahim Hadjadj as Ali La Pointe. Hadjadj brilliantly portrayed the transformational journey of the character from a petty thief to a determined nationalist.
• Jean Martin as Colonel Mathieu. Martin, the only professional actor in the cast delivered a candid performance as the domineering French military figure.
• Yacef Saâdi as Djafar. Saâdi played his real-life role surprisingly well, bringing authenticity to the portrayal of the revolution from within.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• Film uses an innovative docudrama aesthetic and doesn't employ professional actors (except for Jean Martin).
• The Battle of Algiers was banned in France for five years.

Awards

The film won numerous awards, including the Lion of St. Mark at the Venice Film Festival and the Golden Lion in 1966. It was also nominated for three Academy Awards in 1967 (Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Foreign Language Film).

Quotes

• "The Word 'torture' doesn't appear in our orders. We've always spoken of interrogation as the only valid method in a police operation against unknown enemies. As for the 'prohibited' methods, as they're called, I maintain that they're justified in this case."
• "It's hard to start a revolution. Even harder to continue it. And hardest of all to win it. But, it's only afterwards, when we have won, that the true difficulties begin."

Music, Soundtrack

• Musical score composed by Ennio Morricone, famous for his work in spaghetti Westerns, gave a unique balance of tension and foreshadowing.
• The film used sounds such as gunshots, shouts, and sirens to amplify the tension and depict the raw emotions of the characters.