"The Battle Of Algiers"

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Any thoughts on this classic of politically engaged 1960s cinema? It's about the NLF uprising against the French in Algeria, and the methods used to suppress it. It's very pro-rebels, but doesn't shy away from depicting them as being happy to use terrorism to advance their goals; one of the best scenes has three Algerian women planting bombs in cafes and looking around at the happy smiling faces of adult, children, and babies before splitting. It's a pity they didn't show them planting bombs in cinemas, as I gather that was a common NLF prank.

It is also interesting to watch this film in the light of current events in Palestine-Israel, as there are obvious parallels (and differences).

Nice Ennio Morricone score, too.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Sunday, 13 March 2005 13:33 (nineteen years ago) link

I liked it. Like you say, it's an extremely political film, and it's biased towards the rebels, but I think it did an effective job of showing how both sides are equally ravaged by said conflict. That speech made by Jean Martin concerning "humane" considerations when dealing with the problem was especially noteworthy, that and the press conference.

It is a very effective political film, especially in recent times. Disregarding the obvious (like the Black Panthers using it as a template), many groups have indirectly used it methods whether or not they know it (at least I think so). And even though it has a decidely romantic notion of revolution (just watch the ending!), it does a fine job of showing the average Westerner a scenario of what it would be like to live in an occupied country with high tension.

I do say romantic, but hey, the director's well aware of the problems after winning independence (points awarded for that!).

The only problem I had was with some of the extras. I watched it on the criterion version. They had some conversation with two smug bastards who were discussing this film and its relations to present day terrorism (Iraq in particular). The gist of it, was, "Hey! We should watch this film to understand what DOESN'T work when you're occupying a country...so when we do do it, we CAN GET IT RIGHT!" -- which still doesn't make occupying a country on a whim right. I think the director would have been planting bombs in their houses or something.

― mj (robert blake), Sunday, 13 March 2005 22:23 (nineteen years ago) link

If you scroll down here, you'll find some useful links about this, and my own take.

http://babelogue.citypages.com:8080/pscholtes/2004/03/25

I think planting a bomb is always going to be more cinematic than planning a protest, but it's usually the latter that changes the world.

I'm not just adopting this stance for moral reasons, I actually believe this. The mass protests at the end of the film (included almost as an afterthought!) did more to get the French out than the bombs.

There have been good books about the narrative dramas of nonviolent protest, and some great documentaries. But is there even one great fiction film made about protesting anything?

― Pete Scholtes, Friday, 18 March 2005 01:06 (nineteen years ago) link

mr. smith goes to washington

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Monday, 21 March 2005 14:17 (nineteen years ago) link

eighteen years pass...

My sister is in Algiers rn and just messaged me this

https://www.quartzcity.net/ilx/algiers1.jpg

"This is the house the French police blew up the four Algerians in. You see their images everywhere and you can even buy t-shirts with their faces on them"

https://www.quartzcity.net/ilx/algiers2.jpg

"This is the famous Milk Bar in the then French district where the Algerian woman set off a bomb. No outward sign of its history—I had to ask my guide"

― Elvis Telecom, Sunday, 24 September 2023 07:58 (eight months ago) link

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