La battaglia di Algeri (1966)'s comments

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mi-16evil

Absolutely incredible film. The documentary style and the beautiful editing creating a powerful film that analyzes both what it takes to create and destroy an insurgency.

Also I find it very fascinating that much of the footage easily looks like footage of the revolutions in Egypt and Syria today.

12 years 9 months ago

ReVision

Better than i expected, its got this really realistic documentary style. Also it shows the battle from both sides and it doesn't favor any.

As for the score, i thought it was quite good and it matched the setting and feel of the movie very accurately.

12 years 3 months ago

ignatzkat

This should be on the Spiritually Significant list. I can't think of another film I've seen that does as good a job of posing troubling moral questions.

13 years 2 months ago

Siskoid

Though ordered by the Algerian government, director Gillo Pontecorvo makes choices that prevent The Battle of Algiers from ever becoming a piece of propaganda. The story of the Algerian revolution trying to end the French colonial regime is told as a newsreel, and so gives you the sense that it's a documentary with invisible cameras, somehow finagling its way into intimate moments and secret meetings. Some of the footage looks like it came from the era, but it's all a grad reenactment. Make no mistake, it's mostly from the Algerian side, but ambivalence reigns as we empathize with people being radicalized and turning terrorist. For the most part, we're following one such radical, Ali, but we can lose sight of him for extended periods and still remain engaged in the story - the sequence with the lady bombers, for example, is a standout. Expert directorial juggling, this. The Battle of Algiers hasn't lost any of its power given the state of affairs in the world today.

5 years 2 months ago

canaan

I came across this movie after reading an article in The Guardian that claimed that this movie is the second best war movie ever made. I went in with doubts about this claim, only to have them quickly assuaged. I am by no means a war movie expert, but I can easily see how this claim is mostly true.

The movie is very unlike traditional (read, popular) war movies that present one side as right and holy, and the other as morally bankrupt and evil. And rightly so. The movie asks us to sympathise with terrorists who bomb and kill innocent civilians in café’s, and whilst not painting those actions as good or without pause, it succeeds in allowing the audience to understand these actions. Something that in a western post 9/11 world we rarely see.

Interesting that the historical overthrowing of the French rule of Algeria came not through specific armed conflict but through protest. No doubt influenced by the actions of the FLN. Even more so, that Algeria is now ruled mostly through long term unelected officials. History always repeats itself.

This movie stuck with me and will no doubt change my thought process whenever an armed conflict next comes up in the media. Rarely are our ‘enemies’ terrible, and rarely are ‘we’ the west right. This film does a great job explaining this, without being in your face and preachy. Very well done.

5 years 9 months ago

tk338

Simply one of, if not THE greatest war film ever made. It's unprecedented, how you see a revolution begin, executed from both sides, and ultimately succeed over the course of a film. Bold storytelling. Terrific and inspiring filmmaking that remains relevant today and shows us that ambitious stories and concepts can work under an unrelenting, prescient vision. Pontecorvo's moving camera, his staging (everything was shot for the film--no documentary footage), Morricone's score, the incredible cast (Ali La Pointe in particular, a non-professional actor). It's one of my all-time favorite films. How can you top it? Few films in the genre come close.

9 years 3 months ago

Mahler1860

Wow. Very relevant and, fortunately, tells both sides of this tale.

9 years 9 months ago

monty

Though the casual viewer may think the print used was rather poor, you will have to take into account that the director intentionally damaged the reels to trick the viewer into believing it was archival footage from that period. Due to this, there's plenty of visible speckles and other kinds of print damage but that is how it's supposed to look.

7 years 3 months ago

Filmsthemostbeautifulart

The Battle of Algeirs has been considered as a genuine classic in the cinematic world. The film is brutal, realistic but it never takes any sides. It shows us the revolution from both the sides without forgetting the emotions of it's characters. It's a flawless account and kept me on the edge of the seat throughtout the entire experience. Ennio Marricone's score is great too. One track of this score was used in the 2010 film Inglorious Basterds. This is the track: (mod-edit: dead link removed)

In conclusion, a perfect and thrilling classic everyone must watch atleast once. Highly Recommended.

My Rating: 4.8/5

11 years 8 months ago

thijmensietsma

Great movie! Although normally I do not fancy a documentary style for movies, I thought it was well used and really contributes to the film.

12 years 3 months ago

Fluegi

Very realistic and powerful.

2 months 3 weeks ago

Neville

Think of the wider more contemporary context: the decline of a politically-correct West, and the rise not of independent post-colonial democracies but of Islamic Jihad and Islamist ambitions for global empire. The new imperialists take the place of the old. The atrocities of recent years put these older battles in the shade. In 1966 the Sartres, Godards and Pontecorvo's did not see this coming. The result is a surprisingly innocent film as seen from nearly fifty years later.

11 years 6 months ago