THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS Rating: (out of 5 stars) Director: Gillo Pontecorvo Producers: Antonio Musu, Saadi Yacef Writer: Franco Solinas Director of Photography: Marcello Gatti Cast: Brahim Haggiag, Jean Martin, Saadi Yacef Visit the IMDB page for full cast and crew

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Review by: Warren Curry
1/4/04

Delivering a belated though much appreciated holiday gift to moviegoers is Rialto Pictures with the re-release of Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers. Originally released in 1965, and nominated for three Academy Awards, the film was banned in France and has been long unavailable for viewing in the U.S. Interestingly, a recent domestic screening of the film occurred at the Pentagon, and given the current state of terrorist fears and activities in the world, the venue was certainly appropriate. What's amazing about this film isn't just how much the topic covered strikes uncomfortable parallels with contemporary world events, but also how innovative Pontecorvo's filmmaking techniques are. This is a must-see.

A quick history lesson: The Algerian War of Independence took place from 1954-1962, and ended with Algeria gaining its independence from France, which had colonized the nation in 1830. In Algeria, the years of 1954-1962 were marked by a call for Muslims to take back their independence, which lead to guerilla warfare, riots, general strikes, counter-terrorist activities, etc. The Battle of Algiers focuses on the beginnings of the insurgence stirred up by an Algerian independence faction known as the FLN.

An Arab worker is misidentified as the murderer of a French policeman -- a bomb is then placed near the worker's home in retaliation, which kills several innocent people. A small-time street thief, Ali La Pointe (Brahim Haggiag), unsuspectingly yet quite capably becomes the leader of the FLN. Terrorist activity -- shootings, bombings, etc. -- carried out by, among others, teenagers and Arab women disguised as Europeans, is met by French paratroopers capturing and torturing members of the Algerian independence movement. The tactically brilliant Colonel Mathieu (Jean Martin) heads the French action against the FLN rebels, who can do little to stem the tide of the military.

The brilliant Brazilian film City of God, while clearly owing a debt to Scorsese, probably takes just as much influence from The Battle of Algiers. Pontecorvo's quest to achieve naturalism pays off astoundingly. Some of the footage appears to be taken straight from newsreels (so much so that upon its original release the distributor issued a disclaimer stating that this was not the case), and the director's mastery of the large crowd scenes is breathtaking. To call this movie ahead of its time would be a gross understatement.

Although Saadi Yacef, who fought for independence in the Algerian War, conceived the film, it is evenhanded enough not to be reduced to trying to find simple answers in regard to who was right and wrong in the conflict. Colonel Mathieu, who could easily be rendered as the quintessential inhuman warmonger, is treated respectfully as a military professional dutifully performing his mission. Jean Martin, who plays Mathieu, is the only professional actor in the cast, but this film doesn't call for or rely on performance.

Although this is quite overtly an anti-war film, thus also making it a political movie, Pontecorvo strives to bury the artificial aspects of the filmmaking. By its very nature, The Battle of Algiers at least is a partially manipulative film (it would be impossible for it not to be), but the director's approach to the material marries visceral and intellectual components -- ala Ken Loach there's nothing arrogant about the way the message is communicated.

The new print of the movie that I saw looked decent - not pristine by any means, but good enough. However, the subtitles were a bit faded in spots -- and they are white subtitles, which is never a good thing in a black and white film. It will only minimally (at most) affect your appreciation of the movie. One element that comes across beautifully is the score composed by Ennio Morricone (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly) and Pontecorvo -- it's arguably the best film score I've ever heard.

Get your movie-viewing year off to a great start and see The Battle of Algiers. And let's hope (my fingers are crossed) that a deluxe DVD release is also in the works.

(A Rialto Pictures release. Opens in limited release on January 9, 2004.)