What a striking, powerful, disturbing film, and one that continues to be all too relevant. Few are those titles to come to mind across all genres in which the active narrative is more or less imparted from the perspective of the antagonists and concludes with the defeat of the sympathetic party; if we're lucky we'll at least get an afterword that informs the protagonists' struggle wasn't in vain. And for all those works of past eras that speak directly to living history and continuing geopolitical, sociopolitical, and cultural issues, I can't immediately think of any of the latter bent save for this. It's noteworthy and in no way accidental that though a select few characters are spotlighted, representations or amalgamations of real-life figures from the period depicted, the actors are at most secondary and are here only to serve the story. That story, presented in stark black and white and with another timeless, often underhandedly haunting score from Ennio Morricone, is terrifyingly appropriate nearly sixty years on: the tale of an extreme differential of power in which colonizers and occupational forces are faced with the struggle for liberty, independence, and self-determination by those whose land they illegitimately claim. Both sides commit ugly acts of violence, yet those who benefit from the lion's share of that power differential - while presenting a false face of freedom, peace, order, and moral rectitude - are both deadlier and more indiscriminate with their acts, and at the same time actively forsake any notion of ethics or humanity, and use past heroism or victimization (specifically, resistance against or detention by the Nazis) as if it were a shield that could protect them from the abominable, blatant hypocrisy of now being the unquestionable villains.
Sound familiar? This is the story of 'The Battle of Algiers,' a barely fictionalized account of a part of the Algerian fight for independence for France, but change the setting and people and we could just as well be watching a movie about any similar struggle, set in any time, even now in 2024. That the saga herein is so identifiable and relatable makes it extra absorbing and harrowing; the viewing experience is marginally softened only by the fact that we know Algeria ultimately succeeded and became her own nation, as the last seconds emphasize. Every choice made along the way in shaping this feature is marvelously sharp, if not brilliant. That black and white presentation makes the gnawing tension, the fine acting, and the excellent stunts, effects, and action sequences feel all the more pure and vivid, and impactful in turn. Morricone was one of the greatest film composers to ever live and his work here is highly engaging and memorable as it complements the visuals; some moments are utterly stellar. Everyone in the cast, largely non-professionals, give superb performances that come across as achingly real and believable - a verisimilitude perhaps bolstered by the fact that some were indeed accordingly active agents in the Algerian fight against French settlers and occupiers. Between the root story of Franco Solinas and filmmaker Gillo Pontecorvo and Solinas' subsequent screenplay, adapting Saadi Yacef's firsthand account of then-recent events, and Pontecorvo's oversight as director, on paper and in execution the picture really does feel like a reenactment in which we as viewers are thrown right in the the action. The dialogue could be ripped from any modern-day video; the characters are shrewdly penned with utmost determination and tenacity; for good and for ill the scene writing is vibrant and compelling, just as the narrative at large keeps us firmly locked in. Between Pontecorvo's direction and Marcello Gatti's cinematography we're often given the effect of feeling as if we're right there on the street, or looking down on events from a window at which we're witting, while at other points the presentation really does come off as a near-perfect replication of a documentary or newsreel. The result is all but dazzling.
It would be enough for 'The Battle of Algiers to relate these events of the 50s and 60s; it would be enough to zero in even more particularly on those themes and ideas that are echoed in every similar struggle of resistance, rebellion, and defiance against looming titans, entrenched powers, and fascists. It would be enough for the movie to boast action, or fierce drama, or the legacy of fantastic music, or smart direction or cinematography. 'The Battle of Algiers' instead does all these things, and more, and is therefore captivating, deeply satisfying, and at length, frankly essential. Given the subject matter and the violence it's not always the easiest title to watch, but if these are not obstacles to exploring cinema, I can hardly recommend this any more fervently. Immensely engrossing, thought-provoking, and stirring and even inspiring - and not least of all given those topics of real life to which it speaks, infuriating - this is a tremendous classic that holds up stupendously, and maybe too well. As far as I'm concerned this is a flick that's worth going out of your way to see, and it would be a mistake to pass up any opportunity to watch.
Sound familiar? This is the story of 'The Battle of Algiers,' a barely fictionalized account of a part of the Algerian fight for independence for France, but change the setting and people and we could just as well be watching a movie about any similar struggle, set in any time, even now in 2024. That the saga herein is so identifiable and relatable makes it extra absorbing and harrowing; the viewing experience is marginally softened only by the fact that we know Algeria ultimately succeeded and became her own nation, as the last seconds emphasize. Every choice made along the way in shaping this feature is marvelously sharp, if not brilliant. That black and white presentation makes the gnawing tension, the fine acting, and the excellent stunts, effects, and action sequences feel all the more pure and vivid, and impactful in turn. Morricone was one of the greatest film composers to ever live and his work here is highly engaging and memorable as it complements the visuals; some moments are utterly stellar. Everyone in the cast, largely non-professionals, give superb performances that come across as achingly real and believable - a verisimilitude perhaps bolstered by the fact that some were indeed accordingly active agents in the Algerian fight against French settlers and occupiers. Between the root story of Franco Solinas and filmmaker Gillo Pontecorvo and Solinas' subsequent screenplay, adapting Saadi Yacef's firsthand account of then-recent events, and Pontecorvo's oversight as director, on paper and in execution the picture really does feel like a reenactment in which we as viewers are thrown right in the the action. The dialogue could be ripped from any modern-day video; the characters are shrewdly penned with utmost determination and tenacity; for good and for ill the scene writing is vibrant and compelling, just as the narrative at large keeps us firmly locked in. Between Pontecorvo's direction and Marcello Gatti's cinematography we're often given the effect of feeling as if we're right there on the street, or looking down on events from a window at which we're witting, while at other points the presentation really does come off as a near-perfect replication of a documentary or newsreel. The result is all but dazzling.
It would be enough for 'The Battle of Algiers to relate these events of the 50s and 60s; it would be enough to zero in even more particularly on those themes and ideas that are echoed in every similar struggle of resistance, rebellion, and defiance against looming titans, entrenched powers, and fascists. It would be enough for the movie to boast action, or fierce drama, or the legacy of fantastic music, or smart direction or cinematography. 'The Battle of Algiers' instead does all these things, and more, and is therefore captivating, deeply satisfying, and at length, frankly essential. Given the subject matter and the violence it's not always the easiest title to watch, but if these are not obstacles to exploring cinema, I can hardly recommend this any more fervently. Immensely engrossing, thought-provoking, and stirring and even inspiring - and not least of all given those topics of real life to which it speaks, infuriating - this is a tremendous classic that holds up stupendously, and maybe too well. As far as I'm concerned this is a flick that's worth going out of your way to see, and it would be a mistake to pass up any opportunity to watch.