I Wish More Movies Were Like This

Rating: 10/10 (9 June 2010)

Not since Elim Klimov's "Come and See" has a film had such a lasting and emotional effect of me. There's a reason why it ranks as one of the most influential films of all times. It literally blew my mind, and there's no other way for me to say it. From the beautiful, sincere acting to the realistic staging, Pontecorvo did nothing to shy away from authenticity. Several times throughout viewing the film I had to remind myself that what I was seeing on the screen wasn't real, though the scenes depicted in the film are in fact as real as the emotions I felt while viewing it. One of my favorite scenes is one in which three Algerian woman transform themselves into "attractive" French women in order to sneak bombs undetected into the popular French quarter. The music that plays serves as a kind of elevated heartbeat, and you can't help but feel what they must be feeling as you look into their beautiful faces and see the fear and determination in their eyes. A scene made even more inspiring knowing that all three women are non-professional actors. I'd love to see the likes of Julia Roberts or Sharon Stone (Ha!) attempt to convey such strong emotions, using just the eyes no less! As the movie went on it became more and more difficult for me to determine where my sympathies lay. Who was right and who was wrong...it's hard to decide when you can relate to the denizens of both sides. But I do know one thing for sure, "La battaglia di Algeri" is a powerful, thought-provoking film that that holds just as much strength and relevancy today as it did over 40 years ago, and it begs to be seen again and again.