Brilliant

Rating: 9/10 (7 June 2009)

The '60s were full of great political thrillers thanks to the revolutionary atmosphere of the time; notions like colonialism were being challenged, and the former European colonies all over the world were fighting their invaders and claiming their autonomy. From this spirit of Independence came Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers, which chronicles with some drama the Algerian resistance against the French settlers.
Mixing the genres of war and thriller, this masterpiece shows the messy business of fighting for freedom. What I loved about this movie was its balance in the portrayal of both sides. Civil uprisings are ugly, and Pontecorvo shows how both settlers and settled can and will use any means to achieve their goals.
First we have the Algerian resistance, targeting initially policemen. As the French authorities retaliate against civilians, the resistance soon goes after French civilians too. And back and forth in an escalation of violence which soon brings in the paratroopers with their torture methods to smoke out hidden terrorists.
The French soldiers of course seem monsters, but its representative, Colonel Mathieu, reminds people those were the same soldiers who fought in the French resistance against the Nazis and who employ torture because the French public opinion Algeria to remain French. In a movie without clear heroes and villains, Pontecorvo shows one of the tragedies of war: how normal people can easily lose their innocence for their beliefs.
Besides being expertly written and directed, the cast is also excellent, with newcomer Brahim Hadjadj playing a very human terrorist, Jean Martin as the impenetrable Colonel Mathieu and Saadi Yacef playing Djafar, the head of the resistance.
Ennio Morricone, who most have scored all Italian movies of this period, gives us another one of his impressive scores, dramatic, exciting, tense and melancholic in all the right places.
Another great aspect of this movie is the editing itself. This has some of the best silent montages I've ever seen, from people searching for bodies in a bombed out house, to three terrorist women preparing themselves to blow up their bombs, to the French soldiers invading the Casbah and rounding up all suspects. This movie works in powerful visuals without the aid of words, making it a fine example of film language at its best.
The Battle of Algiers is a film not to be missed. To do so would be to ignore of the finest war movies and political thrillers ever made.