La Battaglia di Algeri!

Rating: 10/10 (25 March 2007)

I had for a long time misgivings about "La Battaglia di Algeri". Even being one of the milestones of the political film, I thought that it employed the traditional means used by the genre, that is, "objectivity", speeches where people tell what they are fighting for, loads of facts, not forgetting to add some "human" element (maybe some romance, children , family, whatever..) to try to make the whole more digestible. But I was really mistaken! "La Battaglia di Algeri" is a sober but deeply moving film. It portrays the fight of the Algerian people against the french for their freedom. Even if the film tries not to take sides, it is clear from the beginning that the french (short of employing nazi or israeli tactics) were fighting a losing battle, because they were fighting against a rising nation.
The film describes the first beginnings of the FLN (front of national liberation) in 1954, how it grows from a small group of people to an organized movement and eventually wins the Algerian people to their side. The escalation of violence on both sides - the FLN organizing terrorist attacks in restaurants, airport, on the streets, that leave many casualties and the french police and army replying with bombings, torture and trigger-happy shootings on the streets. After each french repression shock, singing, shouting and cries for freedom arise from the arab quarters. Women, children, peddlers, merchants, people old and new, are behind the FLN fighters and do everything they can to help in the war against the french.
We follow the film through some characters on the Algerian and french side. There's no demonizing of either side. We can even understand Coronel Mathieu (commander of the french paratroopers) and his views.
All in all it is an excellent film. I had a very hazy notion about the Algerian war for independence, and I didn't feel like reading a book and swallowing tons of facts in order to inform myself about the subject. Now I've got a living, emotional knowledge about it. Thanks to "La Battaglia di Algeri".