Cold, brutal and hard to connect with

Rating: 4/10 (14 April 2005)

The problem with films like The Battle of Algiers is that while they offer a stark portrait of a true-life event, they also lack any kind of emotion and so connecting with the film is not easy. The film follows the events of the revolution in Algiers, but doesn't give you much of a story as to why it happened and so prior knowledge of the event is required from the viewer. I know practically nothing about Algiers, so this wasn't a very good aspect of the movie for me; and through it's lack of emotional connection; I can't help but think I'd have been better off watching the news or a documentary on the subject. The Battle of Algiers is unpleasant throughout, and we watch as coffee shops are blown up and the French Foreign Legion tortures the locals. Like Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, this film begs a question of it's viewer - namely, why are you watching this? However, while Henry had the whole 'slasher' craze on it's side to help answer the question - the events in this film are far more brutal than those in Henry, and are also on a far larger scale. Not to mention far more tragic, as they definitely did actually happen. Couple this with it's lack of an emotional side; and we have the question; indeed, why ARE you watching this? It's not entertainment, that's for sure.
The cinematography is very bleak and offers a stark portrayal of the events that the film is depicting. This is the film's major strong point - it looks very nice. None of the cast stands out individually, but the ensemble comes together nicely and the acting is extremely realistic, so much so that what is being depicted could easily be documentary footage. The main backbone of the film's substance focuses on the common 'war has no winners' theme that a hundred films have depicted before and after it; except even this is brought down by it's emotional void. While films such as Lewis Milestone's All Quiet on the Western Front gave you characters to feel for; The Battle of Algiers has none and even though it's message is still felt, it's not as potent as it could, and by rights should, have been. Due to the current state of the world, most notably the current mood in the USA, The Battle of Algiers can easily be used as a benchmark to draw parallels with nowadays, which in a way has given it a new lease of life in today's society. On the whole, I respect this movie for it's technical achievement and the fact that it offers an unbiased account of an important event in history. But I don't like it.