War Without a Name

Rating: 10/10 (6 May 2006)

The War in Algeria, like most revolutionary wars, was surely a tragedy for all concerned... for the Algerian people, for the French soldiers who fought and died bravely in yet another war they were not allowed to win, civilians on both sides whose lives were destroyed by the carnage and upheaval. This landmark film has the interesting distinction of being at once a propaganda piece and somewhat even-handed. Despite being commissioned by the Algerian FLN government, and certainly ultimately siding with the rebels, it presents the French commander Colonel Mathieu (a stand-in for real paratrooper commander Jacques Massu) in a sympathetic light, and the horror brought on by FLN bombings is in no way minimized. This film achieves a chaotic, tense feel that conveys the essence of the people's war in the Casbah. The characters, almost all of whom display some nobility, commit terrible acts against their enemies, and we see an almost chivalric battle of jaded, duty-bound warriors against fiery nationalist rebels. Above all, the film showcases how the French won the battle of Algiers military but lost the war politically.