A Review For the Average Movie Buff

Rating: 6/10 (7 July 2019)

I was completely unfamiliar with The Battle of Algiers until I saw it on TCM, and watched their hosts give it a glowing appraisal. My review will be for the average, amateur movie buff. Here it goes...
To begin, Battle of Algiers is a French film and therefore has subtitles. I have always said that subtitles takes something away from the movie. I think it has to do with reading while simultaneously looking at facial expressions and sometimes fast-moving action. I really believe that some film critics seem to think that subtitles mean the movie has more prestige, a kind of snob thing. I'm not in that crowd. Furthermore, some of the dialogue is spoken rapidly, so naturally those subtitles go by pretty quickly. If you have below average reading speed you are going to get cut-off in the middle of a subtitle.
Secondly, I was unfamiliar with every actor and what's more, too many of them looked alike. That can happen when a lot of the cast is men aged 30-40, most of whom in scruffy beards. Also, I had no personal interest in any of the characters. I had a natural sympathy for the Algerians because they were seeking their independence. The movie did not heighten that sympathy in any great amount.
One of the accolades I heard concerning the movie had to do with some of it looking very much like documentary film footage. I would agree with that. On the other hand, I'm not sure how much of a positive that really is. Anyway, I gave it a 6 out of 10. An educated Algerian film-goer, familiar with the language, the Algerian people, and of course the story, would likely give it a 10. I'm an American who prefers spoken English, Paul Newman and Bette Davis.