Really good historic movie about North Africa and its violently emotional rise to independence

Rating: 6/10 (9 August 2019)

"La battaglia di Algeri" is a Italian/Algerian co-production from 1966 mostly in the French language, so this one is already way over half a century old. The director is Italian Gillo Pontecorvo and he is also one of the two writers coming up with the script here. This movie uns for minimally over 2 hours and is in black-and-white, which is not a given for mid-60s, but not too unusual either. I think for most of the people working on this film, it is their most famous career effort no matter if behind the camera or in front of it. I will not go into detail about any of the cast members really because I don't know a lot about them if at all, but you know where and how to check them out anyway. Okay as for the movie. I must admit it took me a little while to really start appreciating it, but when I did I ended up liking it a lot and it got better and better the longer it went. It feels really raw and unpolished most of the time, also a bit like a documentary for sure. I am still surprised to see some of the award srecognition it got. First of all, it managed the unusual feat to be nominated for Oscars not just in two different years, but not even in successive years, now that is really strange, amybe even unique. Anyway, it probably has to do with release dates. I am still glad it got the awards recognition. I am not surprised about the Foreign language Film nomination because it seems right up the Academy's alley, but the writing nod and especially the director nod I do find surprising. I am not sure if I would say these are deserved inclusions, but they are certainly inspired choices.
Okay now let us take a look at the film itself. It is definitely not much of an actors' movie so it is alright I did not say too much about the cast then, but it is more about the story and historical context of France being in charge still in Algeria and Algerians rising up against their oppressors. Oh well that word may be too hard actually, lets call them hosts instead running the show. Or were they really. For me personally, what was most interesting here and most relevant was really the fact that even now way later there are many areas and regions on the globe where it is not unusual that terrorist attacks happen on a daily basis like it is the case here in this film, which is pretty sad because it indirectly shows that we have not learned a lot of anything. Anyway, I am drifting a bit too far away from the film here. Even if I say it is not an actors' movie, the cast is still pretty convincing, most of all in the first half the young terrorist who just enters the organisation as wee see during his trial attack, lets call it that. He is really good and memorable the actor. The colone who enters the film later on at the other side of the law is equally good. There is a bit of a clean structure which surprised me because the chaos in Algeria was far from clean. Early on we have the criminal approach and see how they kill several police officers at point blank and also other people who are close to the French. We find out about the violence and chaos being crucial there and dominant. After a while we find out how the police eventually organizes themselves to stand up to the challenge in several lengthy sequences that tell us about the successes they had. And finally as the film nears its end, it is really about both clashing and the police definitely winning as we see how all the most influential terrorists are tracked down and finally either arrested or killed. It's probably not what can be understood as a happy ending whatsoever, but the words that could be read on the screen before the closing credits that not much later finally Algeria becomes independent feels a bit like it. Still it must be said the film is only balck-and-white in terms of lack of color, but never black and white in terms of good and evil. It presents both sides and makes arguments for them both. i also really liked how they showed the colonel's interaction with the press after the arrest of a crucial criminal or when he is asked about criticism coming from an influential French writer. It is certainly a very smart movie and I may give it a go again at some point. I have a feeling it will only get better on rewatch. But it did not wow me to an extent where I would like to see it right away again. Nonetheless I think it is an especially good watch for the French to understand about their country's history and of course also for Algerians really almost a must-see as the entire film is set theref and it is about the perhaps most crucial era in the country's history. If it wasn't so violent at times, I'd say it is a movie that should be shown at every Algerian school. Okay, I guess that is pretty much it then. I am glad that this film got a lot of (awards) attention despite how really specific the subject is. The good execution makes it deserving and I am glad this is not a film that went way too much under the radar. Go see it!