Excellent

Rating: 10/10 (13 June 2011)

As far as great movies are concerned, this film is the crème de la crème. Its been watched countless times as an example of what to expect when the state or a foreign power is forced into conflict with a civilian population armed with their wits, their intelligence, and what little weapons and technology they can get their hands on. It's not difficult to see how the current conflicts in the Middle East and the American reaction to them relates to this film. In fact, the story of this film relates to any major conflict between an invading force that is more technologically advanced and seemingly more powerful than the population it seeks to control. Both struggling "freedom fighters" and the governments that seek to eliminate "terrorism" appreciate the film, as it was filmed in a way that creates no sense of hidden variables or any sort of a Manichaean world view. The film is one of the best examples of a world where black and white concepts simply do not exist. At one point, one of the French colonels in charge of stopping the Algerian resistance movement explains that the French government has only two options, and that any concept of right or wrong simply has nothing to do with the task at hand; that if the French want to stay in Algeria, they must accept what must be done, and that entails putting up with brutality and torture as the means to accomplish their end. This film can best be described as "real." Nothing about it seems contrived, everything mirrors real life and the gray areas of the world that so much suffering seems to thrive in. Whether you feel that the French are in the right or the Algerians have the moral high ground, Pontecorvo's film will leave you with a better understanding of the other side, despite the fact that you may loathe everything that they stand for. For every act of violence in the film, one cannot find true justification, only explanation, but perhaps that is Pontecorvo's point; that explanation and understanding is enough to get humanity towards whatever sort of peace it tries to attain. Even if you can't appreciate the film for its style, drama, music, or any cinematic aspects, the message is one that all humans can learn from and appreciate.