Great Film

Rating: 10/10 (13 June 2011)

"The Battle of Algiers" is one of the most realistic film portrayals of war that I have ever seen. The story accurately portrays both the atrocities committed by the French colonizers and the horrors of modern terrorism used by the Algerians. The film is so important because of its unbiased approach, which is most likely a direct result of hiring the Italian director, Gillo Pontecorvo, to shoot the film. Pontecorvo shot the film as realistically as possible and it more closely resembles a documentary film rather than a war film. The recreation of the events in Algeria feels more authentic than any film I'd seen. Since the film uses mostly local and unknown Algerian actors in the streets of Algiers, you truly feel that in some moments you are apart of the film.
The film is full of memorable moments and horrifying images that are sure to stay with you. One particular image is that of a child eating an ice cream cone in a restaurant before it is bombed. The scene creates such a sense of tension because it's obvious that almost everyone in the restaurant is going to die. It's an angering and heart wrenching scene that makes you think of the innocents affected by terrorism. In contrast, the scene that prompts the Algerians to start using widespread terrorism, involves a vigilante band of French police bombing the home of a suspected terrorist. The audience knows that the man is innocent and the bomb has unforeseen collateral damage when it destroys half the neighborhood. The next images are of the bodies of women and children being pulled from the rubble. With contrasting images like these it's difficult to choose a side in "The Battle of Algiers," which is what makes it such an extraordinary film.