The Battle of Algiers focuses on the events of 1957, a key year in Algeria's struggle for independence from France.

Rating: 10/10 (13 December 2010)

This movie is an excellent artifact of the Algerian revolt against their French Colonists in the late 50's early 60's. Many reviews have mentioned how the story of this movie parallels what is going on in Iraq in 2004. It is odd that the policymakers did not notice the slight things that can turn a normal citizen into a terrorist/insurgent. It is how this country was founded There are no faults with this movie. The transfer from Criterion is perfect. It shows how an occupying force wins the battles but loses the war. This film is honest, and balanced, it's so real it's almost like a documentary. As this was made more than 40 years ago, I think a younger audience would benefit greatly from this masterpiece. The movie mentions a relative calm between 1957-1960 before demonstrations and further activism finally forced the French to leave. Though not explicitly stated, I would not be surprised if being aware of other African colonial states gaining their independence in that same time period served as inspirational catalyst to inspire a new leadership to take the place of the individuals primarily the focus of this movie focused mainly in the 1950s. Done in a near newsreel documentary style this film does show the power of struggle for independence on one hand, and the desire to maintain colonial authority on the other. I highly recommend this film.