Must be seen by all Americans.

Rating: 10/10 (14 November 2005)

Americans do not seem to learn from history of the French: first in Vietnam (we lost, as did the French who were smart enough to give up earlier) and now in Iraq (an unwinnable war, which the French knew would not be winnable).
To understand the film better, it would be wise to read Alisair Horne's brilliant book, A Savage War of Peace. To say this film represents both sides is not true. The French, supposedly the more civilized country, looked down upon the Algerians and as the violence started coming from the Algerians, the French escalated their violence (in absolutely appalling methods) thereby increasing the Algerians' violence. Would the French have responded to calm, reasoning with the Algerians? I don't think so. The British did not respond to the colonies' plea for release; it took a Revelutionary War to do that. Is revolution only acceptable to Americans if we do it but not good if other countries do it? Would slavery have been abolished if not for the Civil War? I don't think so. Would the Civil Rights Act of 1964 have been passed if the violence of the white leadership of the south hadn't acted so murderously towards the activists for the blacks? I don't condone violence in any way but sometimes people feel there is no other way and the US should not be hypocritical of the frustration and pain that cause people to rebel in the only way they know how.
This film is amazing and Pontecorvo had to put a disclaimer about the reality at the beginning of the film because it looked so real.
But read the book!