La battaglia di Algeri
THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS (1966)
THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS (1966)
Often imitated, never quite duplicated, Italian neorealist Gillo Pontecorvo bottled the spirit of revolution in this hugely influential portrait of Algerian resistance to French colonial rule. Shot in a newsreel-esque verité style on the winding streets of the casbah and featuring a largely non-professional cast — some of whom really lived the history the movie reconstructs — The Battle of Algiers cuts as close to “authentic” as a fiction film could hope for. It’s a movie of searing clarity, striking faces, and relentless suspense (in no small part due to Ennio Morricone’s haunting, propulsive score). Razor-sharp in every respect, The Battle of Algiers stands as a sobering, scorching film about the brutal realities of oppression and liberation. A radical, radicalising masterpiece. — FARAH CHEDED
Country of Origin: Algeria
Run Time: 2h 1m
Language: Arabic
Rank in the list: 13th
Genre(s): Drama
Synopsis
THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS tells the story of the life-and-death struggle between the French colonial government of Algeria and the Algerian Liberation Front, the FLN, who wanted the French out and were willing to set off bombs to do it. The French sent in their elite Paratroopers with the order to use Any Means to break the insurgent – torture included. It’s a true story, done on location with many of the FLN appearing in it, including the producer who was an FLN leader. This film is a passionate yet completely impartial record of struggle which led to Algeria’s Independence.
Trailer
Notable Cast and Crew
Gillo Pontecorvo
Director
Jean Martin
Cast (Colonel Mathieu)
Brahim Haggiag
Cast (Ali La Pointe)
Yacef Saadi
Cast (Djafar)
