Gillo Pontecorvo filmed The Battle of Algiers in 1965 as a take on filmmaking about terrorism. The film was a co-production between the National Liberation Front and the Italian creative team. It stars Saadi Yacef, an Algerian revolutionary leader who fights for his country’s liberation from French colonial rule.
Yacef passed away on September 10, 2021, and became one of the more familiar faces of the Algerian resistance, thanks to his role in the film. On the other hand, The Battle of Algiers is one of the most incredible films ever made. It tells an emotionally devastating story about the Algerian people’s anti-colonial struggle. It also brutally exposes the French colonial mindset.
As a result, many French people were upset by the way their country and military were portrayed. Though the film was not officially censored in France, it was boycotted by cinemas and the public, who saw it as anti-French propaganda. Pontecorvo went on to show the film to revolutionary and terrorist groups in the years that followed, turning it into a documentary guide for the Palestinian struggle.
Similarly, groups like the Black Panthers analyzed the film’s detailed depictions of guerrilla tactics. In 2003, counterterrorism experts like Mike Sheehan argued that the film showed how a country could win militarily but still lose the battle, especially in the context of the Iraq War.
Ultimately, The Battle of Algiers is more than just a film about terrorism in the US’s current struggles in Afghanistan and Iran. As an important primary source, it offers a powerful look at the legacy of Western colonialism. It can help us understand the roots of discontent with the West in the Islamic world.
The film definitely deserves a spot in history curriculums in schools and universities. It connects the past to the present by telling the story of colonialism from the perspective of the historical actors involved. The film became Pontecorvo’s product of the global anti-imperialist response in the 1960s, tying together struggles in Latin America, Angola, and Vietnam, not just Algeria.
Additionally, the rebellion resonated with many young Westerners who were against colonialism and capitalism. Many of these young people immediately joined radical organizations. In 1968, students and workers came together in France to nearly topple the government. That same year, Czechoslovakia experienced a spring uprising in opposition to the Soviet Union.
The empire, which many radicals saw as too reactionary to imperialism, appeared to be changing. With such a gift for the modern era, it is easy to dismiss young people as naive. There was always hope for a world revolution in the 1960s, but in the end, most people got caught up in the pleasures of everyday life while still believing radical change was possible.
Pontecorvo contrasts the film not just from a historical perspective but from the viewpoint of war. One side is shown to be right, the other wrong, but both sides do horrible things while fighting. The film also refuses to condemn one of the agents in such a conflict, as the director has said.
The relevance of The Battle of Algiers, even after more than 50 years since its first release, still gives hope. The message is that the oppressed will eventually win because their cause is just. In this portrayal, the image of the revolutionary masses can seem raw and unpolished.
Over the decades, the film has resonated with waves of protest, from white supremacy movements to Black Lives Matter. Excitingly, Pontecorvo captures the power of large community gatherings, with people coming together to demand their rights and putting themselves at risk for social change. In simple terms, the film contrasts a black-and-white view of the world.
It is difficult to categorize the film’s style, military action sequences, and tactical montages. It has also inspired many filmmakers, including Oliver Stone and Kathryn Bigelow, with its approach to montage and military tactics. It is almost impossible to shoot a politically charged torture scene without The Battle of Algiers serving as a key reference, whether implicitly or explicitly.
The collective effort in creating The Battle of Algiers and its ideals helped connect revolutionary filmmaking to what is known as Third Cinema. Third Cinema was a Latin American film movement from the 60s and 70s that rejected the Hollywood cinema model, critiqued the capitalist system, and denounced neocolonialism as mere entertainment aimed at making money. In essence, the Third Cinema aimed to overthrow capitalism and colonialism. Along with Third Cinema, the film is an example of Italian neorealism, a major film movement in mid-twentieth-century Italy. Young neorealist filmmakers made films to oppose Mussolini’s fascist regime, focusing on the struggles of the working class in Italy.
Neorealism is both an aesthetic and a moral system. It blends politics and the arts to expose society’s ills and push for social change. Pontecorvo filmed The Battle of Algiers on location in Algeria and cast local actors based on their facial expressions and features.
As mentioned earlier, another key element of the neorealist style is the technique, which creates a documentary-like aesthetic, often using handheld cameras. Pontecorvo even used stock newsreel footage to give the film an impression of authenticity. Ultimately, he believed in the justice of Algeria’s cause and wanted to offer a fair and nuanced report on the war.
The aim of the young Italian neorealists, including Pontecorvo, was to show how the FLN (National Liberation Front) acted as freedom fighters using terrorist tactics because it was the only way to resist French colonial oppression. To prepare the masses for the struggle against the French, the FLN also launched a “purification” program to clean up the Casbah.
These purges helped get rid of prostitution and drugs, which had been tolerated and even encouraged by French authorities. After the purification campaign, the FLN shifted to targeting the French police. The most visible symbols of oppression in the everyday lives of Algerians become the focus of the film. Pontecorvo carefully suggests that revolutionary violence isn’t aimed at French civilians.
France only upped the stakes by planting a bomb in the Casbah, attacking Algerian families while they slept. In response to these atrocities, the FLN gave three Muslim women a basket of bombs disguised in European clothing. The women planted the bombs in places like ice cream bars, cafés, and Air France offices.
When showing the destruction and effects of the bombs, the director defends the use of terrorist tactics without glorifying the violence. After the bombings, the French government sent in paratroopers under the command of Colonel Mathieu. After crushing a general strike, Mathieu launched a brutal campaign of torture to crush the FLN leadership in Algeria. He briefly declared victory in the film, marking the end of 1957.
Ennio Morricone composed the original score for the film. At one point, a group of French soldiers marches through, accompanied by military trumpets and joyful drums. Meanwhile, a haunting flute theme plays during scenes featuring Algerian civilians.
Despite the stark contrast in how light and shadows are used, the film’s visual style strongly reflects the themes of right and wrong. Pontecorvo highlights Algerian covert operations, creating a visual space that divides the colonial world into two. The contrast between the colonizer and the colonized is emphasized by the meandering narrow alleys of the Casbah, which are set against the wide, straight streets of Europe.
The wide streets in Europe divide the space horizontally and vertically, creating a sharp contrast between the poor and the rich or the victims and the perpetrators. This contrast between Algeria and France is also central to the film. The character of Colonel Mathieu represents European and French values.
Besides being a confident and friendly figure, his stylish sunglasses speak louder than his words. People do not see him as a pure angel; instead, he embodies common sense, arguing that if France wanted to stay in Algeria, it would have to accept the consequences. However, despite his logical arguments, the result of France’s actions was torture.
Every character in The Battle of Algiers has raw yet deeply human emotions. By the end of the film, victory belongs to the masses, represented by two key characters: the martyr Ali La Pointe and an Algerian woman.
At this point, the Algerians represent both sides of the power of historical rights. As the audience follows the director’s timeline, the narrative moves forward but also acts like a flashback. As the audience moves toward the revolutionaries’ victory, the film highlights a key fact: the Algerians win and keep jumping into the future, marking their ultimate victory in the war.
At this moment, the director’s perspective on the historical process, the masses, and the moral right to victory is clear. Of course, the film leaves out many historical details by focusing mainly on the FLN’s opposition to France. From the start, it does not need to address the issues related to governing Algeria after independence.
However, the film is still a valuable teaching tool and sparks useful discussions on contemporary issues. It also explores leftist politics, national liberation wars, and colonialism. Pontecorvo himself sees the film as supporting the revolutionary FLN cause. However, he notes that many young people view it as more balanced and criticize both the FLN and French terrorist tactics.
References
- Bigelow, K. (Director). (2008). The Hurt Locker [Film].
- Coudray, J. (2004). Revolutionary Cinema: The Cultural Legacy of the Battle of Algiers. University of Paris Press.
- Foner, E. (2014). A Short History of Reconstruction. Harper & Row.
- Pontecorvo, G. (Director). (1966). The Battle of Algiers [Film]. Produzioni Cinematografiche.
- Salhi, Z. (2011). The Politics of Resistance: Algerian Cinema and the Global Struggle Against Imperialism. Cambridge University Press.
- Schenk, L. (2000). The Battle of Algiers: Colonialism, terrorism, and the question of liberation. Journal of Modern History, 72(3), 635-649.
- Sheehan, M. (2003). The Battle of Algiers: A counterterrorism guide. International Journal of Counterterrorism, 23(4), 45-59.
- Stone, O. (Director). (1986). Platoon [Film].
