Battle of Algiers

Battle of Algiers

Posted On: January 27, 2012
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★★★★★

Director: Gillo Pontecorvo
Year: 1966

This is one of the greatest films of all time! Absolutely amazing. Granted, I think you need to be in the mood to watch a war film like this and after The Terror’s Advocate, I was more interested in learning about the Algerian War. It’s astounding in cinematography, subject but also in the performances by non-actors. The fact that this film was made only 4-years after Algeria’s independence from France is also amazing.

It’s only been in the last 20 years that people have rediscovered this film as being important in the roles of terrorism, revolutions and wars. I was reading the Wiki that stated the Pentagon screened this film to deal with Iraq and what people should understand. But the fact that Pontecorvo made a film that didn’t take sides but show the sheer brutality of both the French and Algerians is incredible. It feels like a documentary but it’s not. Even the final demonstration scene, I thought he had pulled in news footage, but he shot that with thousands of extras. Simply amazing, now I need to go read on the true meaning of Rock the Casbah, it most definitely has to do with this battle.

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