The Battle of Algiers
La battaglia di Algeri
Italy • 1966
Director
#249Criterion Collection →Synopsis
One of the most influential political films in history, THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS, by Gillo Pontecorvo, vividly re-creates a key year in the tumultuous Algerian struggle for independence from the occupying French in the 1950s. As violence escalates on both sides, children shoot soldiers at point-blank range, women plant bombs in cafés, and French soldiers resort to torture to break the will of the insurgents. Shot on the streets of Algiers in documentary style, the film is a case study in modern warfare, with its terrorist attacks and the brutal techniques used to combat them. Pontecorvo’s tour de force has astonishing relevance today.
Synopsis
One of the most influential political films in history, THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS, by Gillo Pontecorvo, vividly re-creates a key year in the tumultuous Algerian struggle for independence from the occupying French in the 1950s. As violence escalates on both sides, children shoot soldiers at point-blank range, women plant bombs in cafés, and French soldiers resort to torture to break the will of the insurgents. Shot on the streets of Algiers in documentary style, the film is a case study in modern warfare, with its terrorist attacks and the brutal techniques used to combat them. Pontecorvo’s tour de force has astonishing relevance today.
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Credits
Crew
DirectorGillo Pontecorvo
WriterFranco Solinas, Gillo Pontecorvo
CinematographerMarcello Gatti
ComposerGillo Pontecorvo, Ennio Morricone
EditorMario Morra, Mario Serandrei
ProducerYacef Saâdi, Antonio Musu
Cast
Brahim Hadjadjas Ali La Pointe
Jean Martinas Colonel Philippe Mathieu
