Battle of Algiers

Pros: captivating and moving story based on true events

Cons: lots of people die; graphic

The Bottom Line: Dubbed and subtitled. 2 extraordinary bonus discs that reveal the film's influence still.

Review: Ben M'Hidi: Jaffar says you weren't in favor of the strike. Ali La Pointe: No, I wasn't. Ben M'Hidi: Why not? Ali La Pointe: Because we were ordered not to use arms. Ben M'Hidi: Acts of violence don't win wars. Neither wars nor revolutions. ...

Pros: A great film, highly realistic, beautifully filmed and edited, fully pertinent to today's world

Cons: May be too pertinent for some!

The Bottom Line: Highly recommended film with a splendid package of extras that will deepen your understanding of the nature of terrorism and counter-terrorism, while providing dramatic entertainment value as well.

Review: That The Battle of Algiers is a great film is made all the more evident by the lavish treatment it has received from Criterion in its beautifully-boxed, three disc special edition release of 2004. That it is a timely film is indisputable, dealing ...

Pros: Very topical docudrama-style case study in terrorism based on hard fact. Gritty realism. Engrossing

Cons: None, unless you're turned off by intentional low quality production values and black-and-white photography.

The Bottom Line: A classic example of less-is-more film making. Terrorism seen from the ground up in ersatz documentary style with stunning characters, terse dialogue, and dramatic scenes of mayhem.

Review: I rented "The Battle of Algiers" after reading several recent newspaper articles in which various experts on terrorism said it was the most authentic movie recreation ever made on the genesis and implementation of a modern terrorism movement. ...

Pros: Great directing, historical account

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Essential Viewing: The Battle of Algiers is one of the greatest movies made. It's shot in neorealistic style providing an authentic firsthand look. Subject matter is equally disturbing and convincing.

Review: The Battle of Algiers is a movie that’s been on the top of my watch list for some time and this week I finally got around to watching it. It was well worth the anticipation. I don’t remember being so impressed by a movie for some time; such ...

Pros: raw, matter-of-fact presentation, an insight into terrorism from the inside.

Cons: Will be difficult to watch for some.

The Bottom Line: Despite -- or perhaps because of -- my deliberate attempts at provocation below, a very intriging and realistic film.

Review: The Battle of Algiers is a matter-of-fact presentation of something which probably has as much relevance today than it did back in 1965 when it was made -- although perhaps for different reasons now. It’s true the event -- a war between Algerian ...

Pros: Direction, Cinematography, Editing, Sound, Score, Performances, & Realistic Tone.

Cons: None, Though the Graphic Violence Might Be Too Much for Some.

The Bottom Line: La Battaglia di Algeri is a Harsh, Harrowing, and Mesmerizing Masterpiece from Gillo Pontecorvo.

Review: The 1954-1962 Algerian war over Algeria's independence from France was a tumultuous period in the longstanding tension between France and Algerians for more than a hundred years ever since France invaded the region in the 1930s. The war ended with ...

Pros: Presentation, pacing, a narrative that can be timeless

Cons: Nothing comes to mind

The Bottom Line: The film is about an occupying force and the problems it causes. Watching it now is topical, but the film stands alone without the war in Iraq.

Review: Gillo Pontecorvo’s The Battle of Algiers is something rare. The last two movies I reviewed (Lions for Lambs and Redacted) are protest films so topical that they already seem out of date. Algiers is so well handled, so broad ...

Pros: Northern African history, French history, history of terrorism, origins of terrorism, occupation history

Cons: Realistic violence not for immature viewers

The Bottom Line: Your next purchase if you like history.

Review: This movie apparently has influenced the likes of Spike Lee and other directors. I was shocked by the occupation of Algeria and found myself rooting for the underdog in this movie with documentary-style camera-work. It reminded me of a documentary I ...

Pros: One of the most incredible films on Urban Guerilla Warfare

Cons: Not professionally done

Review: I first saw "The Battle of Algiers" in Berkeley in 1971. It was one of the free movies being offered at the NCCF, later ICCF's collective house in west Berkeley. For those of you not familiar with the history of 60s and early 70s radicals and...

Pros: Historically accurate, incredibly realistic

Cons: No real story arc, very bad sound

Review: This film is truly remarkable for its accurate retelling of one of the twentieth century's great struggles for independence.

A little background is in order: France colonized Algeria, a North African country, in the early nineteenth century....