In the 1950’s, after almost two centuries of colonization by the French, the people of Algeria began to fight back.  With only an undying ingenuity and the will to win on their side, the Algerians wrote the book on urban guerilla warfare, and they drove the French out in the early 1960’s.  Made only a few years after the end of that conflict, The Battle of Algiers brings the fight to stunning life.  Shot in a documentary style so realistic they had to put title cards at the beginning of the film assuring audiences that everything was recreated, this film perfectly captures a defining time in history.

Algeria, 1954 to 1957: a small group of freedom fighters expands their insurgency through the casbah, while the larger, better equipped French – a dominant world power at the time – organize their own systematic attempt to wipe them out.  As the French become more brutal in their tactics, torturing suspects for information, among other things, the Algerians become more committed to driving them out.  If it sounds familiar, it is because what happened in that country almost five decades ago sounded the alarm for colonized countries around the world to liberate themselves.

The parallels to our own current situation in Iraq are startling.  Anyone who doubts this need only look at the fact that this film was screened at the Pentagon in 2003.  Pontecorvo received as much praise as he did criticism upon the film’s release.  Leftists wanted to see more of the struggle of the Algerian freedom fighters, while those on the right thought the film should have shed more light on the brutality committed against the French.  Ultimately, though it comes down on the side of the Algerians, The Battle of Algiers is as balanced as it can be.  French and Algerian casualties alike are treated with the same sense of tragedy, the same sense of loss and waste.  In a scene where a group of young French is killed by a bomb, the same music plays as does in a scene where a group of young Algerians are killed under similar circumstances, furthering the idea that grief knows no nationality.  The music, by the legendary Ennio Morricone, is the perfect compliment to the images on screen.  Dramatic without being melodramatic, the music deepens the emotional core of the film and drives home the sense of loss and determination that informs the film.

Pontecorvo does show the eventual liberation, but this an epilogue.  The important thing here is the struggle, the will to overcome.  Pontecorvo was involved in the Italian communist party when Mussolini was in power, so it is no surprise that struggle is something in which he would be interested.  In the end, after the Algerians gain their independence and the French leave, we are left to wonder if there were any true winners at all.  Pontecorvo was able to recreate some incidents in this film with striking realism.  There are scenes of crowd uprisings here that seem too real to be anything else.  There are bombs that go off with people standing right next to them.  If the ultimate question in cinema is, “How’d they do that?” this film offers that sense of wonderment in several scenes.  The mix of professional and amateur actors (including Yacef Saadi, who more or less plays himself.  Saadi was instrumental not only in getting the film made, but also in the Algerian resistance movement.)

The Battle of Algiers is as important today as it was upon initial release.  In addition to its innumerable cinematic virtues, the lessons it teaches are vital, showing that what the U.S. is encountering now is nothing new.  After a limited theatrical re-release earlier this year, Criterion has given us an unparalleled version of the film on DVD.  The Battle of Algiers is a must for anyone who cares about the world.

The Battle of Algiers is presented in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio.  Criterion has done a masterful job of transferring the film.  The picture is pristine, perfectly capturing the grainy, cinema verite feel of the film.  The stark black and white photography is done a great justice with this DVD.

This DVD preserves the original monaural sound of the film.  The presentation is solid, as clean and crisp as a monaural presentation can be.  The dialogue is clear, and everything else comes through clearly.

THE EXTRAS

The Criterion Collection has given us a three-disc edition of The Battle of Algiers, and the bonus material perfectly compliments the film, giving us deeper insights into the making of the film, the director, and the real life story behind the film.

DISC ONE: The Battle of Algiers

Theatrical and Re-release trailers: the original theatrical trailer, which is quite long, as well as two trailers from the films 2004 re-release.

Production Gallery: promotional and behind-the-scenes stills.

Gillo Pontecorvo: The Dictatorship of Truth: narrated by literary critic Edward Said, this documentary looks at the life of the director.  (37:00)

The Making of The Battle of Algiers: a look at the making of the film with director Pontecorvo, composer Ennio Morricone, the cinematographer, editor, actors and film historians.  (51:00)

Five Directors: Spike Lee, Mira Nair, Julian Schnabel, Steven Soderbergh, and Oliver Stone talk about the film’s influence, style and importance.  (17:00)

Remembering History: an exclusive documentary that reconstructs the Algerian experience of the battle for independence, featuring interviews with historians and revolutionaries.  (69:00)

“États d’armes”: French officers recall the use of torture and execution to combat the rebellion.  (28:00)

The Battle of Algiers: A Case Study: former national counterterrorism coordinator Richard A. Clarke discusses the film’s relevance with a former State Department counterterrorism coordinator and the chief of investigative projects for ABC News.  (25:00)

Gillo Pontecorvo’s Return to Algiers: the director revisits the Algerian people after three decades of independence.  (58:00)

In addition to the almost five hours of bonus material, this DVD also features a 56-page book featuring essays, interviews, script excerpts, original accounts, and other interesting pieces of information surrounding the film and the actual events.