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Gillo Pontecorvo's "La Battaglia Di Algeri" (Battle of Algiers)
By Jason Cangialosi of Associated Content
An Overview of the Film and Background of the Algerian Conflict: Released in 1965, La Battaglia di Algeri is a film about the Algerian revolutionary uprising against French occupation of the city of Algiers. The cast of La Battaglia di Algeri (The Battle of Algiers), aside from Jean Martin as Colonel Mathieu who acted in over 70 films, was virtually unknown and never appeared in future films. Some of the cast were actual revolutionaries from the Algerian independence from France and the believable, impassioned performances gave a vivid depiction of the Algerian revolution. The film is often called one of the greatest, if not "the" greatest achievements of revolutionary cinema. Its documentary-style footage, enriched by actual "street" actors, grips a neorealist style from Pontecorvo's roots and influence from Italain Neorealist directors like Roberto Rossellini. Though the production was an Italian-French hybrid with Marcello Gatti's cinematography reaching moments of cinéma vérité elegance, capturing glory, grit and humor in the performances and cityscape. La Battaglia di Algeri is based on a book by Saadi Yacef, who plays himself as one of the revolutionary leaders. The loose adaptation gives a somewhat objective glimpse of history in a moving portrait of both sides of the conflict. There is no clear good vs. evil as the film's empathy extends to all humans, French or Algerian, trapped in ominous political circumstance. Background of the Conflict:
Algeria is a large country on the northern coast of Africa between Morocco and Libya. Powerfully positioned as a port is its largest city, Algiers, which has prosperously been occupied by the Romans, Spain, and the Ottomans. It is deeply influenced by the Muslim religion since the Arab conquest in the 6th century. The country's revolutionary spirit sparked inbetween occupations with a tradition of piracy, weakened by attacks from America in 1815 and British-Dutch forces in 1816. The French occupation of the country started in 1830, withstanding Islamic Jihads as the Muslim population reached 5 million 100 years later. Flash forward 24 years to 1954 were Algerian exiles form the Front de Liberation Nationale, a.k.a the FLN in Egypt. Their guerilla activities spread to the Algeria countryside planting terrorist cells throughout the mountains. The film takes hold here in 1954 with horrific reenactments of bloodshed in the Cashbah section of Algiers. The FLN grew too organized and aggressive for the local police and the French military intervened "marshal law" style in 1960. Supported with fervor by the Muslim-Arab townspeople, the FNL staged labor strikes that pit enraged people against ruthless occupiers. The FNL's tactics have been seen as frighteningly relevant in light of the current war on terror and eerie parallels can be drawn to the struggle in Iraq. In fact, in 2003 a Director of Special Operations at the Pentagon held a screening of the film because it gave a unique, historical, illustration of what problems are faced in Iraq.
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This intel first appeared on: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1132672/gillo_pontecorvos_...
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