Schlacht um Algier (1966)

Schlacht um Algier: Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo. With Brahim Hadjadj, Jean Martin, Yacef Saadi, Samia Kerbash. In the 1950s, fear and violence escalate as the people of Algiers fight for independence from the French government.

“u0026quot;Battle of Algiersu0026quot; is simply one of the greatest films every made. If film making can be about truth as well as fantasy, then a movie that includes a title card telling viewers that there is not one foot of documentary or newsreel footage in it must deserve viewing.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;Battle of Algiersu0026quot; contains scenes that seem so real, you suspect that they couldnu0026#39;t have been staged. When three Algerian women come down from the Casbah to plant bombs in the French quarter of the city, you can almost cut the tension with a knife. When the bombs go off, you think they must have been real bombs. And when you see the devastation they leave in their wake, you cannot fail to be moved. The massive rebellion in the streets at the end of the film also seems so real, you sit wondering how many extras must have been injured filming those scenes.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;Battle of Algiersu0026quot; combines brilliant photography, crisp direction, an intriguing plot and some very fine acting. Throw in a terrific music score, splendid editing, impressive special effects and the best example ever of docudrama style production and you have a masterpiece of film making.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut film making is not nearly as important as human life and no film in general release today says more about Americau0026#39;s current involvement in the middle east and many other parts of the world than this picture about the French in Algeria, made more than three decades ago.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eEvery American should view this film, then think about our current occupation of Iraq.”