What a film! As fresh today as it was when it was made in the 60s. And with just as many lessons for us all to learn from it and the events it reconstructs. Unfortunately, sometimes, some of us read from it lessons that are a little out of whack! Consider the November, 18, 2001 piece in the LA Times entitled "The Movie that got it Right". That piece quotes the Rand Corporation's Bruce Hoffman as saying that "The Battle of Algiers is the best film there is [on terrorism]". Hoffman goes on to say that "the main message of the film is that without intelligence and information, you can't effectively combat terrorism." Is that in fact the message of the film? Or is it a case here of the dominant's discourse (the fear of the loss of power over others) veiling the other discourses (freedom, the struggle against colonialism, independence, self-determination). It's rather handy to forget that the Algerians were fighting for control of their own land and their lives against an invading power and to regard them as terrorists. Maybe Hoffman is referring to intelligence gathering and information on the part of the Algerians?
And then, in Entertainment magazine, in 2003, reviewing the new release of the Battle of Algiers DVD set, the reviewer OG (Original Gangster?) tells us that the film "Pontecorvo's raw, seismic vision of a Marxist uprising was all but unprecedented in its firebrand atmosphere of documentary realism." I don't really remember anyone in the film spouting Marxism...unless every single freedom and liberation movement can be called Marxist. Could it just be that Algerians were tired of having the French run their country for them? Does every uprising against a colonial, imperialist or any other imposed power have to be Marxist or fundamentalist in some way?
In any case, this film is very current for a variety of reasons. Consider the Colonel's press conference and the discussion of the use of torture in order to achieve his ends (see clip above).
Here are three films you might watch along these lines that look at a similar phenomenon from a different point of view...
One of the most influential films in the history of political cinema, Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers focuses on the events of 1957, a key year in Algeria's struggle for independence from France. Shot in the streets of Algiers in documentary style, the film vividly re-creates the tumultuous Algerian uprising against the occupying French. The violence soon escalates on both sides in this war drama that's astonishingly relevant today.
Director:
Gillo Pontecorvo
Cast:
Brahim Haggiag Jean Martin
Yacef Saadi Samia Kerbash
Ugo Paletti Fusia El Kader
Filipino-American Adam (Ian Gamazon) comes face to face with contemporary geopolitical realities when he returns to his homeland to attend his father's funeral. Barely off the plane, Adam receives a chilling phone call saying Muslim terrorists have abducted and will kill his mother and sister if he doesn't comply with the radicals' demands. As the stakes grow exponentially, Adam must confront impossible choices in this fast-paced indie thriller.
Rated NR Not rated. This movie has not been rated by the MPAA.
Length:
80 minutes
Director:
Neill Dela Llana
Ian Gamazon
Cast:
Ian Gamazon Dominique Gonzalez
Jeffrey Lagda
Hany Abu-Assad's disturbing yet moving tale finds two men at a critical juncture in their lives. They've been drafted as suicide bombers in an upcoming assignment in Tel Aviv. Granted a night to spend with their families, they go home but are unable to say goodbye for fear of tipping their hand. But perhaps it isn't time for farewells yet as the two become separated during the mission and must decide on their own whether to continue or bail out.
Rated PG-13 For mature thematic material and brief strong language
Length:
90 minutes
Director:
Hany Abu-Assad
Cast:
Kais Nashef Ali Suliman
Lubna Azabal Amer Hlehel
Hiam Abbass Ashraf Barhom
Mohammad Bustami
After he's mistakenly arrested on suspicion of terrorism, Hassan (Ayad Akhtar), a Pakistani student, is so angry and offended that he joins the ranks of a New York-based terrorist cell that's planning an attack. But keeping his new life secret from his former best friend, Sayeed -- who's living the American Dream in New Jersey -- proves difficult, especially after Hassan falls in love with Sayeed's sister (Nandana Sen).
Rated R For violent images, some language and nudity
Length:
93 minutes
Director:
Joseph Castelo
Cast:
Ayad Akhtar Firdous Bamji
Nandana Sen Sarita Choudhury
Charles Daniel Sandoval Varun Sriram
Anjeli Chapman John Ventimiglia
Mike McGlone Aasif Mandvi
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