film review by Jon Reinsch

Old Movie, New Relevance

The Battle of Algiers, directed by Gillo Pontecorvo

If you spend much time in movie theaters, cinemabecomes one of the resources you use to make sense of the world.That’s true even of events on the scale of September 11. In itsaftermath, I looked into the pool of my cinematic past. A film camefloating up to the surface that I hadn’t seen in some 30 years: TheBattle of Algiers.

Gillo Pontecorvo directed this gritty film in 1965. In semidocumentarystyle, it covers part of the 1954-1962 Algerian revolution, leading tothe end of French colonial rule and the founding of the Algerianstate. With dynamic close-ups and zooms, and music by the directorhimself in collaboration with spaghetti-western composer EnnioMorricone, Pontecorvo creates an immediate experience.

For the record, I consider the World Trade Center attacks to beprofoundly evil, and I’m not equating bin Laden with anyone in theAlgerian independence movement. But to understand, one must resist theimpulse to see the world in black and white. Thus, it is useful toobserve the parallels that a post-9/11 viewing of this filmsuggest.

Two characters stand out. On the Algerian side there is Ali La Pointe,a petty criminal. While in prison he witnesses a man being led to theguillotine shouting “Long live Algeria!” The experience converts himto the cause of the National Liberation Front. Ali is all anger, thekind of man who could become an ardent follower of bin Laden.Nevertheless, all it takes is one tracking close-up to make us careabout him—and feel his rage.

Intent on destroying the NLF is the charismatic Colonel Mathieu. Amore complex character than Ali, Mathieu is a veteran of the WWIIFrench Resistance. Perhaps that’s why he can express admiration forthe courage of his adversaries, who share with the Resistance the useof terror against an occupying force. When questioned by the press, hesays “Those who call us Nazis may not know some of us survived Dachauand Buchenwald.” Mathieu apparently believes that his righteous pastproves the correctness of his present mission. But he also waves offethical considerations entirely with “We are soldiers. Our duty is towin.”

As The Battle of Algiers opens, it is 1957, but the filmquickly flashes back to the beginnings of the conflict. Beforestriking out against the French, the NLF decrees an effort at internalpurification within the Algerian community—rooting out vices. Childrengang up on an alcoholic, and Ali kills a pimp—although he seems tohave been a former patron. It’s chillingly reminiscent of thepuritanical Taliban.

In the next stage, the NLF carries out a series of killings ofpolicemen. The French retaliate with explosives, and things quicklyescalate. There is at least one suicide attack. Fear leads to a surgeof so-called patriotism among the colonials, shouting “Hurray for theparatroops!” Then as now, hatred of Arabs and Moslems flares up, andpeople are harassed for their ethnicity alone. Some advocate genocide,yelling “Kill all the bastards off; then we’ll have peace.”

In an astoundingly intense sequence, three Algerian women plant bombsin crowded public places. Exploiting the racism of the French that sawArabs as dangerous, these women disguise themselves as Europeans toget past the checkpoints. The North African rhythms on the soundtrackevoke a kind of ritual. We may admire these women’s courage andingenuity. But, glimpsing the faces of the people who will die in theblasts, we’re horrified.

Both sides strive to win the people over. We hear NLF communiquesalternate with loudspeakers blaring propaganda like “France is yourcountry.” Soldiers hand out bread in the Casbah, but it’s mostlyrejected.

In this film, the press show less deference to authority than our ownflag-waving anchormen. Over the years, we gather, opposition to theAlgerian War has grown at home. One reporter asks about the use oftorture. Mathieu is unapologetic, saying “To succumb to humaneconsiderations only leads to hopeless chaos.” Our own FBI may bemoving toward this view. Faced with suspects who won’t talk, they’reconsidering deporting them to countries with fewer constitutionalrestrictions on their police—France, for example.

This film prompts a question without easy answers: can terrorism bejustified? Ali and Mathieu have no doubts, but we must, especiallybecause, by an objective definition of the term, we’re now engaged init. An NLF leader observes in the film that “it’s later, when we’vewon, that the real difficulties will begin.” His prescience was borneout by history; the film’s release coincided with Algeria’s firstcoup. Tragedies continue to play out there today. And though ourrevolution was won long ago, American democracy has rarely seemed sofragile.

The Battle of Algiers is not currently playing on any localscreens. Perhaps a smart programmer will add it to their schedulesoon. In the meantime, see it on video.