★★★★★
Three women wait in a darkened warehouse as a man sets the timer to the individual bombs each will be delivering to a choreographed location. They have a half hour to place the explosives and escape. Gillo Pontecorvo’s The Battle of Algiers is one of the most influential political films created and vividly depicts the key years of Algeria’s struggle for independence from occupying French. The use of women to sneak materials over military checkpoints may be considered cowardly to some but when it comes to war truly nothing is off limits.
Shot on location in documentary style this black-and-white film is a case study on modern warfare that resonates as much today as it did 46 years ago. In 2003, the White House had a special screening of the film to analyze the tactics used by both the French and the Algerians. The Criterion Collection presents Pontecorvo’s masterpiece with a staggering amount of bonus materials spanning three discs and a booklet to further contemplate the significance of this revolution.
On the first is the film, which has been converted to high-definition digital and enhanced for widescreen televisions. Even though the film was shot in 1965, it seems as if it could have been lifted from evening news broadcasts. Production stills add legitimacy to the documentary style, freezing the horrors of war to reflect upon.
The second disc focuses more on the social and cultural impact of the film, both for those who worked on the project as well as other directors and fans. The three documentary shorts – the shortest being 17 min., the longest 51 min. – provide a starting point for conversation about this canonical movie. Directors Spike Lee (Do The Right Thing), Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay!), Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) and Oliver Stone (Platoon) reflect on the impact …Algiers had on their careers as well as personal thoughts on the subject matter. Lee openly states his support of the Algerian’s use of terrorism for revolution while the others talk around the same sentiment. Unfortunately all the interviews are conducted individually so a back and forth does not happen amongst them.
The final DVD provides the critical assessment of the film and its historical value. This disc looks more to the truths of the film and how revolution is acquired as well as personal accounts from Algerian’s involved in the struggle. Interviews range from French military officers on the use of torture to FLN military leader Saadi Yacef – he played himself in the film – provide a sense of balanced politics, though ultimately the collection steers one towards the side of Algerian independence. The most interesting discussion is between former national counterterrorism coordinator, Richard Clarke, and former State Department coordinator for counterterrorism, Michael Sheehan where they discuss the merits of terrorism and torture – there admittance does surprise.
Though some of the material is tough to watch, each provides further information on this provocative subject. The 56-page booklet features a horrifying side-by-side comparison of Yacef’s original account of his arrest and the same scene reprinted from the screenplay. Pontecorvo’s magnum opus will resonate until modern warfare changes and the Criterion Collection provides the linear notes of its success.
David Rowley
Rating: 15Release Date: Out Now
Directed: Gillo Pontecorvo
Cast: Brahim Hadjadj, Jean Martin, Yacef Saadi, Ugo Paletti
*This is a Criterion Collection Release Review*
Buy The Battle of Algiers (Criterion Collection #249) 3 disc
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