by Professor Heitor Capuzzo, School of Art,
Design and Media, NTU
The Battle
of Algiers is a unique film experience. The director Gillo Pontecorvo
presents a vigorous display about the process of independence for Algerians
from the occupying French in the 1950s.
The film
describes in detail the strategic steps from either side in the conflict. While
the French soldiers used methods of torture, the Algerians on the other hand,
planted bombs in public spaces escalating the violence to the level of a civil
war.
Pontecorvo
used the documentary style in reconstructing facts with a strong impression of
reality. Algerians are here the main characters of their own history. The
narrative works as a time machine allowing our perception to go beyond the mere
understanding of historical incident. It instead allows for a powerful and
dialectic immersion into the revolutionary process.
The film
also serves as a model to learn about urban guerrilla strategy in modern
societies. Because of that The Battle of Algiers was forbidden in many
countries with the mislabelled status of "terrorist propaganda".
While
watching this film, it is possible to rethink many recent international
incidents where violence became the answer against the advance of
neo-colonialism. In this sense, The Battle of Algiers is a film about
the past to alert us, in the present time, about our urgent need to face the
future.
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