The Battle of Algiers
(Gillo Pontecorvo, 1966, Italy/Algeria, 121 minutes)
One of the most influential political films in history (not to mention the film Bob watches while relaxing in One Battle After Another), The Battle of Algiers, by Gillo Pontecorvo, vividly re-creates a key year in the tumultuous Algerian struggle for independence from the occupying French in the 1950s. As violence escalates on both sides, children shoot soldiers at point-blank range, women plant bombs in cafés, and French soldiers resort to torture to break the will of the insurgents. Shot on the streets of Algiers in documentary style, the film is a case study in modern warfare, with its terrorist attacks and the brutal techniques used to combat them. Pontecorvo’s tour de force has astonishing relevance today. With a typically terrific score by Ennio Morricone.
In French and Arabic with English subtitles.
One of the most influential political films in history (not to mention the film Bob watches while relaxing in One Battle After Another), The Battle of Algiers, by Gillo Pontecorvo, vividly re-creates a key year in the tumultuous Algerian struggle for independence from the occupying French in the 1950s. As violence escalates on both sides, children shoot soldiers at point-blank range, women plant bombs in cafés, and French soldiers resort to torture to break the will of the insurgents. Shot on the streets of Algiers in documentary style, the film is a case study in modern warfare, with its terrorist attacks and the brutal techniques used to combat them. Pontecorvo’s tour de force has astonishing relevance today. With a typically terrific score by Ennio Morricone.
In French and Arabic with English subtitles.
Where is it happening?
Moore Auditorium At Webster Hall, 470 E Lockwood Ave, St Louis, MO 63119-3141, United States, Webster Groves
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Host or PublisherWebster University Film Series
