The Battle of Algiers
1966 · 2h 2m · Drama, War, History
Watch it tonight if you want to witness a masterpiece that's brutally honest about colonial violence and urban warfare—this is essential cinema that shaped how filmmakers approach political conflict. It's dense, morally unsparing, and demands your full attention, so skip it if you're looking for easy entertainment, but absolutely dive in if you crave something that challenges and clarifies rather than comforts.
Plot
Paratrooper commander Colonel Mathieu, a former French Resistance fighter during World War II, is sent to Algeria to reinforce efforts to squelch the uprisings of the Algerian War. There he faces Ali la Pointe, a former petty criminal who, as the leader of the Algerian Front de Liberation Nationale, directs terror strategies against the colonial French government occupation. As each side resorts to ever-increasing brutality, no violent act is too unthinkable.
Director: Gillo Pontecorvo
Cast: Brahim Hadjadj, Jean Martin, Yacef Saâdi, Samia Kerbash, Ugo Paletti
