The Battle of Algiers

Rialto Pictures | Release Date: January 9, 2004

8.0	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 81 Ratings

USER RATING DISTRIBUTION

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Review this movie

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Please sign in or create an account before writing a review.

Check box if your review contains spoilers

0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

FilipeNetoApr 2, 2021

Personally, I can't see the beauty and quality of this film. I recognize the ability to be objective and rigorous in the report made, and it is quite unusual to find a film that resembles both a documentary or a major journalistic report.Personally, I can't see the beauty and quality of this film. I recognize the ability to be objective and rigorous in the report made, and it is quite unusual to find a film that resembles both a documentary or a major journalistic report. However, the way it was conceived and its high-contrast cinematography make the experience of watching the film truly tiring.

Directed and written by Gillo Pontecorvo, the film addresses, in very broad lines, the effort of the Algerians to resist French colonization and conquer the independence of their country, in one of the most striking colonial conflicts that France faced. However, the way the film approaches the subject could not be worse: instead of building a fictional story on top of historical facts, the narrative is dispersed and, if most of the time we follow in the footsteps of a specific Algerian terrorist, the script proved to be unable to focus on this story and to avoid unreasonable or accessory considerations. Furthermore, and while the film tries to be neutral, the sympathy for the revolutionaries is evident.

The cast is satisfactory, but it's made up of names I don't know. Brahim Hadjadj brought to life the most notable character in the film, a member of the Algerian resistance, and was happy in his effort. Technically, it is an uneven film, with a neo-realistic aesthetic, but an excessively crude cinematography, of high contrast, tiring for the eyes. The sets and costumes are fine and the film is quite authentic, and the soundtrack does not bring anything remarkable.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews