The Battle of Algiers (1966) La battaglia di Algeri (original title)

Director:

Gillo Pontecorvo

Writers:

Gillo Pontecorvo
Franco Solinas

Release Date:

20 September 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

The French Colonel...who was forced even to torture! One of the many women...who stopped at nothing to win! The Algerian Street Boy...who became a rebel hero!

Plot:

An account of the bloodiest revolution in modern history.

Plot Keywords:

Algerian | French | Independence | Bomb | Torture

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Brahim Hadjadj	...	Ali La Pointe (as Brahim Haggiag)
Jean Martin	...	Col. Mathieu
Yacef Saadi	...	Djafar (as Saadi Yacef)
Samia Kerbash	...	One of the girls
Ugo Paletti	...	Captain
Fusia El Kader	...	Halima
Omar
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mohamed Ben Kassen	...	Petit Omar
Michele Kerbash	...	Fathia (uncredited)
Franco Morici	...	(uncredited)
Tommaso Neri	...	Captain (uncredited)
Gene Wesson	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Gillo Pontecorvo

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gillo Pontecorvo
Franco Solinas

Produced by
Antonio Musu	....	producer
Yacef Saadi	....	producer
Fred Baker	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Ennio Morricone
Gillo Pontecorvo

Cinematography by
Marcello Gatti

Film Editing by
Mario Morra
Mario Serandrei

Production Design by
Sergio Canevari

Set Decoration by
Sergio Canevari

Costume Design by
Giovanni Axerio		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Maurizio Giustini	....	key makeup artist
Hamdi Mohamed	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Nour Eddine Brahimi	....	production manager
Lakhdar-Toumi Edine	....	production supervisor
Abdenour Essed	....	production supervisor
Sergio Merolle	....	production manager
Rolando Pieri	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Moussa Haddad	....	second assistant director
Giuliano Montaldo	....	second unit director
Fernando Morandi	....	assistant director

Art Department
Tarcisio Diamanti	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Alberto Bartolomei	....	sound synchronisation
Omar Bouksani	....	sound technician

Special Effects by
Aldo Gasparri	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Belkacem Bazi	....	assistant camera
Nazzareno Belardinelli	....	gaffer
Silvano Mancini	....	camera operator
Alfredo Marchetti	....	key grip
Ali Maroc	....	assistant camera
Claudio Racca	....	camera operator: second unit

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Giovanni Axerio	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Lina Caterini	....	second assistant editor
Anna Maria Montanari	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Bruno Nicolai	....	conductor

Other crew
Margherita Autuori	....	unit publicist (as Rossetti)
Alfredo Di Santo	....	production secretary
Alfredo Di Santo	....	script supervisor
Enrico Lucherini	....	unit publicist (as Lucherini)
Mario Maestrelli	....	administrator
Matteo Spinola	....	unit publicist (as Spinola)

Production Companies

• Igor Film
• Casbah Film (co-production)

Distributors

• Argent Films (2003) (UK) (all media)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1970) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Maiden Voyage Pictures (2007) (UK) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Rialto Pictures (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Rizzoli (1967) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Shochiku Company (1967) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Al!ve AG (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Encore Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Filmfreak Distributie (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Globo Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• I.V.C. (2009) (Japan) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (New Zealand) (DVD)
• New Star (2009) (Greece) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Warmflash Productions Ltd.  trailer

Also Known As:

"La battaglia di Algeri" - Italy (original title)

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

Italy | Algeria

Language:

French | Italian | English | Arabic

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-16 | France:(Banned) (1965-1971) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1993) | UK:X (original rating) | West Germany:16 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Norway:16 | USA:Not Rated | South Korea:15 | Italy:VM18 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Algeria

Company:

Igor Film

Trivia:

In 2003, the New York Times reported that the Pentagon screened this film for officers and civilian experts who were discussing the challenges faced by the US military forces in Iraq. The flier inviting guests to the screening read: "How to win a battle against terrorism and lose the war of ideas".

Goofs:

Continuity: Ali's first assignment is to assault a police officer. During this, the cop's hat falls to the ground, and the position of the hat changes between cuts.

Quotes:

Col. Mathieu:We aren't madmen or sadists, gentlemen. Those who call us Fascists today, forget the contribution that many of us made to the Resistance. Those who call us Nazis, don't know that among us there are survivors of Dachau and Buchenwald. We are soldiers and our only duty is to win.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 100 Greatest War Films (2005) (TV)

Should be mandatory viewing for every American

"Battle of Algiers" is simply one of the greatest films every made. If film making can be about truth as well as fantasy, then a movie that includes a title card telling viewers that there is not one foot of documentary or newsreel footage in it must deserve viewing.

"Battle of Algiers" contains scenes that seem so real, you suspect that they couldn't have been staged. When three Algerian women come down from the Casbah to plant bombs in the French quarter of the city, you can almost cut the tension with a knife. When the bombs go off, you think they must have been real bombs. And when you see the devastation they leave in their wake, you cannot fail to be moved. The massive rebellion in the streets at the end of the film also seems so real, you sit wondering how many extras must have been injured filming those scenes.

"Battle of Algiers" combines brilliant photography, crisp direction, an intriguing plot and some very fine acting. Throw in a terrific music score, splendid editing, impressive special effects and the best example ever of docudrama style production and you have a masterpiece of film making.

But film making is not nearly as important as human life and no film in general release today says more about America's current involvement in the middle east and many other parts of the world than this picture about the French in Algeria, made more than three decades ago.

Every American should view this film, then think about our current occupation of Iraq.