Battle of Algiers is a movie released in 1966 directed by Gillo Pontecorvo and produced by

Saadi Yacef and Antonio Musu. This is basically a war film presented in documentary style
black and white cinematic effects. Battle of Algiers shows the time period of 1954-57 in which
guerrilla fighters regrouped against the French government who had them colonized. This
movie highlights the events by the rebels, organization of guerrilla movement and illegal means
and violence used by the colonial government to contain the actions of rebel.
Battle of the Algiers is a very good historical film in which the filmmakers have tried to stay
neutral and show the actions and tactics of both insurgent groups National Liberation Front
FLN and French. Wars are not easy to be covered specially on screen for film purpose there so
much known and unknown going on simultaneously that to produce it in its pure or close to
actual form is almost impossible. Viewpoint or understanding of that particular individual or
group from the war story is obtained matters a lot how much biased that story teller is who
knows. This Algerian war is actually struggle of liberation. It is the right of every human on
the face of this earth yet these beings of Algeria had to fight a war to win their independence.
Even after this these independence fighters were called rebels and their actions were named
terrorism.
Viewing this movie was not unique or new in terms of information or knowledge regarding
colonialism or imperialism as we are still witnessing these acts of voracity to rule the world
still in the same set/group of countries. Even today America or some of the European countries
and Russia try to impose themselves on the third world countries either by means of direct or
indirect war or through occupy these weak countries’ natural resources like petrol. Nowadays
these country may not going after making colonies but they are doing far worse collapsing
already set government structures by the help of missionaries just set their own in the name of
liberation examples are Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria. It is very important to mention here
that even today African countries are in very bad form just because strong and powerful
countries have sent their dictators over them and take away all of their resources either labour
or natural resources leaving them behind poor and weak.
It wretched my heart out when film makers and historian are capable enough to point out the
terrorist activities of Muslims but they don’t depict the truth behind the making of them. like
this movie is shown from the perspective of Ali La Pointe who is Algerian Muslim and being
violent and spreads terror towards Pied-Noir. All insurgencies by Ali are to get his homeland
back and no doubts that in some incidents guerrilla warriors were very violent and aggressive
like bombing and harassing Europeans but on the other hand movie lightly highlights how hu
achieved this level of avenging attitude. French are damaging everything and attacking, killing
and kidnapping just to keep their colony was this so vital that they were willing to sacrifice
their own innocent civilians
It was wrong to supress weak and innocent on both ends either Algerian or French but what we
all as human being need to understand is that those Algerian were also weak and innocent what
did they to be colony of France. If in first place France would not have gone for a colony she
could have saved her people from all of this terrorism and war. Why is it that rights of citizens
of weak or poor country are not to be protected? Why are they so vulnerable to the developed,
powerful and so called civilized nations? Why are we so naïve to understand that if you break
in someone’s home what else you expect?
Nowadays we are experiencing terrorism so much but we are still in denial that it is difficult
for our gut to digest that these terrorist are the produce of the powerful governments and result
of the stunts they have been playing since GOD know when. These countries have snatched
everything from them and tortured them so much that they are no more afraid of anything.
From this movie I have learnt that participants or war may win or lose but neither of them is
saved. Wars always results in collateral damage. Like battle of Algiers was won by French but
they lost Algeria as colony.