Battle of Algiers

BATTLE OF ALGIERS — *** 1/2 — Brahim Haggiag, Jean Martin, Yacef Saadi; in black and white; in French and Arabic, with English subtitles; not rated, probable PG-13 (violence, profanity, torture, ethnic slurs, brief gore).

"Battle of Algiers" looks and sounds authentic. In fact, its opening scene appears to be documentary footage of French soldiers suppressing the Algerian uprising during the mid-1950s and early '60s.

Of course, what real footage there is in the movie actually appears toward the end. And then it's blended in seamlessly with the fictionalized re-creations; you almost can't tell the difference.

The end result is extremely convincing, and it's one of the reasons why this little-seen — at least recently —1965 dramatic thriller has been given a re-release by Rialto Pictures, a specialty distributor.

Another reason, of course, is because the film's ruminations about the meaning of terrorism and efforts to deal with it really resonate in the post-9/11 world. That makes this already-tense film all the more chilling and all the more memorable.

The film is based on real-life events, the bloody uprising (from 1954-62) that resulted in the creation of an independent Algerian state. Director Gillo Pontecorvo's even-handed version of the story looks at things from the perspective of revolutionary leaders and the French army soldiers sent in to track them down.

Prominently figuring in the revolt is Ali La Pointe (Brahim Haggiag), one of the leaders of the FLN, an organization responsible for a series of assassinations and terrorist bombings intended to send a message to the French government. His counterpart on the other side is Col. Mathieu (Jean Martin), a World War II veteran with a mandate to stop the FLN by any means necessary.

Pontecorvo and co-screenwriter Franco Solinas do their best to present the story in an objective manner, leaving audiences to decide where their sympathies lie. (That initially made the film very controversial; it was even banned in France at one point.)

There are also some strong performances: Haggiag is charismatic, and, as the French army leader, Martin has a commanding presence. Adding to the heightened tension is yet another stirring Ennio Morricone score.

"Battle of Algiers" is not rated but would probably receive a PG-13 for scenes of violence (shootings, riot suppression, acts of terrorism and explosive mayhem), scattered use of profanity and ethnic slurs, a scene of torture and brief gore. Running time: 121 minutes.

---

E-mail: jeff@desnews.com