The Battle of Algiers

In a 4-5 page essay, discuss The Battle of Algiers and our texts (citing the latter where appropriate) with reference to the following kinds of questions. What are we to make of the pseudo-documentary feel of Battle of Algiers? Are there “heroes” and “anti-heroes” in the film? What do Pontecorvo’s directorial choices seem to suggest about this perspective on the war and the historical, political, and moral frameworks of the revolution? What kind of colonial “world” is created by the film? How “authentic” are its depictions, according to historians, film critics, and participants in the Algerian revolution? By reference to our readings, how does the film help us to historicize issues like gender? How does it inform or surprise a viewer today, and what kinds of relevance do we or others seem to find in the film today? As a kind of “memory document,” how do we re-approach the film in light of the tremendous changes in France’s re-experience of the war in recent years and the revelations of officials and generals? Does the recent film Je vous ai compris approach the subject differently or in ways reminiscent of Battle of Algiers itself?