The Battle of Algiers A Gripping Film

The Battle of Algiers was a gripping film about the Algerian resistance to French occupation. The bloody struggle of the F.L.N.'s (National Liberation Front) fight against the French was compelling because it seemed so real. The way in which the movie was shot contributed to this as did the connections I drew to the Iraq War. This realism was achieved by its documentary feel.

It was filmed in the streets and narrow alleyways with a handheld camera. I enjoyed these shots because the choppy camera intensifies what's going on the screen. It feels like you are in the movie. Another aspect of the film making was the inclosed nature. There were hardly any shots of wide open spaces or landscapes.

Buildings were looming above the camera in every shoot giving an inclosed feeling that intensified the violence. The inclosed feeling added to the chaotic nature of the film. Algiers seemed like an endless sea of motion as the camera constantly panned crowded streets and focused on many different faces.

However, I found myself most interested in this movie because of the vast similarities to the situation in Iraq. This movie is larger than just the events that occurred in Algeria, it serves as a critique of colonialism and imposing your will on others. This message was successful due to the gritty and realistic style of the film.

The similarities I saw between this movie and the Iraq situation was surprising to me because the Battle of Algiers occurred 50 years ago. I guess history is doomed to repeat itself. The enemy in each conflict has the same face, Islamic Arabs, and the guerrilla style of warfare is the same. The French police are shot in the back and their guardposts are bombed by the resistance.

The violence occurs in public places and there are frequent civilian casualties. The whole area is a mess and the worst part is the enemy isn't identifiable. It could be anyone as Commander Lt. Colonel Philippe Mathieu tells the troops. Mathieu shows a movie of a guardpost right before a bomb was detonated killing several French and stops it intermittantly pointing out people saying it could have been anyone. Having a faceless enemy gives a feeling of hopelessness to the fight. If you don't even know who you are fighting, then how can you fight them?

It is hard to combat and the French were failing before Commander Mathieu shows up to organize the fight. The speech he gives to his troops on how they must go about riding themselves of the enemy sounds eerily similar to the American approach to Iraqi insurgents.

Mathieu says the key is to cut off the head of the snake and eventually the body will die. He sends his men out to interrogate and piece together the hierarchy of the FLN. The pyramid of resistance leaders Mathieu draws is similar to our Army's deck of cards detailing the most wanted Iraqi leaders.

This movie shows us the painful result of imposing our own will on another country. Not just in the violence it requires but in the attitudes it fosters in our culture. The scene where there is a bomb at the racetrack shows the hatred war can cause, a young concession boy is the only Arab at the track and thus becomes the scapegoat for the attack.

It is a disturbing sight to see adults trying to beat up a small boy. It emphasizes the absurdity of prejudicing a whole culture. We have seen many examples of this in the treatment of Arabs in America. While nothing as shocking as the beating of a small child has occurred there is a distinct distrust, much more prevalent in some sections of the country, for Arabs.

I wish more Americans would watch this movie so they could be more aware of the consequences of war. Especially a war that is not absolutely necessary. It takes a severe tool on each side. In terms of casualties and cultural impact.