![The Battle of Algiers: The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray]](http://cdn.hometheaterforum.com/8/8d/50x50px-ZC-8d447346_B005152CB4-51lpTKkriFL.jpg)
A docudrama of uncommon power and authenticity, Gillo Pontecorvo’s The Battle of Algiers makes a riveting cinematic statement about the struggles for freedom and the power of unity. Whether one is watching the film for the first time or the tenth, its sense of reality is visceral: one finds it hard to believe these aren’t newsreels of real events we’re watching, and the director’s hand is so strong and sure over the entire enterprise that its two hours passes by like twenty minutes. This is one of the greatest political films ever made, and yet its humanity is just as strong a calling card as its politics.
The Battle of Algiers (Blu-ray)
Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo
Studio: Criterion
Year: 1966
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 1080p AVC codec
Running Time: 121 minutes
Rating: NR
Audio: PCM 1.0 French/Arabic
Subtitles: English
Region: A
MSRP: $ 49.95
Release Date: August 9, 2011
Review Date: August 5, 2011
The Film
5/5
Dividing neatly into two halves, the film covers in its first hour the rising anarchy of the Algerian rebels after 130 years of French occupation. In 1954, rebel factions begin forming the FLN, the National Liberation Front, and its members begin attacking police and French army in the streets. In two years, police are being actively shot in the street, and bombings are a frequent occurrence, enough so that there are 4.2 killings per day. Outraged, the French in 1957 send Colonel Mathieu (Jean Martin) to take charge and get the rebels under control. His research uncovers the rebel organization being organized in a pyramid scheme with four central leaders but primary among them are Ali La Pointe (Brahim Haggiag) and El-Hadi Jaffar (Saadi Yacef). In what the colonel deems “Operation Champagne,” the army begins retaliation against the rebels and takes back control of the streets. In the film’s coda, the climactic events of the years 1960-1962 are pictured and summarized.
Director Gillo Pontecorvo and screenwriter Franco Solinas judiciously show both sides of the struggle, and while individuals sometimes get some momentary attention, no one character retains the spotlight for very long thus allowing the audience to remain bystanders to the uprisings and their aftermaths. Pontecorvo uses both discretion and an unblinking eye in his portrayals of execution and torture (a beheading by guillotine is shown mostly off camera but various methods of physical extortion are shown quite closely and personally). There is a masterful segment during the film’s first hour as three Algerian women are given bombs to place in their handbags, and the camera follows each on her winding way to the points of demolition. There’s tension over whether they’ll be searched (time is spent beforehand watching the women transform into Westerners), and Pontecorvo’s camera eerily surveys the faces of the innocent who are about to die in places like a soda shop and an airport lounge. (The bombings look about as real as real can be.) Marcello Gatti’s sensational camerawork also sallies up and down the twisting staircases and winding streets of the Casbah not only ratcheting the suspense levels of the movie but also reveling in the terrific atmosphere which, even in black and white, puts the viewer smack in the middle of the unsettling look and feel of the place.
Gillo Pontecorvo generally preferred working with non-actors, but he did hire one professional for the movie – Jean Martin playing Colonel Mathieu. It’s an intelligent performance, neither too brash nor too tentative but quietly authoritative as he takes complete control of the situation. Among the non professional cast, Brahim Haggiag as Ali seems like the real deal, and he gives such a bracing and charismatic performance as the rebel leader that professionals should study his facial features and body movements for pointers on being real. Saadi Yacef (who was also one of the film’s producers) is basically playing himself (though with a fictional name) as the most controlled and even-tempered of the rebel leaders. Samia Kerbash and Fusia El Kader as two of the rebel women show great strength of character and commitment even with almost no lines at their disposal to establish characters. Mohamed Ben Kassen as the youthful Omar, whose petite size allows him access to places where the adults can't go, also makes a striking impression.
Video Quality
4/5
The film is presented at its theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and is presented in 1080p using the AVC codec. Though the images never attain a consistency of sharpness or grayscale fidelity, at its best (and it is frequently superb), the sharpness is extraordinary and the grayscale completely mesmerizing with crisp whites and deep blacks. There are plenty of shots, however, where focus is less than ideal or blacks get a bit crushed with details in the shadows obscured. There are some slight instances of flashing on automobile grillwork and minor moiré patterns that intrude. The white subtitles are easy to read. The film has been divided into 34 chapters.
Audio Quality
4/5
The PCM 1.0 (1.1 Mbps) sound mix is very typical of its era. The movie’s dialogue was post synched, so it contains that constrained resonance that post dubbing often exhibits. Still, the score by Ennio Morricone and Gillo Pontecorvo resonates hauntingly throughout the movie, and sound effects blend nicely throughout without overpowering the dialogue. Surprisingly, the Criterion engineers have been able to do an extraordinary job at eliminating age-related artifacts like hiss, crackle, flutter, and hum from the soundtrack leaving the audio quality about as good as it’s ever likely to get.
Special Features
5/5
Unless otherwise noted, the video featurettes are in 1080i.
“Gillo Pontecorvo: The Dictatorship of Truth” is a 1992 documentary of the director which focuses on his life and career which has produced a surprisingly small handful of films. Along with clips from his movies, the director discusses his art in this 37 ½-minute featurette.
“Marxist Poetry: The Making of The Battle of Algiers” is a 2004 documentary on the making of the movie featuring interviews with director Gillo Pontecorvo, producer Saadi Yacef, film editor Mario Morra, composer Ennio Morricone, and cameraman Marcello Gatti looking back on its making. This runs 51 ¼ minutes.
“Five Directors on The Battle of Algiers” features interviews with directors Spike Lee, Julian Schnabel, Mira Nair, Oliver Stone, and Steven Soderbergh discussing their impressions and emthusiasms for the movie. It runs 17 ¼ minutes.
A production gallery features behind-the-scenes shots of each of the principal production personnel and some stills from the film as well as poster art from around the world.
The film’s theatrical trailer runs 4 minutes while its rerelease trailer runs 2 ½ minutes. Both are in 1080p.
Disc Two in this two-disc set contains the following items:
“Remembering History,” a 68 ¼-minute recapitulation of both sides of the French-Algerian struggle featuring actual participants in the rebellion from both sides as well as historians who explain the significance of various events (some of which are portrayed in the movie).
“Etats d’Armes” features excerpts from a 2002 French documentary on the French side of the struggles. It runs 28 ½ minutes.
“The Battle of Algiers: A Case Study” is a 2004 ABC News discussion of how today’s terrorists utilize much of the same methodology shown in the film (clips of which are presented). It runs 24 ¾ minutes.
“Gillo Pontecorvo’s Return to Algiers” finds the director returning to the country 27 years after making his movie and seeing an imminent civil war brewing and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism present all around him. It’s a revealing 58 ¼-minute film presenting some disturbing and heartening images of the country he has a great fondness for.
The enclosed 57-page booklet contains the cast and crew lists, some tinted stills and behind-the-scenes shots from the movie, film professor Peter Matthews’ appreciative essay on the movie, two short pieces about the film and his actual freedom fighter experiences by co-star/producer Saadi Yacef, an interview with screenwriter Franco Solinas conducted in 1973, and brief biographies of the real freedom fighters of the war.
The Criterion Blu-rays include a maneuvering tool called “Timeline” which can be pulled up from the menu or by pushing the red button on the remote. It shows you your progress on the disc and the title of the chapter you’re now in. Additionally, two other buttons on the remote can place or remove bookmarks if you decide to stop viewing before reaching the end of the film or want to mark specific places for later reference.
In Conclusion
4.5/5 (not an average)
The Battle of Algiers: a great film given a great high definition presentation: what more could one ask except for a cornucopia of bonus features which offers just about everything one would like to know about the film’s production history and its aftermath? Highest recommendation!
Matt Hough
Charlotte, NC
