Timely Film

[John Cole]

One of the great films, given an outstanding treatment by Criterion in a three DVD set. Amazingly, it was screened at the Pentagon in 2003.

Review of Battle of Algiers (http://www.dvdjournal.com/quickreviews/b/battleofalgiers_cc.q.shtml)

[bholdr]

cool, i'll check it out if i get a chance

[Zeno]

The written review is interesting and the film more than just timely it seems. Anyway, I don't have a DVD or Video player (I could view it on my computer I suppose; I do have a 21 inch monitor) because I am steeped in the dark ages of just reading books.

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Amazingly, it was screened at the Pentagon in 2003.

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Is it odd that I don't find that fact amazing at all.

-Zeno

[John Cole]

Reading books? I read one once. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Cyrus]

Yes, great film. (Ah, the years of cinéma engagé!)

Among the most effective political thrillers. I'd say maybe "Z" is at that level. Then we turn to the Riefenstahl films...

Some lessons to be drawn from the Battle of Algiers, the real one:

Algeria was a French colony and the French tried to put down brutally the independence movement that rose up after WWII. That struggle divided France itself sharply. More so when news reached the country about the brutality shown by French troops, especially the paratroopers, against insurgents and civilians alike.

The insurgents used equally ugly methods. They bombed practically indiscriminately areas of the city of Algiers and other spots, causing mayhem and bloodshed. Every day there was somewhere a festival de plastique. They also tortured Algerians who were suspect of collaborating with the French.

It took a truly great man, De Gaulle, to rid his country of this burden that almost tore France apart. (The organisation of ex-French officers of Algeria, the OAS, almost assassinated De Gaulle --- but that's another (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069947/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxzZz0xfHR0PW9ufHBuPTB8cT1kYXkgb2YgdG hlIGphY2thbHxteD0yMHxsbT0yMDB8aHRtbD0x;fc=2;ft=20; fm=1) movie!) He fooled the French colonists by proclaiming from a balcony that "I hear you" -- and then turned around and "betrayed" them.

Epilogue: The leaders of the Algerian resistance assumed power right after the French left. Soon, there was no democracy but a crude semblance of it, with the same person from the "Revolutionary Council" getting elected. (The original, charismatic firebrand of the Resistance, Ben-Bela, got upended in a coup and remained in house arrest for thirty years!)

Currently the (secular) leadership of Algeria is fighting a vicious civil war against Islamic extremists, who are engaging in atrocities far worse than the French or the FNL ever imagined in the 1950s. Some years ago, when the Islamists were ready to gain power through democratic elections, the Algerian leadership called off the elections.

Let's see what lessons we can draw from this episode in human history.

[andyfox]

I haven't seen it, but I will. I just recently watched Burn! on TV and was again astounded by it. I also read a great review of Burn! last night. I'll try to locate it again and post a link here shortly.

[andyfox]

http://brando.crosscity.com/Brando/Main.aspx?Page=Filmo/Filmo.ascx&Film=24

[Rick Nebiolo]

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I haven't seen it, but I will. I just recently watched Burn! on TV and was again astounded by it. I also read a great review of Burn! last night. I'll try to locate it again and post a link here shortly.

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Thanks for the link.

I don't have cable so if you want me to see it on DVD go to this page (http://www.dvdjournal.com/extra/mia.html) (on the website that Jonn Cole linked to above). If you vote for Burn like I did use an alternative email address - these kinds of things generate spam.

~ Rick

[whiskeytown]

I was looking for posts on this movie- I saw it earlier this week.

fantastic movie - but I can see why the French would be cowards and ban it....it's balanced the way Fox news is balanced - LOL

RB