The Battle of Algiers (re-release)
User Score
7.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 35 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 35
  3. Negative: 6 out of 35

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  1. YoonMinC.>
    May 9, 2004
    9
    Feverish, impassioned, thrilling.. and manipulative and simplistic. in retrospect, the movie's triumphant 'happy' hollywood ending is the biggest joke of all; as soon as the french left, rival algerians used torture upon one another and the nation swayed from anarchy to brutal authoritarian rule. more an artifact of the political pipedreams of radicals of the era than anything truthful about algeria. worst of all, its pretension of being fairminded makes it sometimes as phony as do the right thing. in some ways, it probably had an influence on some of today's hipsterish attitude among armchair radicals. matrix is battle of algeiers as cgi sci-fi. … Expand
  2. Dana
    Jan 12, 2004
    7
    Good movie. Gives some insight into the French attitude towards Algeria, and highlights some real life motivations and tactics for both sides of a war of occupation.
  3. WaelS.
    Sep 5, 2006
    10
    The best I ever saw at my house.
  4. PatC.
    Mar 30, 2007
    9
    So immersing that one hardly notices as it shifts between being an action drama and a documentary. Told from the leftist perspective, it invites the viewer to form a political opinion, which is how these things always get started in the first place. But, as history, knowing what happened in Algeria is essential to understanding what is happening now. Blaming the French and wanting to exterminate terrorists have always been no-brainers, and the film almost condones both. The ending is tidy, but the implications are not, so one may find the show awesome and informative without clarifying one's moral compass.… Expand
  5. JadeB.
    Jan 25, 2004
    10
    Simply one of the best movies to come out of the 60's. It takes a strong anti-colonialist stance but it does so with fairness and integrity. Beautifully balanced militant film-making.
  6. MarkB.
    May 9, 2004
    6
    First, the good stuff. This is a fascinating political psuedo-documentary-thriller that puts nearly all so-called TV "docudramas" to shame. The grungy, grainy look of the film adds immeasurably to its veracity; at times it looks like the filmmakers walked all over the print with dirty shoes, just like Orson Welles supposedly did with the newsreel-within-a-film in Citizen Kane. The Battle of Algiers isn't timid about showing the consequences and horrors of violence committed by both sides, and it's careful to provide at least one more or less fully rounded character employed by the French military. That said, I'd still have to place this in the (thankfully) very small category of films led by Birth of a Nation and Triumph of the Will: films that represent the unholy marriage of totally unassailable filmmaking technique and utterly loathsome, reprehensible content or point of view. Colonialism and forced occupation are bad, to say the least, and I think we all know it, but the filmmakers seem to really believe that this justifies the resistance "heroes" committing acts of terrorism against innocent bystanders and cops who are largely ordinary citizens doing their jobs. (Note in particular the scene in which one member of the police force stops another from searching a Muslim woman's dress out of respect for her religion, and it turns out she was using her clothing to hide a gun that she proceeds to shoot them with.) Last year's excellent, Oscar-nominated documentary The Weather Underground, at least had some of the members of that radical organization questioning some of their "by any means necessary" actions; here you're about as likely to get some sort of tempering or balancing statement as the poor woman who has a "basket bomb" placed under her chair by one of the underground members has a chance of surviving the explosion in less than eighty-seven pieces. (Needless to say, later scenes in which the French military interrogate and torture some of the instigators are understandably presented as horrifying--as they should--rather than with the matter-of-fact tone of the bombings themselves.) Look at it this way: I think we can all agree that the war-related murders of American soldiers, dragging of their bodies, etc. by hostile Iraqis is horrible and anger-provoking, but would that justify somebody making a movie condoning some of our military's torture of Iraqi prisoners? Biggest mystery of all: why is this film being rereleased now in these post 9/11 days? I can only make three guesses: either because of the 50th anniversary of Indochina's liberation of France (discussed in one of the film's most effective scenes),or because the theme of Arab liberation is once again a very topical one, or maybe because the distributor is a bit of a sick puppy!… Expand
  7. JohnA.
    Jun 13, 2004
    10
    An absolutely stunning film. It is gripping from start to finish. The pace is incredible and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The story essentially boils down to the passion of the Algerians versus the efficiency of the French. I imagine this film was not particularly well received in France, but I could be wrong. Several scenes blatantly resemble stormtroopers hunting down Jews. One can very easily argue that the Islamicists politics and seemingly disspasionate murders are reprehensible. However, in one of the most poignant scenes the leader of the FLN says to the French, "We'd gladly trade our baskets for your planes." … Expand
  8. CianM
    Aug 17, 2005
    10
    Absolute classic. Brilliantly shot in grainy newsreel style. Never more relevant than now with what is happening in Iraq. Atrocities on both sides but in the end colonialism is the loser.
  9. Joe50119
    Feb 18, 2011
    10
    Powerful, gut wrenching, moving and biographical film. This film shows all aspects of an insurgency against a superior military force within an urban setting. Extremely relevant considering the Iraq War. The scenes involving the killing of innocents on both sides is simply gut wrenching. You see the true face of war. The film also shows involves crimes by both sides, French and Algerian, making no distinction between the two. The scene of the terrorist bombing of the cafe and its aftermath leaves the viewer no doubt that Pontecorvo views the deaths of innocents to be the same no matter what the nationality. The leadership of the insurgency is shown as well as the French paratrooper commander. This film is a must for those who want to truly understand guerrilla warfare in an urban setting and the tragedy of it all. The torture scenes are especially moving and will bring the viewer to tears. Best foreign film of all time.… Expand
  10. VerbalCant
    Jul 9, 2012
    8
    Handles suspense better than most modern thrillers, the scenes with the female bombers are absolutely brilliantly done. It's agitprop... but what isn't, and it handles it well. None of the characters are over sympathetic, and the politics is all abot the confrontation not about the issues. I think the only perspective missing is the french back in Europe... why are the soldiers there? A very good film.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
94 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 20 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    90
    What reveals Pontecorvo as an artist, and not simply a propagandist of genius, is the sorrow he tries to stifle but that comes flooding through anyway--the sense that ALL sides in this conflict have lost their souls, and that all men are carrion.
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  2. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not Credited)
    80
    What makes the movie's power creditable is Pontecorvo's ability to present combatants on both sides as multidimensional, nonheroic human beings, even though it's obvious where the director's own sentiments lie. (Review of original release)
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  3. Variety
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not Credited)
    80
    It's a dedicated effort with importance as a 'document.' (Review of original release)
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