La Battaglia Di Algeri (The Battle Of Algiers)

This is one of the finest films we have seen this year. Incredibly well balanced, virile, actively exciting, and with profound, if never didactic, political and social conclusions.
This is basically a true story, with street actors playing either real people or combinations of characters. The acting is wonderfully low key, realist, and largely secondary to the action, which in such a wide-ranging picture of a revolution i necesary. Depite the lack of specific characterisation, one still end up feeling for particular characters, due to fine minimalist performances and sympathetic shot. This doesn't entirely apply only to the Algerians; the French general, though we would not like to say is preented 'as a human being', always has undertanding, is never a cipher. That i what makes this films special; in terms of the characters, in terms of the action it presents, it is irredeamably fair. In almost a documentary style it simply shows us what happens, the pain and disgust at both ends. None are free from the violence, none are not hurt by it consequences.
It is a very exciting film, with large scenes of rythmic violence, although it has a wonderfully odd way of making one certain what will happen next; through the lack of filmic artifice of cliffhanger/ unnecessary twists it takes on a wonderfully clear inevitability. This is beautiful, and the film is beautiful. The film, especially the Algerian people and the dusty, surprisingly dark streets of the Casbah, are gloriouly shot, though never in a self concious style.
We could go on all day about the strengths of this film; the music, the conscience, the well paced scenes. Let us though finally mention how the camerawork being amongst the crowds add emotional weight to the scenes of rebellion/revolution, especially at the end where the audience is implicated in involvement. For a film that is unflinching in its portrayal of the consequences of violence, it manages to at once leave us with a stirring feeling of the power of the people. A rightful classic.