La battaglia di Algeri (The Battle of Algiers)

The Battle of Algiers from the title of this docudrama is not a classic battle, but a collective term for the guerrilla actions carried out by the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN) against coloniser France between 1954 and Algerian independence in 1962. Filmed in a neorealist style that evokes the work of Roberto Rossellini, La battaglia di Algeri places particular emphasis on the battle of the kasbah from Algiers to 1957, with a key role for revolutionary independence fighter Ali La Pointe. Although you sense which of the warring factions is preferred by director Gillo Pontecorvo, his approach remains very balanced. He shows both the violence of the FLN and the equally violent reaction of the French. Remarkably, most of the Algerian cast members are non-professional actors who fought along against the coloniser. Pontecorvo collaborated with Ennio Morricone for the soundtrack.