This movie is an old movie. It is in black and white, and I do not believe that this was so much an artistic choice, as some movies done in black and white are now (Schindler's List comes to mind), but more out of necessity. It was still quite common back then for movies to be done in black and white.
Also, it is old-fashioned in other ways, as well. The style it is done in, the dress and the music that are revealed, all suggests that it is quite dated.
One thing that I noticed, and that it was hard not to notice each time I heard it, was the soundtrack. There are times when it sounds very militant, and straight out of The Dirty Dozen. Not sure if this is accurate or not, or what the makers of this film were trying to show by using this. But yes, I am almost entirely sure that this movie borrows that soundtrack, particularly when showing scenes of French troopers preparing for some kind of action.
Even that likely reveals that this movie is old, and probably outdated by today's standards.
Yet, this is a powerful movie that reveals what arguably the biggest battle of the Algerian conflict for independence was like. In some respects, it is similar to recent American wars in the Persian Gulf and in Afghanistan, which clearly has been making news lately. Perhaps there are even similarities to the conflict in Vietnam, which the United States was already involved with at the time of this movie, and the Algerian conflict, but which would soon come to dominate world headlines.
What was strange about the war in Algeria was how unconventional it was. Much like with Vietnam, the French military were not seriously challenged. They were in control, and did not lose decisive battles, or massive amounts of territory, or anything. Like with American in Vietnam, it was the sheer relentlessness of the war, that it was always seemingly going to be waged, and that there was never going to be peace, until those regarded as the occupiers (the French in Algeria, the Americans in Vietnam) finally left. The political will back home ebbed in both countries, and so it was just a matter of time, really.
In this movie, you see how it happened. You see a bit behind the scenes for both the French and the Algerian side, and you feel like you can understand the motivations and strategies on both sides. You also see just how the situation kept escalating. The French seemed to score some decisive wins, much like the American in Vietnam, and victory seemed within sight. Then, out of nowhere, the resistance grew, seemingly overnight. Suddenly, the streets of Algiers were overrun by pro-independence masses, and the French could no longer pretend like the opposition to their rule was restricted merely to a small and insignificant and violent minority.
There are some movies and documentaries about Vietnam that really make that conflict come alive, and become clearer. You get a sense of what it must have been like to live through such a conflict, and perhaps what it would have been like both seeing the war in Vietnam through news headlines here at home, and especially glimpses of what it probably was like living through the war while actually being there. I just finished a book that I read for a second time about one man's experience as a soldier in that war, and will be reviewing it shortly, hopefully not long after I get back from vacation.
However, this movie kind of does that for the Algerian conflict. It is not a boring historical account that focuses on dates and/or actions by leaders. This movie comes alive with those who were taking action. As such, it documents the brutality and senseless slaughter that the people living in Algiers lived through every day. You also get a feeling for how the French back in the mainland were slowly but surely losing their support for the conflict, and came to see that Algerian independence was not so much a matter of is, but of when. Again, Algerians could not defeat French forces militarily, but still managed to win the conflict simply by refusing to go along with French rule, and showing their opposition time and time again, in various different ways.
Years ago, I remember reading Nelson Mandela's autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. In it, he mentions how we went to other African countries to see how the majority population (blacks always constituted a majority of the overall population in South Africa, even during both colonial and apartheid days) would resist colonial rule. He mentioned that the situation in Algeria was the closest to the situation in South Africa, and you see that as well in this movie: a de facto French or white supremacy that restricted and thus controlled the movements of native Algerians.
This movie feels like it tells the truth of what must have been a terrible and very bloody conflict. It does not pull any punches, and shows the brutality and excesses of both sides. One bombing or attack after another, interrogation methods used by the French that officially denied torture, but which were, in fact, torture in every way, regardless of how it was officially regarded or worded.
As such, I believe that this is essential viewing to anyone who truly wants to understand the Algerian conflict, and how it came about, and ended up going the way that it went. I remember seeing this movie back during my Rutgers days, and it was considered accurate enough to be a thorough documentation of what the conflict was like. Nobody in this movie comes across as angelic, or even demonic. Again, we understand the thinking and actions taken by both sides, even if we cannot exactly bring ourselves to condone these actions. It reveals what actually happened, the essence of how it happened. As such, this does indeed feel like essential viewing to anyone who wants to understand the Algerian conflict.
A very good movie, with tension consistently building. Be warned, again, that there is violence in this movie. It is based on real history, and takes place during a particularly brutal war that shocked the world back in the fifties and early sixties. Highly recommended!
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