by Joseph Davis, Contributing Writer
So recently, I wasn’t completely sure about what movie to watch next for the Out of Market. However, after having gone through the movie collection of Aaron (but not THAT Aaron), I stumbled across a movie in his collection that I somehow hadn’t heard of, let alone seen: The Battle of Algiers. I did some digging to figure out exactly what it was about, and when it was set, and after seeing that it was about the conflict between the independence movement of Algeria against the Fourth French Republic (fun fact: they’ve had five of them), I decided I wanted to watch it. As someone who has said before that they’re deeply fascinated by history, I found that this might be the best catalyst for getting in and learning about the fight for independence in this African country, and to potentially learn more about the time and events.
Note from the Author: this movie depicts what can only be described as terrorist attacks and scenes of torture. Viewer discretion is advised
The first part of the film I want to get into is the two sides this story shows: those of the Algerian National Liberation Front (the FLN) and the French military. While we do get some glimpses of other groups, I want to stick with these two, as they are the film’s main driving forces. What I find the most interesting in a way is that the movie doesn’t hold back on showing either side. While the characters supporting the liberation of Algeria are meant, at least to me, to depict the “good guys” (for lack of a better phrase), they’re shown to commit acts that can easily be condemned. However, these acts are in comparison to organizations hinted at wanting to stop Algerian independence, along with those acts committed by the French paratroopers to try and hunt down the FLN. Usually, you’d expect the sides to be a clear black and white, good and evil. However, what this movie does is to light the events in shades of gray. And for that, I think that it sets itself apart from many movies in how it makes it hard to tell exactly who the good guys are.
Another aspect that I like is how it sets the story in two parts. The first depicts the actions of those who want to liberate Algeria and their rise. At times, admittedly, it feels a bit rushed, as you don’t get much of a chance to breathe before you’re on to the next moment. However, it helps show just how effective they were in their actions in the eventual decision to get the French military involved to quell the violence. It also helps to condense the actions down and, in a few ways, show just the motivations of the characters, agree with them or not. In the decision to shift the concentration to the French, it also helps to show how the initiative, and the fight for the city shifted so drastically. It shifts everything in that moment beyond just the central figures, but also in the moment. It helps set up the ending of the film as well, making the movie more poignant in a way.
In the end, I’d definitely suggest people watch The Battle of Algiers. Not because it has a happy ending, but because it makes you think. It shows that there is rarely anything you can look at that’s clear or cut-and-dry in the world, but instead there is an immense amount of nuance involved. That right and wrong is difficult to be able to identify sometimes. And finally, sometimes an idea is far more powerful than any person can be.
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