The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo 1966) No More War

[cwhite]

Have we as Americans perhaps come to take for granted what presumably motivated our own revolution, now more than 230 years ago, when we send our soldiers around the world? Should we still question why they are not always greeted with flowers and parades when we do, despite our sometimes-benevolent intentions?

In 1776 America won its battle for Independence from Great Britain. In Algeria, in 1954, the French and Algerians were clashing for control in Gillo Pontecorvo's “The Battle of Algiers.” The film based on the true events reflects what the Americans were fighting for 200 plus years ago. I personally don’t believe in war so I don’t understand why we send our troops out fight for the world, but we’re not the world’s army. We should still question when people are rude too troops. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give flowers every time you see soldiers, but it different supporting the troops compared to supporting the war. It’s our country we should be proud of the people who are willing to die to protect our homeland security. I don’t support the Iraqi war, but I do support the troops, it’s important to stick together as a country. The Revolutionary War and the war in the movie are strikingly similar. History always repeats itself. The British sought glory and control so thy felt they needed to hold on to America as its own. The French were hurt after Vietnam and also felt they needed to prove something like the British. The Americans and the Algerians just wanted independence. Hometown advantage obviously worked for both these countries. The motivation was more for them because they were going to benefit so much ore. It was worth it to shed blood, like the Algerians, Like Ali La Pointe. The sacrifice of our own troops is worth it when it's for our own glory and safety and freedom. However, like the situation we find ourselves in Iraq, and the French's situation in Algeria, war isn't worth it when the only thing you win is control and murder of thousands of soldiers. Lastly I loved the music in the movie, it was important to our audience especially because we watch subtitles and only listen for sound effects. The music while the three women are bombing the different places is phenomenal and assists in building the tensions of the explosions or if the ladies will get caught.

[bvangundy]

I think what we must first do is understand why these people were fighting. In 1830 the French invaded Algeria. This is during a time when all these large nations of the world are realizing that there is a lot of land out there that they could easily just go out and take. The Algerian war of independence took place roughly from 1954 to 1962. That means that the French were occupying for over a hundred years. This place would have become the homes for many French citizens that would not have known anything different. Apparently in 1954 the Algerians decided that they did not want the French in their home anymore and how else would they get them to leave other then by pure violence. They could not just simply ask them to leave because the French had come to see Algeria as their home also.

I also really enjoyed to music of the film, throughout the film you are putting the majority of your focus onto the subtitles and a lot of the time the only way you knew what was going on because of what you could hear and not what you could see. Throughout the movie since you were spending so much of your time reading the subtitles you get a very good idea of how great of a job they really did on the music of the film. Most of the time you watch a movie and you view and the music is just extra. Sometimes you get this sense of anticipation and others you get a sense of action and purpose. But all in all this shows that if you could understand the language you could probably just listen to the movie and still very much enjoy it.

[aslack]

I find this movie to be a wonderful example of how regular people that wish to see a better standard of living for themselves and their people uses any means necessary to achieve that goal. Every aspect of this film from the sound and camerawork help the audience understand that the revolution is being achieved.

I feel that this movie is more about human struggle and the capacity for humans to achieve a goal in absolutely gigantic odds against them. The sound continually showcases this fact by intensifying through-out the film till the music is “booming” in a sense near the climax. Music helps translate that tension that they feel on screen to the audience and you feel the tension and struggle in you. The music and sound also help translate the goal slowly getting achieved. This is also evident in how the music changes from the different events of the movie. For example when the women go to blow up the building the music gives the audience the feeling of success and that the system is being torn down. Sound is a crucial thematic element, that helps portray the story in very key ways.