One of the most influential cinema vérité films in history, Pontecorvo's “The Battle of Algiers” (1966) graphically depicts the Algerian nationalist battle for independence (1954-1962). The Italian-Algerian film begins in 1957 with a terrified FLN recruit submitting to torture by French paratroopers and revealing La Pointe's hideout. Flashing back to 1954, it depicts escalating tensions between the French and the National Liberation Front – which was establishing control of the Casbah through restrictive bans aimed at boycotting the French bureaucracy. Children coldly shoot police officers, women hide weapons under their veils, the French use the most brutal tortures: this docufilm has become the reference for this new war: the “Café War”. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay As the French army in the city attempts to destroy the FLN led by Saadi (in his own role, whose memoir were a crucial reference), the targets of the guerrilla soldiers and civilians on both sides, pieds-noirs and Algerians: even if Colonel Mathieu, commander of the paratroopers, incarnation of the French paradox of the oppressed-oppressor, dismantled the front keeps tapeworm, two years later “for no particular reason”. "the uprising resumes: in 1962 the Algerians obtain their freedom. In continuous alternation, innocent civilians die tortured on both sides "in the name of true virtue": the bombs do not choose their victims, yet Morricone's sad score, then as the survivors crawl around a destroyed terrorist house, shows his sympathy for the rebels. The leadership is depicted in an objective perspective: Mathieu logically analyzes the enemy reassuring the citizens in a triumphalist parade. La Pointe demonstrates his loyalty to the FLN. by shooting a policeman – a minion would not have fired. In this analytically frightening approach, war tactics become lucid and dehumanized: women and children bypass French checkpoints with shopping bags carrying bombs in boxes. crowded cafes. “Should France stay in Algeria?” asks a French colonel: the pieds-noirs were not the only ones to be powerful voters since the geographical proximity made Algeria a de facto French continent. France's fragile position after the war (Indochina, Suez failures) and the rise of nationalist sentiment pushed France to "accept all necessary consequences". Throughout the scenes, torturing enemies has no emotional attachment or humanizing consideration: burning the bodies of suspects or increasing the voltage of their electrodes becomes a simple military strategy. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. Get a personalized essay “Terrorism is useful as a start, then the people must act” they say at La Pointe. This is crucial as the FLN begins an 8-day general strike mobilizing the population to have an impact on the international community and on the "distant" UN: the end must justify the means, and the vanguard becomes a war of the Algerians against everyone. on the front line. At the same time, strong military tactics cannot bring lasting stability without firm political strategies: the use of torture diminished popular support for the French who lost a major diplomatic battle against the Algerians. Following the Leninist approach, this urban revolution involves all layers of the population while class differences.”