The Battle of Algiers

Gillo Pontecorvo’s masterpiece about the last years of French colonial rule in Algeria, seen from the perspective of both the revolutionaries and the French authorities.

Gillo Pontecorvo’s masterpiece about the turbulent last years of French colonial rule in Algeria, seen from the perspective of both the guerrilla revolutionaries and the French authorities.

Pontecorvo’s use of newsreel-style cinematography and emphasis on unbearably tense set-pieces result in a highly gripping and urgent drama that’s defiantly even-handed to both sides of the conflict. One of the most significant political films, to rank alongside Battleship Potemkin, the film continues to inspire and has been used as a morale-booster by both the Black Panther movement and the 2010 Algerian World Cup team. Ranked joint 45th in the 2022 Sight and Sound Great Films of All Time poll