BATTLE OF ALGIERS

Gillo Pontecorvo1966

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER 1. Compare the depiction of Algeria and the space of the Casbah in Pépé le Moko and Battle of Algiers. 2. Compare the depiction of women in the two films. What similarities or differences exist? 3. Who is the implied audience of each film? How do you know this? 4. Think about the role of violence in the two films. How is violence depicted in each film? What is its relationship to the state and to order? What commentaries are made about violence in each film?

CONTEXT

Commissioned by newly independent Algerian government Made in fictional documentary style Based on memoirs of Saadi Yacef, who also appears in the film The film aimed at a neutral depiction of events from 1954-1957

SETTING

HISTORICAL SETTING

Colonial Algeria Casbah “Ville europeenne” Prison Military headquarters Police headquarters

CASBAH VS. CASBAH

THE COLONIAL IMAGINARY VS. THE ALGERIAN IMAGINARY

THE “REAL” CASBAH

WOMEN OF THE CASBAH

VIOLENCE AND DANGER

REVOLUTIONARY VIOLENCE AND DANGER

OUTLAW VS. OUTLAWS“Criminal” Protagonist

“Outlaw” Protagonist (law is problematic)

CASBAH AS PRISON

COLONIALISM AS PRISON

THEMES France vs. FLN (Algeria) Question of authority, legitimacy of law (whose law) Law / order vs. violence, chaos, crime Contradictory logic of (national) liberation (those who served in Resistance suppress FLN)

Violence (escalation of violence), legitimacy of violence Power of destiny / history Overthrow of “order” (move towards “new” order) Questioning of “civilized vs. uncivilized” dichotomy (role of women)

Nature of democracy