Opposing Perspectives In The Film, The Battle Of Algiers

The Battle of Algiers was one of the most controversial warfare that labeled the National Liberation Front, or FLN, as the Muslim terrorist attackers, and also led to the French victory overall. However, Gillo Pontecorvo’s 1966 Italian-Algerian film “The Battle of Algiers” provide collective perspectives that do not just provide both the French military and Algerians’ sides of the battle, but also a closer look at the Algerians’ sides that deviate from the stereotypical and conventional image. It is one of the films in the Third Cinema, and Fernando Solano and Octavio Getino of “Towards a Third Cinema” emphasize this importance by noting the films’ artistic communication and revolution that do not adhere to the usual Hollywood system. Through
This however does not mean that the film forces the audience to side with those figures, as the film also provides insight into what the opposing side’s motivations are, so it allows the audience to see how these sides together end up creating conflicting incidents. Murray Smith of “The Battle of Algiers: Colonial Struggle and Collective Allegiance” mentions the intro of the film where an Algerian prisoner is held up and being interrogated by the French military. Starting from this scene, the film uses a nonlinear structure to establish a certain tone to the story, and the Algerian prisoner scene exemplifies how the film portrays both the military and rebel side in the same scene. When looking at this from the military’s perspective, one might interpret the scene as soldiers attempting to find information on the location of a terrorist, before more incidents are caused. However, on the rebels’ side, one might feel sympathy for the prisoner, as it is implied that he has been tortured by the soldiers for quite some time. The imperial element is implemented when the soldiers force the prisoner to wear the military uniform, in order to guide them to Ali’s location without any
The Muslim women are usually presented publically with veils around their heads, and the appearance may come as the major image of Muslim women. When the three women disguise themselves as women with modern fashion, apparel, and accessories in that scene, the French soldiers just let them pass through the exit and even comments on them in an interested sense. While the women are in Muslim outfits however, they are told to stop and show the papers. With their modern look, it makes it seem like those women are in a way free of what they can do without their religious connotation. The purpose of the disguise is to blend in the public and set up bombs in certain public locations. Despite their looks, their plans may seem like they pertain to the Orientalist images of terrorism. However, these actions are not meant to be shown as inherent, but are contextualized by responding to what the French military did, when they secretly bombed an Algerian building that contained some Algerians including children. In this scene, it is almost as if the soldiers just let anyone pass, based on who they see as part of the benefit of colonialism. Stam and Shohat emphasize that due to the soldiers’ sexist comments regarding the three Algerian women and the humanized perspective of the three women, the film “makes us want the women to complete their task” (253) probably