SEASON 3, EPISODE 13, THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS - Special Oscars Edition!

On this very special Oscars Edition of The Rad Revival House, we revisit the fantastic political foreign thriller, THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS! Nominated for three Academy Awards (in non-consecutive years, a true cinematic achievement), including Best Foreign Language Film in 1966, THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS is a great landmark picture that has impacted filmmakers for decades.

Returning to the RRH to assist in analyzing duties is Rob of the great film review podcast The Cinemigos. Together, our host Professor Cesare and Rob deep-dove into director Gillo Pontecorvo’s provocative exploration of the Algerian Revolution in the 1950s.

Angry at being politically and socially repressed by the French government for 130 years, Algerians strike back at their oppressors. Led by petty thief turned de factor leader Ali Pointe (the spellbinding Algerian actor Brahim Hadjadj), the organized Algerian resistance group known as the National Liberation Front (FLN), use whatever means necessary to elevate their cause. From ambushing police officers to blowing up tourist spots, the FLN wage war on France’s hold over their African country. Naturally, the French strike back with military precision through their leader Colonel Mathieu (Jean Martin, or who Professor Cesare called “The French Stephen Lang). Both the FLN and the French military pound each other relentlessly, causing death and destruction in their midst!

Both Cesare and Rob observe the filmmakers’ use of a near-documentary style shoot that makes THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS so captivating. Using realistic-looking explosions and a cast of mostly knowns, our reviewers marvel at the film’s gritty, uncompromising look and feel, which will leave audiences completely breathless. Aspiring filmmakers who seek to make pictures inspired by real events should study THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS and its uses of editing, raw cinematography, and unnerving performances!