121 mins |
Rated
TBC
Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo
Starring Yacef Saadi, Jean Martin, Brahim Hadjadj
A film commissioned by the Algerian government that shows the Algerian revolution from both sides. The French foreign legion has left Vietnam in defeat and has something to prove. The Algerians are seeking independence. The two clash. The torture used by the French is contrasted with the Algerian's use of bombs in soda shops. A look at war as a nasty thing that harms and sullies everyone who participates in it.
Ennio Morricone is considered to be one of the greatest collaborators in film history, with the uncanny abilities to understand the vision of each director he works with, and read the emotional core of a scene with masterful insight. Even early in Morricone’s film career, The Battle of Algiers is unforgettable and undeniable. Morricone was known for experimentation and pushing the boundaries of conventional composition, using unconventional foley sounds as representations of diegetic sound. Writer-director Gillo Pontecorvo was a revolutionary filmmaker making a drama that looked more like black and white newsreel footage of the actual Algerian War of Independence. Pontecorvo had already recorded sounds and even composed some of a musical score before Morricone was hired for the film. The two artists were made for each other, and together they achieve a soundscape that distinguishes the two sides of conflict using representative sounds from their respective cultures, giving the National Liberation Front and the French counter insurgency their own distinct battle cries.
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A film commissioned by the Algerian government that shows the Algerian revolution from both sides. The French foreign legion has left Vietnam in defeat and has something to prove. The Algerians are seeking independence. The two clash. The torture used by the French is contrasted with the Algerian's use of bombs in soda shops. A look at war as a nasty thing that harms and sullies everyone who participates in it.
Ennio Morricone is considered to be one of the greatest collaborators in film history, with the uncanny abilities to understand the vision of each director he works with, and read the emotional core of a scene with masterful insight. Even early in Morricone’s film career, The Battle of Algiers is unforgettable and undeniable. Morricone was known for experimentation and pushing the boundaries of conventional composition, using unconventional foley sounds as representations of diegetic sound. Writer-director Gillo Pontecorvo was a revolutionary filmmaker making a drama that looked more like black and white newsreel footage of the actual Algerian War of Independence. Pontecorvo had already recorded sounds and even composed some of a musical score before Morricone was hired for the film. The two artists were made for each other, and together they achieve a soundscape that distinguishes the two sides of conflict using representative sounds from their respective cultures, giving the National Liberation Front and the French counter insurgency their own distinct battle cries.
