The Battle of Algiers

"The Revolt that Stirred the World!"

1966 2h 2m IT

🙌

7.9

BANGER

🔥

99%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

8.1

IMDB

★7.9TMDB · 939🍅99%Rotten Tomatoes●96Metacritic★8.1IMDB · 74,756

DramaWarHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Former petty criminal Ali la Pointe becomes a commander of the Algerian Front de Liberation Nationale, directing a guerilla insurgency against the colonial French occupation. Paratrooper commander Colonel Phillippe Mathieu, a veteran of World War II and the First Indochina War, is sent to Algeria to reinforce efforts to squelch the uprisings.

“The Revolt that Stirred the World!”

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Cast

Brahim Hadjadj
Ali La Pointe
Jean Martin
Colonel Philippe Mathieu
Yacef Saâdi
El-Hadi Jaffar
Samia Kerbash
Fathia
Ugo Paletti
Captain
Fouzia El Kader
Halima
Mohamed Ben Kassen
Petit Omar
Si Mohamed Baghdadi
Larbi Ben M'hidi (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Gillo Pontecorvo
Writers: Franco Solinas, Gillo Pontecorvo, Franco Solinas
Languages: Arabic, English, French
Countries: Italy, Algeria

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

60 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Arabic, English, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Italy, Algeria.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, shot by Marcello Gatti. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ennio Morricone. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Mario Morra shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Brahim Hadjadj and Jean Martin and Yacef Saâdi carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gillo Pontecorvo directs. Marcello Gatti behind the camera. Ennio Morricone scores. Mario Morra cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in Italy, Algeria. Dialogue in Arabic, English, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
260 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Arabic, English, French.
4International production across 2 countries: Italy, Algeria.
5Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, shot by Marcello Gatti. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Ennio Morricone. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Mario Morra shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Brahim Hadjadj and Jean Martin and Yacef Saâdi carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "The Revolt that Stirred the World!".
10IMDB entry: tt0058946 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 12 themes, including "revolution", "algerian", "algiers, algeria", "resistance fighter".
12Released under 50 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Marcello Gatti
Original score: Ennio Morricone
Editing: Mario Morra
Production design: Sergio Canevari
Costume design: Hanzi Axerio
Makeup / hair: Hamdi Mohamed
Sound: Omar Bouksani
Runtime: 122 min · 2h 2m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $800,000
Box office: $964,028
Return: 121% of budget
Original language: IT
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Rotten Tomatoes: 99% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 96/100
IMDB rating: 8.1/10 · 74,756 votes
MPAA: Not Rated

Awards

Nominated for 3 Oscars. 9 wins & 8 nominations total

Golden Lion

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Gillo Pontecorvo

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-05-08
★ 7/10
It's the mid 1950s and the population of Algeria are increasingly determined to break free from the colonial administration of France. From one perspective it's a fight for freedom, from the other a response to dangerous insurrectionism. What makes this drama stand out is the degree of impartiality with which it depicts the story. The French are still licking their wounds after leaving their Indo-Chinese empire and are desperate to avoid another defeat here. The local population are poorly educated and hopelessly outgunned but have the advantage of mobility and surprise as they seek to emulate their Oriental contemporaries. Neither side shies away from acts of brutality and that's depicted poignantly here with anyone in uniform a target for the rebels and any one at all a target by way of response. It has the feel of a docu-drama to it, with the characterisations of "La Ponte" (Brahim Hadjadj) and "Col. Mathieu" (Jean Martin) acting well as a conduit for both sides of a story that saw losers on every side and tested the humanity of each as any semblance of decency or a code of war went swiftly by the board. It's not just both sides here that are exposed to judgment, but the pretty hapless UN doesn't really come off any better (perhaps restricted by a potential French veto?). The photography and visual effects are very effective at presenting us with a largely urban war zone in which collateral damage was inevitable, and seemingly a price both parties were prepared to pay. The history of the scenario and it's results are fact, but Gillo Pontecorvo uses quite a considerable degree of creativity and sensitivity in demonstrating just how desperate times can result in desperate measures - and maybe even a little grudging respect. At times, the violence is claustrophobically presented and it's never an easy watch.

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