The Battle of Algiers (M) PRESENTED IN 35MM FILM & English Subtitles

The Battle of Algiers (M, 1966) 60th Anniversary Presented in 35mm Film & English Subtitles by The Revival House Perth

In 1954 Algiers, as Algeria's struggle for independence from French colonial rule intensifies, the film chronicles the escalating urban guerrilla warfare between the National Liberation Front (FLN) and French paratroopers sent to crush the rebellion. Following Ali La Pointe (Brahim Haggiag), a petty criminal radicalised into a committed FLN operative, alongside French Colonel Mathieu (Jean Martin), tasked with dismantling the resistance through increasingly ruthless counterinsurgency tactics, the film traces the brutal cycle of bombings, assassinations, and systematic torture that defined the conflict. Presented with documentary-like immediacy, the film refuses to offer simple heroes or villains, instead examining how both liberation movements and colonial powers become entangled in cycles of violence that claim devastating human costs on all sides.

Director Gillo Pontecorvo crafts a landmark work of political cinema, employing a stark, neorealist visual style and non-professional actors to create an almost documentary sense of authenticity around the historical events depicted. The film's handheld cinematography, black-and-white photography, and use of actual Algiers locations blur the line between historical recreation and lived experience, while Ennio Morricone's tense, percussive score amplifies the mounting dread of urban warfare. Pontecorvo's evenhanded approach to depicting both the FLN's revolutionary violence and the French military's systematic use of torture generated significant controversy upon release, and the film's unflinching examination of insurgency and counterinsurgency tactics has since been studied by military strategists and revolutionary movements alike. Widely regarded as one of the most influential political films ever made, The Battle of Algiers remains a searing, essential work of historical cinema.

Original format and audio experience of this film faithfully reproduced by The Revival House. Presented in 35mm film and English subtitles unless noted otherwise.

When: Saturday, October 10th at 6:30PM
Where: The Revival House at the Como Theatre
Rating: M (Medium level violence)

Pontecorvo's landmark political film remains devastatingly relevant—experience this essential work of historical cinema on 35mm film and English subtitles.