The Battle Of Algiers Essay

The Battle of Algiers Review

The Battle of Algiers chronicle the most volatile points of the Algerian war as the conflict in the nation came to a head. After WW2, many former colonial powers moved towards decolonization. This resulted in the growth of nationalist parties in colonized countries as they saw their chance at independence. France was among those imperial powers, having lost control of many of its colonial holdings while they were occupied during the war. By 1955 most of France's colonies had gained independence and the United Nations support of independence of formerly colonial countries grew. After over 150 years of French control, Algerian nationalist parties were gaining support and recognition as hostilities between French settlers and native Algerians grew. These volatile conditions led to the guerilla fighters of the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN) moving into Algiers from rural areas in order to engage the French and gain recognition. This was seen as an impending threat by both the French government and French

This supports the Fanonian notion of the need for violence in anti-colonial movements. Fanon reads violence as necessary as it is psychologically liberating for colonized peoples. He explains this view in The Wretched of the Earth stating, "[a]t the level of individuals, violence is a cleansing force. It frees the native from his inferiority complex and from his despair and inaction; it makes him fearless and restores his self-respect" (Fanon 94). This assertion of violence is employed at multiple times in the film; for example, when Ali la Pointe is intentionally tripped by a young French man while being chased by police instead of attempting to flee the situation he punches the man in the face, before being caught and sent to prison. In this way La Pointe is able to assert some power in a situation in which he is