The Battle of Algiers
Seen it?1966 | 122 min | Drama, War, History
Friday Night FlickWhy it’s a Friday Night Flick
Critics loved it (99% on Rotten Tomatoes), people are still talking about it, audiences rate it highly (7.9 out of 10) and it drew serious awards attention. Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for history buffs. If you loved Inglourious Basterds or Beasts of No Nation, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Intense.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 2 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Italian, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Made in 1966: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
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.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
99% on Rotten Tomatoes, 96 on Metacritic
- AudiencesStrong
7.9 out of 10
- AwardsStrong
Won 1 Venice award: Golden Lion. Also nominated for 3 Oscars.
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$964K worldwide on a $800K budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactVery strong
About 344K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo
- Brahim HadjadjAli La Pointe
- Jean MartinColonel Philippe Mathieu
- Yacef SaâdiEl-Hadi Jaffar
- Samia KerbashFathia
- Ugo PalettiCaptain
- Fouzia El KaderHalima
- Mohamed Ben KassenPetit Omar
- Si Mohamed BaghdadiLarbi Ben M'hidi (uncredited)
- Franco MoruzziMahmoud (uncredited)
- Tomasso NeriCaptain Dubois (uncredited)