Battle of Algiers

The Battle of Algiers was a film that was made in such a way that it seems like a documentary rather than a narrative. Some of the elements of the film that added to the documentary style were the use of non-actors. Most of the characters were real people playing this role and that may have added to the gritty, real feel of the film. Another thing was the use of the zoom lens. The cinematographer would zoom into crowds from a great distance away; a technique that has been used in many documentaries when the camera doesn’t want to get too close to the action or cannot get to close. This happened primarily when the attacks were happening or the crowds were uprising. All of these techniques helped to provide the feeling of this film to one coinciding with documentaries.

Another different thing about this film was the role of women. In the scene with the three women abandoning their traditional garb and wearing modern, French clothes, there is a sense of empowerment and strength. The women would do anything for the sake of their country and some of them were deeply involved in the main conspiracy. They were a great symbol of power in a time when women weren’t thought to be in roles of power.

Word: Document - To document (verb) is to produce a document artifact by collecting and representing information.