An interesting part of The Battle of Algiers (1966, Pontecorvo) was the discussion of torture. The conversation between the coronal and reporters mirrors the debate of torture tactics by the U.S. government. Water boarding of possible terrorists is one technique that fell under scrutiny by the press during the past year. In the film, the coronal claims it is a necessary means to gaining information. Another parallel is the U.S. is occupying a country of native people as the French occupy Algeria. The struggle for sovereignty is alike for both the Iraqis and the Algerians.
During a film involving so much realistic violence, where no one is truly innocent, the discussion and images of torture may not stand out. However, the film is not completely objective in it’s portrayal and the audience is moved to rest their emotions with the Algerians. Although so much suffering occurs for both sides of the conflict during the revolution, the pain inflicted on the tortured “terror suspects” is highly moving. The torturing of the native people of both instances works in fact to reinforce the notions that the colonial force needs to be fought against with urgency.
Another element that stand out to me from the film is the use of children to reinforce the lasting effects of the violence on future generations. The faces of the young—in the French café, the young Algerian left when his family is taken out of their home—are the most innocent victims throughout the film. In times of conflict, children are often recruited, sometimes by force as in Darfur, and this is seen by the death of the young Algerian boy whose house is bombed towards the films end.
oc⋅cu⋅pa⋅tion [ok-yuh-pey-shuhn] Show IPA
–noun
the seizure and control of an area by military forces, esp. foreign territory.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME occupacioun <>occupation <>occupātiōn- (s. of occupātiō), equiv. to occupāt(us) (ptp. of occupāre; see occupy ) + -iōn- -ion
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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