The Battle of Algiers Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

The Battle of Algiers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 24, 2011

Winner of Golden Lion and FIPRESCI Awards at the Venice Film Festival, Gillo Pontecorvo's "La battaglia di Algeri" a.k.a. "The Battle of Algiers" (1966) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. Among the supplemental features included on this release are original theatrical trailers; excerpt from "Etats d'armes", the third part of Patrick Rotman's documentary L'ennemi intime; video interview with director Gillo Pontecorvo; the documentary features Marxist Poetry: The Making of The Battle of Algiers and Gillo Pontecorvo: The Dictatorship of Truth; production stills; and more. The release also arrives with a 56-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Peter Matthews, excerpts from Algeria's National Liberation Front Leader Saadi Yacef's original account of his arrest, excerpts from the film's screenplay, a reprinted interview with cowriter Franco Solinas, and biographical sketches of key figures in the French-Algerian War by political science scholar Arun Kapil. In French and Arabic, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The FLN has a pyramid structure...

Despite winning the prestigious Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival in 1966, Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo’s The Battle of Algiers remained banned in France and Britain until 1971. Before and after the film’s premiere in Italy, various French politicians had expressed concerns over its support of the Algerian resistance, while the leaders of prominent right-wing organization had issued official warnings to theater managers across France not to include the film in their plans if they wished to stay in business. Today the "Algerian issue" remains a touchy subject for many French politicians - and especially those on the right, such as Jean Marie Le Pen, the founder of the popular National Front, who believes that France needs to purge itself because immigrants from its former colonies are changing its identity.

Pontecorvo’s film chronicles the final days of French rule in Algeria, France’s oldest major colony. It is based on a book by Saadi Yacef, the military leader of the Algerian Front de Liberation Nationale (FLN), who was captured by the French army in 1957 and later on sentenced to death. While in prison, Yacef described his experiences during the war.

The film resembles a documentary feature one is likely to see on CNN. It is divided into various uneven episodes, each highlighting important locations, dates, and events. Some of the episodes also feature short commentaries.

The focus of attention is primarily on the formation and establishment of the FLN -- a powerful organization with strategically positioned cells operating across the Casbah, the poorest quarter of Algiers. From the Casbah, the cells launch a series of attacks against the wealthier Christian quarter, and later on specific military targets all across Algiers. The killings are often very graphic and the explosions shockingly realistic. A special note at the end of the film, however, clarifies that "not even one foot of newsreel or documentary film is included in this picture".

What makes the film so fascinating to behold is its incredibly accurate description of what is essentially a terrorist (by way of functionality) organization, from its "head", the Executive Bureau, down to its individual cells, whose members are intentionally kept unaware of each others’ existence. Sad but true: Al-Queda’s structure very much reminds of FLN’s.

The FLN and the disturbing actions of its members are portrayed in a very positive light. Naturally, depending on one’s political orientation, today the FLN members could be seen either as freedom fighters or terrorists. During the 1960s, the popular notion was that the FLN members were freedom fighters.

Ultimately, Pontecorvo’s film feels just as relevant today -- with the conflicts in the Palestinian territories, Afghanistan, and Iraq looking disturbingly similar to the one chronicled in the film -- as it was some forty-five years ago. All of the knowledge channeled through it reflects what we have come to know about contemporary organized terrorism. Only the definitions and labels we use are different, as political correctness dictates they should be.

*In 1967, The Battle of Algiers was nominated for Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film (Italy). Two years later, it was again nominated for Oscar awards for Best Director (Gillo Pontecorvo) and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen (Franco Solinas and Gillo Pontecorvo).

The Battle of Algiers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray disc:

"Supervised by director of photography Marcello Gatti, this high-definition digital transfer was created on a C-Reality from a restored 35mm fine-grain master positive. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter, and flicker were manually removed using MTI's DRS system and Pixel Farm's PFClean system, while digital Vision's DVNR system was used for small dirt, grain, and noise reduction.

The 1999 film restoration of The Battle of Algiers was undertaken at Cinecitta as part of the Adopt a Film: 100 Films Worth Saving project, promoted by the Council of Ministry and funded by contributions from the cities of Salerno and Montemurlo, Italy. The work was supervised by Carlo Cotta and approved by director Gillo Pontecorvo and director of photography Gatti.

Telecine supervisors: Marcello Gatti, Matt Harris.
Telecine colorist: Roberto Insanguine/LVR, Rome."

Aside from a small number of inherited limitations, such as small frame transition issues and minor color fluctuations (also during the frame transitions in the beginning of each episode - see screencapture #16), which could not be addressed by the restorers, the presentation is indeed very convincing. There is no doubt that anyone who has seen Criterion's DVD release of The Battle of Algiers will be impressed by the pleasing depth and fluidity the image conveys now, especially during the nighttime sequences where macroblocking patterns were previously often easy to spot. The close-ups also look dramatically improved (see screencapture #2), conveying fine details that are simply impossible to see on the DVD release. The grading has also benefited from the transition to 1080p; though some fluctuations still exist, blacks and grays look richer and better balanced with the variety of whites. There are no traces of overzealous sharpening. Some careful noise corrections have been performed, but they have only further enhanced the organic qualities successful restorations bring back to life. Lastly, large cuts, damage marks, and stains are nowhere to be seen. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

The Battle of Algiers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: French LPCM 1.0 (with portions of Arabic). For the record, Criterion have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.

The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray disc:

"The original monaural soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from a 35mm optical track. Clicks, thumps, hiss, and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD. Crackle was attenuated using AudioCube's integrated system."

The audio appears to have been optimized as best possible. Compared to the DVD release, the explosions sound marginally deeper and the percussion solos during the chase scenes thicker. There are no serious distortions in the mid and high-frequencies either. The dialog is crisp, stable, and clean. The English translation is excellent.

The Battle of Algiers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

DISC ONE

• Gillo Pontecorvo: The Dictatorship of Truth - in this documentary feature, critic Edward Said addresses director Gillo Pontecorvo's work, career, political activities, etc. The featurette also focuses on the production history of and significance of The Battle of Algiers. Archival footage from a video interview with director Gillo Pontecorvo is also included. In English and Italian, with imposed English subtitles where necessary. (38 min, 1080i).

• Marxist Poetry: The Making of The Battle of Algiers - a fantastic, documentary, produced by Criterion in 2004, in which composer Ennio Morricone, Gillo Pontecorvo biographer Irene Bighardi, producer and actors Saadi Yacef, cinematographer Marcello Gatti, actor Jean Martin, editor Mario Morra, and film critic Tullio Kezich discuss the history and historic significance of The Battle of Algiers. In French and Italian, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (52 min, 1080i).

• Five Directors - directors Spike Lee, Mira Nair, Julian Schnabel, Steven Soderbergh, and Oliver Stone discuss what impact Gillo Pomtecorvo's The Battle of Algiers had on them. The interviews were conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2004. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 1080i).

• Production Gallery - a collection of production stills of the cast and crew at work in Algiers and the Casbah, along with a selection of posters and lobby cards representing the international release of The Battle of Algiers. (1080p).

• Trailers -
  
  -- Original Theatrical Trailer. In French and Arabic, with optional English subtitles. (5 min, 1080p).
  -- Rialto Rerelase Trailer. In French and Arabic, with imposed English subtitles. (3 min, 1080p).

DISC TWO

• Remembering History - a fascinating documentary about the battle for independence. Featuring video interviews with Saadi Yacef, General Jacques Massu, FLN member Mohammed Harbi, Colonel Roger Trinquier, Henri Alleg, a former editor of the newspaper Alger Republican who supported the resistance, and others. In French, with optional English subtitles. (69 min, 1080i).

• "Etats d'armes" - an excerpt from "Etats d'armes", the third part of Patrick Rotman's documentary L'ennemi intime (2002). In French, with optional English subtitles. (29 min, 1080i).

• The Battle of Algiers: A Case Study - in this featurette, Christopher Isham, former chief of investigative projects for ABC News, discusses the contemporary political relevance of Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers with Richard C. Clarke, former national coordinator for security and counter-terrorism and the author of Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror, and Michael A. Sheehan, former State Department coordinator for counter-terrorism. The featurette was filmed in 2004. In English, not subtitled. (25 min, 1080i).

• Gillo Pontecorvo's Return to Algiers - twenty-seven years after the release of his The Battle of Algiers, director Gillo Pontecorvo returned to Algeria to speak to the then-current president Mohamed Boudiaf and its citizens. Shortly after the visit, president Mohamed Boudiaf was assassinated. This television program contains footage from the visit and excerpts from an interview with the Italian director conducted in 1992. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (59 min, 1080i).

• Booklet - a 56-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Peter Matthews, excerpts from Algeria's National Liberation Front Leader Saadi Yacef's original account of his arrest, excerpts from the film's screenplay, a reprinted interview with cowriter Franco Solinas, and biographical sketches of key figures in the French-Algerian War by political science scholar Arun Kapil.

The Battle of Algiers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Director Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers is one of the most important political films ever made. Unfortunately, it is as relevant today -- with the conflicts in the Palestinian territories, Afghanistan, and Iraq looking disturbingly similar to the one chronicled in the film -- as it was some forty-five years ago. Criterion's presentation of the film is of exceptionally high quality. As far as I am concerned, this is one of the year's best Blu-ray releases. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.