8.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Paratrooper commander Colonel Mathieu, a former French Resistance fighter during World War II, is sent to 1950s Algeria to reinforce efforts to squelch the uprisings of the Algerian War. There he faces Ali la Pointe, a former petty criminal who, as the leader of the Algerian Front de Liberation Nationale, directs terror strategies against the colonial French government occupation. As each side resorts to ever-increasing brutality, no violent act is too unthinkable.
Starring: Brahim Hadjadj, Jean Martin (I), Yacef Saadi, Samia Kerbash, Ugo PalettiDrama | 100% |
Foreign | 90% |
War | 17% |
History | 11% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Italian: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B, C (locked)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
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 British distributors Argent Films. The supplemental features on the disc include original theatrical trailers; video interviews with director Gillo Pontecorvo, producer and head of FLN guerrillas Saadi Yacef, and FLN fighter Zohra Drif Bitat; video interviews with directors Ken Loach and Paul Greengrass; and a large gallery of stills. In French and Arabic, or Italian, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region B/C "locked".
We fight back
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 British distributors Argent Films.
The high-definition transfer uses the same recent restoration of The Battle of Algiers Criterion had access to when they prepared their Blu-ray release for the U.S. market. Unsurprisingly, the basics are virtually identical - detail and clarity are excellent, especially during the nighttime sequences, while contrast levels remain stable. The overwhelming majority of the close-ups convey very pleasing depth, while the panoramic vistas look notably crisp (see screencapture #14). Though there are some minor fluctuations, clearly inherited from the original elements, color reproduction is also convincing. The blacks and grays, in particular, have benefited greatly from the transition to 1080p. Edge-enhancement is never a serious issue of concern. There are no traces of problematic degraining corrections either. Finally, there are no serious stability issues to report in this review. To sum it all up, this is a competent and much needed Region-B English-friendly release of Gillo Pontecorvo's timeless film that should not be missed by serious film aficionados. (Note: This Blu-ray disc has been locked for Regions B and C. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B, Region-C or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).
There are four audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, French Dolby Digital 2.0, Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, and Italian Dolby Digital 2.0 (with portions of Arabic and English). For the record, Argent Films have provided optional light yellow English subtitles for the main feature.
The French lossless audio track opens up the film very well in all the right places. For example, during the chase scenes in the Casbah and some of the shootouts the percussion solos sound fuller and thicker. Overall crispness is also marginally improved when one compares the lossless track to the lossy track from Criterion's R1 DVD release (unfortunately, I don't have a R2 DVD copy of this film in my library). The English translation is excellent.
If you reside in a Region-B country and could not take advantage of Criterion's outstanding Blu-ray release of Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers, one of the most important political films ever made, you should consider purchasing the Argent Films release. It uses the same excellent Cinecitta restoration and comes with plenty of excellent supplemental materials. This is an essential film that belongs in every serious collection, folks. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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