This article is about the film. For information on the battle, see Algerian War of Independence.

The Battle of Algiers (in Italian, La Battaglia di Algeri) is a 1966 black-and-white film by Gillo Pontecorvo based on events during the 1954-1962 Algerian War of Independence against French occupation. Image File history File links The Battle of Algiers DVD cover Source: Amazon. ... Gillo Pontecorvo (November 19, 1919 — October 12, 2006) was an Italian filmmaker, best known for La battaglia di Algeri (The Battle of Algiers), but directed several movies before its release in 1966, such as the drama Kapò (1960), which takes place in a World War II concentration camp. ... Saadi Yacef (born January 20, 1928) was one of the leaders of Algerias National Liberation Front during his countrys war of independence. ... Gillo Pontecorvo (November 19, 1919 — October 12, 2006) was an Italian filmmaker, best known for La battaglia di Algeri (The Battle of Algiers), but directed several movies before its release in 1966, such as the drama Kapò (1960), which takes place in a World War II concentration camp. ... Saadi Yacef (born January 20, 1928) was one of the leaders of Algerias National Liberation Front during his countrys war of independence. ... The Criterion Collection is a privately held company which produces and releases authorative consumer versions of important classic and contemporary films on DVD. It was established in 1984 as a joint venture between Janus Films and the Voyager Company. ... September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... Arabic ( or just ), is the largest member of the family of Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew, Amharic, and Aramaic. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Combatants FLN (1954-62) MNA (1954-62) France (1954-62) FAF (1960-61) OAS (1961-62) Commanders Mostefa Benboulaïd Ferhat Abbas Hocine Aït Ahmed Ahmed Ben Bella Krim Belkacem Larbi Ben MHidi Rabah Bitat Mohamed Boudiaf Messali Hadj General Jacques Massu General Maurice Challe Bachaga Said Boualam... // Events Top grossing films North America Thunderball Dr. Zhivago Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? That Darn Cat! The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming Academy Awards Best Picture: A Man for All Seasons - Highland, Columbia Best Actor: Paul Scofield - A Man for All Seasons Best Actress: Elizabeth Taylor... Black-and-white or black and white) can refer to a general term used in photography, film, and other media (see black-and-white). ... Gillo Pontecorvo (November 19, 1919 — October 12, 2006) was an Italian filmmaker, best known for La battaglia di Algeri (The Battle of Algiers), but directed several movies before its release in 1966, such as the drama Kapò (1960), which takes place in a World War II concentration camp. ... Combatants FLN (1954-62) MNA (1954-62) France (1954-62) FAF (1960-61) OAS (1961-62) Commanders Mostefa Benboulaïd Ferhat Abbas Hocine Aït Ahmed Ahmed Ben Bella Krim Belkacem Larbi Ben MHidi Rabah Bitat Mohamed Boudiaf Messali Hadj General Jacques Massu General Maurice Challe Bachaga Said Boualam... // Most of Frances actions in Algeria, not least the invasion of Algiers, were propelled by contradictory impulses. ...

Tagline: The Revolt that Stirred the World!

Subject matter

The film depicts an episode in the war of independence in the then French Algeria, in the capital city of Algiers. It is loosely based on the account of one of the military commanders of the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN), Saadi Yacef, in his memoir Souvenirs de la Bataille d'Alger. The book, written by Yacef while a prisoner of the French, was meant as propaganda to boost morale among FLN militants. After independence, Yacef was released and became a part of the new government. The Algerian government gave its backing to have a film of his memoirs made and he approached the Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo and screenwriter Franco Solinas with the project. The two dismissed Yacef's initial treatment as biased toward the Algerian side. While sympathetic with the cause of Algerian nationalism, they insisted on dealing with the events from a distanced point-of-view. Combatants FLN (1954-62) MNA (1954-62) France (1954-62) FAF (1960-61) OAS (1961-62) Commanders Mostefa Benboulaïd Ferhat Abbas Hocine Aït Ahmed Ahmed Ben Bella Krim Belkacem Larbi Ben MHidi Rabah Bitat Mohamed Boudiaf Messali Hadj General Jacques Massu General Maurice Challe Bachaga Said Boualam... This article is about the capital of Algeria. ... The National Liberation Front , (Arabic: Jabhat al-Taḩrīr al-Waţanī, French: Front de Libération Nationale aka FLN) is a socialist political party in Algeria. ... The National Liberation Front , (Arabic: Jabhat al-Taḩrīr al-Waţanī, French: Front de Libération Nationale aka FLN) is a socialist political party in Algeria. ... Saadi Yacef (born January 20, 1928) was one of the leaders of Algerias National Liberation Front during his countrys war of independence. ... An Australian anti-conscription propaganda poster from World War One Propaganda is a type of message aimed at influencing the opinions or behavior of people. ... Gillo Pontecorvo (November 19, 1919 — October 12, 2006) was an Italian filmmaker, best known for La battaglia di Algeri (The Battle of Algiers), but directed several movies before its release in 1966, such as the drama Kapò (1960), which takes place in a World War II concentration camp. ...

The film reconstructs the events of November 1954 to December 1960 in Algiers during the Algerian War of Independence, beginning with the organization of revolutionary cells in the Casbah. From there, it depicts the conflict between native Algerians and French colonists in which the two sides exchange acts of increasing violence, leading to the introduction of French paratroopers to root out the FLN. The paratroops are depicted as "winning" the battle by neutralizing the whole FLN leadership through assassination or capture. However, the film ends with a coda, depicting demonstrations and rioting by native Algerians for independence, in which it is suggested that though the French have won the Battle of Algiers, they have lost the war. Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... This article is about the capital of Algeria. ... Combatants FLN (1954-62) MNA (1954-62) France (1954-62) FAF (1960-61) OAS (1961-62) Commanders Mostefa Benboulaïd Ferhat Abbas Hocine Aït Ahmed Ahmed Ben Bella Krim Belkacem Larbi Ben MHidi Rabah Bitat Mohamed Boudiaf Messali Hadj General Jacques Massu General Maurice Challe Bachaga Said Boualam... The Casbah (French) or more correctly Qasbah (from Arabic qasbah, قصبة, citadel) is specifically the citadel of Algiers and the traditional quarter clustered round it. ... Coda sign Coda (Italian for tail; from the Latin cauda), in music, is a passage which brings a movement or a separate piece to a conclusion through prolongation. ...

The narrative is composed mostly of illustrations of the tactics of both the FLN insurgency and the French counter insurgency, as well as the uglier incidents in the national liberation struggle. It unflinchingly shows atrocities being committed by both sides against civilians. The FLN is shown taking over the Casbah through summary execution of native Algierian criminals and others considered traitors, as well as using terrorism to harass civilian French colonials. The French colonialists are shown using lynch mobs and indiscriminate violence against natives. Paratroops are shown employing torture, intimidation and murder to combat the FLN and MNA insurgents. An insurgency, or insurrection, is an armed uprising, or revolt against an established civil or political authority. ... Counter-insurgency is a term for governmental police and/or military operations against terrorist and/or insurgent groups. ... Terrorist redirects here. ... Lynching is murder (mostly by hanging) conceived by its perpetrators as extra-legal execution. ... Torture is the infliction of pain intended to break the will of the victim or victims. ... The National Liberation Front , (Arabic: Jabhat al-TaḩrÄ«r al-WaÅ£anÄ«, French: Front de Libération Nationale aka FLN) is a socialist political party in Algeria. ... MNA stands for: Member of the National Assembly (in Quebec) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Refraining from the conventions of the historical epic, Pontecorvo and Solinas chose not to have a protagonist but several characters based on figures in the conflict. The film begins and ends from the point of view of Ali la Pointe, played by Brahim Hagiag, who corresponds to the historical figure of the same name. He is a criminal radicalized while in prison and is recruited to the FLN by military commander El-hadi Jafar, a fictional version of Saadi Yacef played by himself. This article needs to be wikified. ...

Other characters include the young boy Petit Omar, a street urchin who serves as a messenger for the FLN; Larbi Ben M'hidi, one of the top leaders of the FLN, who is used in the film mainly to give the political rationale for the insurgency; Halima, Zohra and Hassiba, a trio of female FLN militants called to carry out a revenge attack. In addition, The Battle of Algiers used thousands of Algerian extras in bit parts and crowd shots; the effect Pontecorvo intended was to create the impression of the Casbah's residents as a "chorus", communicating to the viewer through chanting, wailing and physical affect. Urchin is the old English term for hedgehog. ... Larbi Ben Mhidi (1923 - 1957) was a prominent Algerian leader during the war of independence. ... Zohra Drif (Arabic: ) is a retired lawyer and longtime senior member of the Algerian senate. ... Hassiba Benbouali was a female hero of the Algerian independance war. ...

The Algerian revolution has been called by many the bloodiest revolution in history. Although the revolutionary forces in Algiers were defeated by the French Army, the long war throughout the country led to the French withdrawal from Algeria. As leftists, the theme of showing the inevitable demise of colonialism as an instrument of Western imperialism was central to Pontecorvo and Solinas's treatment of The Battle of Algiers. The French Army (French: Armée de Terre) is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces. ...

Style and technical details

The Battle of Algiers was made in a manner similar to Italian neorealism, French cinéma vérité and Soviet socialist realism, cinematic movements that aspired to create realistic depictions of the lives of ordinary people. Italian neorealism is a film movement often considered to have started in 1943 with Ossessione and ended in 1952 with Umberto D. The movement is characterized by stories set amongst the poor and working class, filmed in long takes on location, frequently using nonprofessional actors for secondary and sometimes primary... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Roses for Stalin, Boris Vladimirski, 1949 Socialist realism is a teleologically-oriented style of realistic art which has as its purpose the furtherance of the goals of socialism and communism. ...

Visual style

The film has been hailed for its stunning realism, especially in its scenes of Algerian city life and large-scale public protest and rioting. This reflects the influence of Soviet directors Sergei Eisenstein and Vsevolod Pudovkin, as well as newsreel footage, upon Pontecorvo's style, already evident in his Academy Award nominated film Kapò (1959) which established his reputation. For Battle of Algiers, Pontecorvo and cinematographer Marcello Gatti filmed in black and white and experimented with various techniques to give the film the look of newsreel and documentary film. The effect was convincing enough that American reels carried a disclaimer that "not one foot" of newsreel was used. Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (Russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн, Latvian: Sergejs EizenÅ¡teins) (January 23, 1898 – February 11, 1948) was a revolutionary Soviet film director and film theorist noted in particular for his silent films Strike, Battleship Potemkin and Oktober. ... Vsevolod Pudovkin Vsevolod Illarionovich Pudovkin (Russian Всеволод Илларионович Пудовкин) (February 16, 1893 - June 20, 1953) was a Russian film director who developed influential theories of... A newsreel is a documentary film that is regularly released in a public presentation place containing filmed news stories. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Aiding the sense of realism, Pontecorvo and Solinas spent two years in Algiers scouting locations, especially those areas where the events to be depicted in the film took place. With Saadi Yacef as a guide, he learned about the culture and customs of the residents. Pontecorvo chose to cast from the non-professional Algerian Arabs or Kabyles he met, picking them mainly on appearance and emotional effect (as a consequence, many of their lines were dubbed). The sole professional actor in the film was Jean Martin who played Col. Mathieu; Martin was a French actor who had worked primarily in theatre. Ironically, Martin subsequently lost several jobs because he condemned his government's actions in Algeria. This article focuses on the geographical area of Kabylie and its people. ...

Narrative style

Although the film is based on real events, it makes use of composite characters and changes the names of certain figures. For instance, the character "Colonel Mathieu" is a composite of several French soldiers in the Algers counterinsurgency, in particular Jacques Massu. Jacques Émile Massu (May 5 in Châlons-sur-Marne, 1908 – October 26, 2002 in Conflans-sur-Loing) was the French paratrooper general sent to Algeria during its War of Independence from France. ...

In scripting the film, screenwriter Franco Solinas pieced together what he could from his shelved script for Para, a telling of the Battle of Algiers from the perspective of a disenchanted French paratrooper and from Saadi Yacef's memoirs, which told it from the FLN side. These contrasts provided the basis for the film's depiction of "symmetry" between scenes of insurgents and counter-insurgents at play. Solinas began the script by jotting down "flashes of ideas" on a blackboard, which became the basis for scenes; this may explain the "episodic" feel of the movie. Solinas sought to embody France in the character of Mathieu - who is "elegant and cultured," according to Solinas, because "the West is neither inelegant nor uncultured."

Sound and music

Sound — both music and effects — performs important functions in the film. Pontecorvo stated in several interviews that he spent much of his time during editing thinking of leitmotifs for the score. These motifs were eventually incorporated into the orchestral score by Ennio Morricone to heighten the emotional impact — and to evoke parallels between events: scenes of French and Algerians civilians being slaughtered are both underscored by the same deeply elegiac music. Indigenous Algerian drumming, rather than dialogue, is heard during a scene in which female FLN militants prepare for a bombing. In addition, Pontecorvo used the sounds of gunfire, helicopters and truck engines to symbolize the French approach to the battle, while bomb blasts, ululation, wailing and chanting symbolize the Algerian approach. A leitmotif (IPA pronunciation: ) (also leitmotiv; lit. ... A film score is the music in a film, generally written for the film and often used to heighten emotions provoked by the imagery on the screen or by the dialogue. ... Ennio Morricone. ... Elegy was originally used for a type of poetic metre (Elegiac metre), but is also used for a poem of mourning, from the Greek elegos, a reflection on the death of someone or on a sorrow generally. ... An ululation is a long, wavering, high-pitched sound resembling the howl of a wolf. ...

Post-release history

Critical acclaim

Critics have commended the Battle of Algiers for its technical merits and relatively even-handed portrayal of both sides. It won the Venice Film Festival Grand Prize and was nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Screenplay (Gillo Pontecorvo and Franco Solinas), Best Director (Gillo Pontecorvo) and Best Foreign Language Film. The Venice Film Festival (it: Mostra Internazionale dArte Cinematografica) is the oldest Film Festival in the World (began in the 1932) and takes place every year in late August/early September on the Lido di Venezia in the historic Palazzo del Cinema on the Lungomare Marconi, in Venice, Italy. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... The Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. ... The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; the awards are voted on by other people within the industry. ... As a Special Award 1947 Shoeshine (Sciuscià) (Italy) - Societa Co-operativa Alfa Cinematografica - Paolo William Tamburella producer - Vittorio De Sica director 1948 Monsieur Vincent (France) - E. D. I. C., Union Général Cinématographique - George de la Grandiere producer - Maurice Cloche director 1949 The Bicycle Thief (Ladri di biciclette...

Political controversies in the 1960s

The film produced considerable political controversy in France and was banned there for many years. Scenes of torture were cut from the original American and British releases as incendiary toward the French. The popularity and sympathetic treatment of the FLN in The Battle of Algiers often dismayed former French colonists of Algiers (the pieds-noirs) and French army troops. The film was condemned by Gen. Paul Aussaresses (a commander of the French counterinsurgency, who wrote The Battle of the Casbah, challenging the film's portrayal of events) and Jean-Marie Le Pen, far-right politician in France and former paratrooper in Algeria. Pied-noir (plural: pieds-noirs) is a term for the former population of European descent of North Africa, especially Algeria, which was divided into three French departments until its 1962 independence. ... Paul Aussaresses (b. ... Jean-Marie Le Pen Jean-Marie Le Pen (born June 20, 1928, La Trinité-sur-Mer France) is a French far-right nationalist politician, founder and president of the National Front party, and a perennial candidate for the French presidency. ... Far right, extreme right, ultra-right, or radical right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or relative position a group or person occupies within a political spectrum. ...

The Battle of Algiers and guerilla movements

Beginning in the late 1960s, The Battle of Algiers gained a reputation for inspiring political violence in particular the tactics of urban guerrilla warfare and terrorism ^{[citation needed]}. The release of The Battle of Algiers coincided with several wars that were viewed as national liberation struggles as well as a rising tide of left-wing radicalism in Western nations in which a large minority showed interest in armed struggle. The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Urban guerrilla refers to someone who fights a government or dictatorship using unconventional warfare in an urban environment (see: guerrilla tactics). ... Terrorist redirects here. ...

Among Third World groups, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the broader Palestinian nationalist movement may be among the best known of those who have made use of The Battle of Algiers as a discussion piece, propaganda film and training aid. ^{[citation needed]} This may be due to affinities between the FLN and PLO: both were Arab secular nationalist groups, fostered in exile by the President of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser. The Palestinian exiled intellectual Edward Said, whose writings were in part influenced by one of the FLN's theorists, Frantz Fanon (see his book "Culture and Imperialism") recognized the film's significance as a document of colonial repression and its resistance. Said also narrated one of the special features on the Criterion release of Battle of Algiers. For the Jamaican reggae band, see Third World (band). ... The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (Arabic: ‎;   or Munazzamat al-Tahrir al-Filastiniyyah) is a political and paramilitary organization regarded by the Arab League since October 1974 as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. ... The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the elected Head of State of Egypt. ... Nasser redirects here. ... Edward Wadie Said (Arabic: ‎, translit: ) (1 November 1935, Jerusalem &ndash 25 September 2003, New York City) was a well-known Palestinian-American literary theorist and outspoken Palestinian activist. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

In the Western nations, a number of groups were believed to have been inspired to "pick up the gun" by The Battle of Algiers in the late 1960s. In the United States, the Maoist Weather Underground and revolutionary black nationalist Black Panther Party (particularly the section that became the Black Liberation Army) were known for their affinity for the film ^{[citation needed]}. In Northern Ireland, the film is believed to have influenced young members of the Irish Republican Army to split the group and form the Provisional IRA ^{[citation needed]}. Maoism or Mao Zedong Thought (Chinese: 毛澤東思想, pinyin: Máo Zédōng Sīxiǎng), also called Marxism-Leninism–Mao Zedong Thought or Marxism-Leninism-Maoism (MLM), is a variant of communism derived from the teachings of Mao Zedong (1893&#8211... Weatherman, also known as the Weather Underground Organization, was a US-based, self-described revolutionary organization of communist men and women formed by members of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), splintering that organization in the process. ... Revolutionary, when used as a noun, is a person who either advocates or actively engages in some kind of revolution. ... Black nationalism is a political and social movement prominent in the 1960s and early 70s among African Americans in the United States. ... This article is about the American political organization. ... Logo of the Black Liberation Army The Black Liberation Army (BLA) was an underground, black nationalist-Marxist organization that operated in the United States from 1971 to 1981. ... Motto:  (Latin for Who will separate us?)[1] Anthem: UK: God Save the Queen Regional: (de facto) Londonderry Air Capital Belfast Largest city Belfast Official language(s) English (de facto), Ulster Scots, Irish3, Northern Ireland Sign Language, Irish Sign Language Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of... This article is about the historical army of the self-proclaimed Irish Republic (1919–1922) which fought in the Irish War of Independence 1919-21, and the Irish Civil War 1922-23. ... The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) is a paramilitary group which aimed, through the use of violence, to achieve three goals: (i) British withdrawal from Ireland, (ii) the political unification of Ireland through the merger of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland , and (iii) the creation of an all...

Right-wing politicians have criticized The Battle of Algiers as mere communist and terrorist propaganda ^{[citation needed]}. Often cited is Gillo Pontecorvo and Franco Solinas's membership of the Italian Communist Party (though both had split from the Party by the time of the making of the film). In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization, based upon common ownershipmovement]]. Early forms of human social organization have been described as primitive communism by Marxists. ... Terrorist redirects here. ... An Australian anti-conscription propaganda poster from World War One Propaganda is a type of message aimed at influencing the opinions or behavior of people. ... The Partito Comunista Italiano (PCI) or Italian Communist Party emerged as Partito Comunista dItalia or Communist Party of Italy from a secession by the Leninist comunisti puri tendency from the Italian Socialist Party (PSI) during that bodys congress on 21 January 1921 at Livorno. ...

2003 Pentagon screening

In 2003, the film again made the news after the US Directorate for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict at The Pentagon offered a screening of the film on August 27, regarding it as a useful illustration of the problems faced in Iraq. A flyer for the screening read: 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located at 48 N. Rotary Road, Arlington, Virginia 22211 (Map). ... August 27 is the 239th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (240th in leap years), with 126 days remaining. ...

How to win a battle against terrorism and lose the war of ideas. Children shoot soldiers at point-blank range. Women plant bombs in cafes. Soon the entire Arab population builds to a mad fervor. Sound familiar? The French have a plan. It succeeds tactically, but fails strategically. To understand why, come to a rare showing of this film.

According to the Defense Department official in charge of the screening, "Showing the film offers historical insight into the conduct of French operations in Algeria, and was intended to prompt informative discussion of the challenges faced by the French." ^{[citation needed]} The United States Department of Defense, abbreviated DoD or DOD and sometimes called the Defense Department, is a civilian Cabinet organization of the United States government. ...

The 2003 screening lent new currency to the film, coming only months after U.S. President George W. Bush's May 1, 2003 "Mission Accomplished" speech proclaiming the end of "major hostilities" in Iraq. Opponents of President Bush cited the Pentagon screening as proof of a growing concern within the Defense Department about the growth of an Iraqi insurgency belying Bush's triumphalism. One year later, the media's revelations regarding the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal lead critics of the war to compare French torture in the film and "aggressive interrogation" of prisoners in Abu Ghraib prison ^{[citation needed]}. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... President George W. Bush addresses sailors during the Mission Accomplished speech, May 1, 2003. ... The Iraqi insurgency is the armed resistance by diverse groups within Iraq to the US occupation of Iraq and to the U.S.-supported Iraqi government. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse images Satar Jabar standing on a box with wires connected to his body Prisoners Ordered to Form Human Pyramid Beginning in 2004, numerous accounts of abuse and torture of prisoners held in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq (also known... A scandal is a widely publicized incident involving allegations of wrong-doing, disgrace, or moral outrage. ... Map of Iraq highlighting Abu Ghraib Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse images The Abu Ghraib prison (Arabic: سجن أبو غريب; also Abu Ghurayb) is in Abu Ghraib, an Iraqi city 32 km (20 mi) west of Baghdad. ...

2003-2004 theatrical re-release

At the time of the 2003 Pentagon screening legal and "pirate" VHS and DVD versions of the film were available in the United States and elsewhere. Copyright infringement (or copyright violation) is the unauthorized use of material that is protected by intellectual property rights law particularly the copyright in a manner that violates one of the original copyright owners exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make... Bottom view of VHS cassette with magnetic tape exposed Top view of VHS cassette with front casing removed The Video Home System, better known by its abbreviation VHS, is a recording and playing standard for analog video cassette recorders (VCRs), developed by Victor Company of Japan, Limited, aka JVC, and... DVD (commonly Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ...

An Italian film restoration had been done in 1999, fortunately for those whose interest had been piqued by mention of The Battle of Algiers in coverage of the Iraq occupation. The restored print allowed Rialto Pictures to acquire the distribution rights for a December 1, 2003 theatrical re-release in the United Kingdom, a January 9, 2004 theatrical re-release in the United States and May 19, 2004 in France. This made the rounds of art house theaters and the festival circuit and was generally thought a "victory lap" for the film and its makers ^{[citation needed]}. A small number of festival showings in the United Kingdom were accompanied by a live soundtrack performed by electronica group Asian Dub Foundation. In the United States, the re-release was accompanied by a number of discussions of the film's influence by political and film commentators. In an ironic twist of fate, among the best receptions for the Battle of Algiers was at the Cannes Film Festival. The film preservation movement is an ongoing project among filmmakers, historians, archivists, museums, and non-profit organizations to rescue aging film stock and preserve recorded images. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 9 is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 19 is the 139th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (140th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Electronica is a term that covers a wide range of electronic or electronic-influenced music. ... Asian Dub Foundation is a British alternative electronica band, that play a mix of breakbeat, dub, dancehall and ragga, also using rock instruments, acknowledging a punk influence. ... Cannes Film Festival logo. ...

2005 Criterion edition

On October 12, 2005, The Criterion Collection released the film, transferred from a restored print in a 3-disc DVD set. The extras include former United States counter-terrorism advisors Richard A. Clarke and Michael A. Sheehan discussing The Battle of Algiers' depiction of terrorism and guerrilla warfare and directors Spike Lee, Mira Nair, Julian Schnabel, Steven Soderbergh and Oliver Stone discussing its influence on film. October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Criterion Collection is a privately held company which produces and releases authorative consumer versions of important classic and contemporary films on DVD. It was established in 1984 as a joint venture between Janus Films and the Voyager Company. ... Richard A. Clarke (born 1951) provided national security advice to four U.S. presidents: Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, consulting on issues of intelligence and terrorism, from 1973 to 2003. ... Shelton Jackson Lee (born March 20, 1957 in Atlanta, Georgia), better known as Spike Lee, is a successful American film director, producer, writer, and actor noted for his films dealing with controversial social and political issues. ... Mira Nair (born October 15, 1957) is a New York-based Indian film director. ... Julian Schnabel (b. ... Steven Soderbergh on the set of Solaris. ... William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946), known simply as Oliver Stone, is a three-time Academy Award-winning American film director and screenwriter. ...

Proposed remake

An American remake of The Battle of Algiers is being pursued by producer Basil Iwanyk. The new film would include an American character, presumably a journalist or United Nations worker. The idea of a remake has not been well-received by the movie's admirers who fear that it will be "Hollywood-ised". Evidence for this allegation is the consideration of actors for the remake: Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Leonardo di Caprio and Sean Penn. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... ... Tom Cruise (born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962) is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and film producer. ... William Bradley Brad Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor. ... Leonardo DiCaprio Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio, born November 11, 1974), is an American actor. ... Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an Academy Award-winning American film actor & director. ...

External links

• The Battle of Algiers at the Internet Movie Database
• Official Site at Rialto Pictures
• Criterion Collection essay by Peter Matthews