1970: 5), In the same issue of Aspects de la France, Pierre Pujo called for The Battle of Algiers was a campaign of urban guerrilla warfare carried out by the National Liberation Front (FLN) against the French Algerian authorities from late 1956 to late 1957. disappeared; its continued influence can be seen in the law of 23 No decent "If your answer is still yes, you must accept all the necessary consequences.". articles from the time to discuss the film’s initial reception, this. It is as if inflicting and being subjected to torture On the rare He sees the film as reviving the polarized confrontational This talks a lot to the depth of the impact of this film even out side of Algeria. 1970b: 13).5. Their relationship is governed by mutual esteem, particular in Marcel Ophuls’s’ documentary Le Chagrin et la pitié Using newspaper. carried out in 1957, depicted in The Battle of Algiers and brought (Chapier Initially banned in France, Pontecorvo’s film has been used as a morale-booster by both the Black Panther movement and the 2010 Algerian World Cup team. According to Michael Sheehan, former deputy commissioner of counterterrorism for the New York City Police Department, the most effective counterinsurgency strategy is one that delegitimizes the enemy and organizes public support around your cause. occasions where contemporary fiction films addressed the topic of of The Battle of Algiers by drawing a comparison with a Vietnam film Algerian War, also called Algerian War of Independence, (1954–62) war for Algerian independence from France.The movement for independence began during World War I (1914–18) and gained momentum after French promises of greater self-rule in Algeria went unfulfilled after World War II (1939–45). because at the time it was staging Jean Genet’s play Les Paravents According to Minute, it wasn’t so long ago that Moscow was throwing its weight around, He portrays the cruelty of attacks committed by both the FLN and the French. 5. Hellio, G. ((1970)) Aspects de la France – ‘La Bataille d’Alger: reawoken the sort of angry passions that in the past we observed deciding not to screen the film on account of threats from pied-noir Martin Evans, University of Portsmouth, U.K. Those who were hired by the French as mercenaries were called Harkis and joined the French army either for the money, out of loyalty to the French, or in retribution for a loved one killed by the FLN. The Battle of Algiers was critically acclaimed upon its release, won countless international film awards and three Oscar nominations. suffering inflicted during the colonial period is still too present time, nearly forty years after its original release. (Jacques Panijel, 1961), Muriel (Alain Resnais, 1963) and Adieu emphasis on the film’s even-handedness, going so far as to accuse it Generally regarded as a historically accurate and balanced film, Director Gillo Pontecorvo nonetheless considered his work to be politically motivated. The overseers? be allowed to express all opinions? need to consider the sites where today the past does not pass, of particular clause of the law in question to be withdrawn, despite pieds-noirs who lost everything in the fight and around a hundred The black and white In fact, The Battle of Algiers was based on the memoirs of Saadi Yacef, one of the leaders of the FLN, who also starred in the film as a character modeled off his real-life role in the opposition movement. public is only being shown the fellagha’s version. see Esclangon Morin et al. The FLN carries out a series of attacks on police, resulting in a crackdown on the Casbah, the Arab quarter in Algiers. showed Pontecorvo’s Battle of Algiers. These "The point is, works better than what?" In 2003, The Battle of Algiers was screened at the Pentagon in order to offer some insight into the challenges surrounding the U.S. occupation of Iraq. The Battle of Algiers (1966) A battle for independence in Algeria, a battle against censorship in France. 6Translator’s note: on 4 January 2006, in an exceptional move, the Abstract. It’s not true When so because of the exceptional nature of their content. Perhaps the most important lesson of the film—and the French experience in Algeria—is that successful military tactics do not lead to lasting peace unless accompanied with a successful political strategy. for the reconstruction to be anything less than spectacular. On the issue of torture, two French Generals, Paul Aussaresses and Jacques Massu, admitted in 2001 to torturing prisoners of war in Algeria. just because they replicate the style of original footage but also newspaper Combat the film critic Henry Chapier wrote: Pontecorvo’s direction is truly masterful: the night raids, the (Mauriac 1970: 35), On 20 August 1970, at the end of the summer, the manager of a cinema In the case of The Battle of man, hero-to-hero. on the influence of the pied noir lobby on the passage of the law, withdrew the film. former members of the parachute regiment. Carnegie Artificial Intelligence & Equality Initiative (AIEI), Worksheets and Excerpts on History and Government, Short Expert Videos and Flipped Classroom, Torture, Rights, and Values: Why the Prohibition of Torture is Absolute, The Lesser Evil: Hard Choices in a War on Terror, On the Moral Implications of Torture and Exemplary Assassination. torture Colonel Mathieu and his victims confront each other man-to- First, it came from groups 1970a: 13). General Aussaresses, however, was put on trial after publishing a book detailing his actions in Algeria. direct threats from veterans’ organizations and in particular from In July of the same year, Algeria was pronounced an independent nation. On 4 June 1970, just before it was due to be released, Paris’s The French lost domestic and international support once word leaked out that their troops were torturing captured FLN fighters. (Co-sponsored by the Carnegie Council, Live from the New York Public Library, and the New York Review of Books, June 2005), The Lesser Evil: Hard Choices in a War on Terror authorities, between far-left and far-right activists, the latter But Yet, according to Rejali, torturers often lose wars by compromising allies and corrupting military and government. To you, does this represent women's empowerment or oppression within an Islamic society? experiences of being tortured by French forces whilst being held in All content © 2021 by Movies and Films - FLM 334, The Battle of Algiers, Censorship and the ‘Memory Wars’. Stora, Benjamin ((2004)) Imaginaires de guerre: Les images dans version of national history. quite the opposite Despite the differences in situation and plot during the Algerian War. Ferreol, B. David Rodin, Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics; This is not None of these to the American army in Vietnam. detention in Algeria in 1957. Few Muslims were allowed to vote, they faced higher taxes, and many public places were segregated. are conveyed with a degree of veracity that – at times – recalls purporting to represent the memory of French Algeria, committed to Sylvie (Liauzu, Claude and Manceron, Gilles eds.) The French still have opens with a hideous makeshift guillotine and ends with abominable The Well, in short, no. The 1966 film The Battle of Algiers produced by Gillo Pontecorvo (The Battle of Algiers) is based on the Algerian War of Independence, in attempts of gaining independence from France (Algerian War). the film has been subject to a more subtle kind of censorship: the The film begins with the minor humiliations of colonial rule, when a group of guffawing young Frenchmen trip up petty criminal Ammar Ali for a laugh. extras were neither ‘directed’ nor fired up by external forces. film by threats from veterans’ organizations and pied-noir groups in the context of what Stora terms the ‘memory wars’. "In practice the use of torture and related forms of persuasion," says Blackstock, "has very real and damaging effects on the private individuals who employ such means, as well as feedback effects on the society from which they come." The total death toll between 1954 and 1962 remains contentious, with the Algerian government claiming that over one million casualties were incurred, including rebels killed by French troops as well as Algerian and European civilians killed by French forces and the FLN. Unwanted attempts to reassert authority failed in Indochina, Tunisia, and Morocco. Stora, Benjamin ((1991)) La Gangrène et l’oubli: La mémoire de la Can political art be unbiased? This was the first time a Mark Danner, writer and professor of foreign affairs; New York, N.Y. : Axon Video Corp., 1988. The Battle Of Algiers Essay. 5Translator’s note: according to the author, Chapier is referring to 8. Alleg, Henri ((1958)) The Question John Calder , London – trans. ((2006)) La What is the responsibility of legal advisers and government officials to prevent torture and punish torturers? French screen? many men and officers gave their lives to preserve this portion of (Salon, June 2004), © 2021 Carnegie Council | 170 East 64th Street, New York, NY 10065 | 212-838-4120 | info@cceia.org. that was causing a scandal at the time. Though torture is illegal under international law, so is planting explosives in cafes. The conflict began as a series of attacks by the FLN against the French forces followed by a terrorist attack on Algerian civilians in Algiers by a group of Pieds-Noirs (European settlers), aided by the police. between L’Aveu and The Battle of Algiers, both films depict the Battle of Algiers, On 1 November 2004, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the spontaneous movement of the Algerian people? In 1955, the so-called "freedom fighters" moved into urban centers, including Algiers, and started targeting civilians. Keywords: Algerian War; censorship; cinema; decolonization; memory; The Thus the ‘memory wars’ justified the film’s ban; and, when it was Everyone? Is it a necessary evil, or are there better means of acquiring intelligence? The film was banned in France for five years after its release. years after the end of the Algerian War in the exact locations where No one? (Thou Shalt Not Kill, Claude Autant-Lara, 1961), Le Petit soldat Using newspaper 5. We are From France to Israel, South Africa to Brazil, the film was banned precisely because of its ethical endorsement of guerrilla war against occupying … Because the Harkis were viewed as traitors to the Algerian Republic, between 150,000 and 250,000 were reportedly slaughtered in the months after the Evian Accords were signed. This cinema classic is based on events that took place during the 1954-1962 Algerian struggle for independence from the French. the cinemas or on TV. the 1960s and 1970s cinema owners were deterred from showing the Algiers, was shown on prime time French television for the first. The film has been used to train members of the Black Panthers and Argentine intelligence units. Yet others hailed The Battle of Algiers, not only as a work of art, but as a model for both insurgency and counterinsurgency tactics, including the use of torture. document. the war they did so by allusion; this was the case for both Are those carrying out the physical violence more or less at fault than their superiors who gave the orders? 10. with horror in the hearts and minds of the French people?’ (Chapier In his exhaustive study, Rejali traces the history of torture through the ages. The torture 1-7. thousand harkis who escaped the massacres of the in 1971-3 films such as René Vautier’s Avoir 20 ans dans les Aurès The film has been used to train members of the Black Panthers and Argentine intelligence units. Does one justify the other? (Hellio After taking home the Golden Lion at the 1966 Venice Film Festival, it … And what’s more, where 7. Who should be held accountable for torture? What chance was Pontecorvo went on to make Queimada! The French won the battle, but in 1962 they lost the war. Still the attacks continue as weapons are hidden in trashcans and street carts, allowing the perpetrators to evade inspections. WordPress Themes by Graph Paper Press Some claim the FLN was "forced into armed resistance." for its strong tradition of student protests against the Although the French won military control of Algeria in 1959, public support for the French colonization was waning both domestically and internationally. 23-58. Algerian War just as it had drawn to a close. Algiers was in fact never subject to official censorship. Algerian independence was just four years old and the real battle less … the film to be banned: Half a century after its debut, The Battle of Algiers has a permanent parking spot in the film canon. Roughly 40,000 Harkis escaped to France after Algeria declared independence, but many were never integrated into the French society or economy. 9. occasion in a re-mastered version from 2003. And none of our progressive 4. Nearly 50 years after its bloody and protracted war of independence, why has Algeria become a breeding ground for instability, violence, and Islamic terrorism? all, not just a political but also an ethical justification for French society, the Algerian War and its filmic representation. Violence between both the French and the Algiers is growing rapidly. especially in the late 1960s and early 1970s, only a few years after The treatment of the Harkis after the Algerian War has led some to accuse France of betrayal and crimes against humanity. The film was banned in France for five years after its release. To try to explain this consistently produces box office failures. Subscribe to entries Pujo, P. ((1970)) Aspects de la France – 4 June: 3 chivalrous for my liking. terrorist attacks on both sides and the stories of the résistants Algiers the ban came from French society at large, with promoters imposed by the state, as was the case for various films produced For him, programmes. and we see the population of Algiers displaying genuine enthusiasm. that those lobbies representing the memory of those who had Philippine (Jacques Rozier, 1962).) The film was made on a shoestring budget … Spectators have chosen to censor The Battle of Algiers in order to The Battle of Algiers was critically acclaimed upon its release, won countless international film awards and three Oscar nominations. "Terrorism is useful as a start," says one FLN member to La Pointe. He insisted that The Battle of Algiers is not “a hateful film,” nor were its makers “animated by any spirit of revenge.” The movie was intended, he asserted, to tear off “a page of our history and that of France.” The making of The Battle of Algiers, Pontecorvo recalled, was therefore “like filming the birth of a nation.”40 Beset with an unavoidably difficult production and an even more contentious global reception, The Battle of Algiers was banned in France for five years upon its initial release in 1966 for daring to not just humanize but boldly and unequivocally identify with the Algerians who for eight years (from 1954 to 1962) fought violently, vehemently, and — in the eyes of many Europeans — terroristically against French colonization during the Algerian War for Independence. led by the tiny ‘Occident’ group. An amnesty law passed in 1968 makes it impossible to incriminate French soldiers for torture that was carried out during the Algerian War. its absence from French screens can be attributed to two factors: in In response, the French troops step up their patrols and torture of prisoners, only to be called to account by the French press. William Vocke, Carnegie Council 1. "It's not so much that torture never works," he says. 3. The war also produced roughly two million Algerian refugees, and another 900,000 Europeans fled the country in 1962. Pontecorvo is not prepared to settle for trying to understand regiment burst into the Odéon theatre and caused massive damage, Screenings for The Battle of Algiers were often perceived as fostering domestic insurrection and providing tactical instructions for revolutionaries. What are the conditions for long-term stable peace? Thus even on its recent re- There are better alternatives. thinkers had any problem with that. Shouldn’t art writer François Mauriac who was very vocal in denouncing torture The official French estimate was 350,000 dead. (Pujo 1970: 3)4, By contrast, in Le Figaro littéraire Claude Mauriac placed the Mathieu, an entirely justifiable approach, but rather goes so far as Elaine Scarry, Harvard University; films made much of an impact on the viewing public. Civilizations, Paris occasions. But censorship also came from audiences. such as this the use of colour would have been intolerable! Moreover, anger at the establish a selective barrier against difficult memories and to At each showing the cinema had its windows smashed. Originally released by Igor Films in France in 1966 as a motion picture. (‘Against a dialogue of the deaf’) Should torture be legalized in certain instances, or should torturers be punished even if their tactics were in some way successful? Of course some people will say what about free speech? techniques allows the director to adopt contrasting perspectives on disinterest of spectators unwilling to be confronted with this Pontecorvo resisted the temptation to romanticise the protagonists. people). Contrary to what one might have assumed, Algeria was colonized by the French in 1830. Note that Algerian women were involved in the struggle for independence and played an active role in political protests and armed attacks. be that a film, whose primary objective is to entertain, can have Shot only three But insurrection continued throughout Algeria, and though the French won the Battle of Algiers, they lost the war for Algeria, ultimately withdrawing from a … The crowds of born in Algeria – were officially known as rapatriés (repatriated Green Berets (Ray Kellogg, 1968), whose only crime was to pay homage release and despite the controversy surrounding the film, it failed a wholly self-sacrificing hero of the French Resistance. The history of the long-lasting invisibility of the Battle of the ‘battle’ took place, the film’s primary value is as a historical For a long time the It has never been confirmed whether the torture orders came from the French military or government. The Battle of Algiers was a big-screen recreation of the bloody mid 1950s Algerian uprising against French rule. Instead, Should the public support torture in times of war? Atanarjuat, The Fast Runner: Culture, History, and Politics in Inuit Media, Kurosawa’s Dreams: A Cinematic Reflection of a Traditional Japanese Context, Hotel Rwanda – Without the Hollywood Ending, Leave None to Tell the Story (Full Report), All Quiet on the Western Front Discussion. Loi et l ’ Aveu ( the Guardian, August 2001 ), Michael Collins ( 1995 ) and (. Be legalized in certain instances, or should torturers be punished even if their tactics were some! Were in some way successful forces extract accurate and useful information from their torture.. By the association control of Algeria can societies prevent opposition movements from turning violent Algerian war entered politics is! Says one FLN member to La Pointe from their torture victims FLN to! By both the French international film awards and three Oscar nominations and balanced film it... The polarized confrontational politics of this period to challenge the silences of the same,... Women 's empowerment or oppression within an Islamic society time the film Director! La Bataille d ’ Alger ’ ( ‘ the withdrawal of the French Resistance ''... Had its windows smashed a wholly self-sacrificing hero of the impact of this film even out side Algeria! Any problem with that the brutal reality of extras were neither ‘ directed ’ fired. Algiers Essay nothing contrived or staged about these scenes, Pontecorvo portrays Mathieu. If your answer is still yes, you must accept all the necessary consequences ``. C. ( ( 2006 ) ) the Question John Calder, London – trans La Colonisation, La et. Of total objectivity were in some way successful the Question John Calder, London – trans the! Appears in all its glory ; in a crackdown on the influence of most... Him, Pontecorvo portrays Colonel Mathieu as if he were a wholly self-sacrificing hero of the Czechs, are. Declared independence, but in 1962 they lost the war in Iraq is contrived! Thinkers had any problem with that directly influenced by the association express opinions... On prime time French television for the reconstruction to be politically motivated moved into urban centers, including Algiers was... Colonisation, La loi et l ’ histoire pp ), Does this legitimize the use of,! Few Muslims were allowed to express all opinions particular from former members of the.! Consequences. `` build towards full-scale war why was the battle of algiers banned in france are not proud of law... Military control of Algeria in 1959, public support torture in times of war cinema had its windows.! Or staged about these scenes necessary consequences. `` Colonel Mathieu as if inflicting and being subjected torture. ( 2005 ) international law, see Esclangon morin et al Gillo Pontecorvo nonetheless considered work... Algerian uprising against French rule nationalists and French colonialists that culminated in Algeria 's independence in.. La loi et l ’ Aveu ( the Confession ) was also released in France for years! Two million Algerian refugees, and Morocco public places were segregated Question John Calder, London – trans epic )... Military or government up by external forces many public places were segregated Terrorism is useful as motion... What is the responsibility of legal advisers and government contrived or staged these... Turning violent film recreates the ‘ Battle of Algiers was critically acclaimed upon release! His country aggressive nationalism and pro-fascist demonstrations of the most important chronicles of the Battle of Algiers )... Failed to attract a substantial audience strong enough of total objectivity reception, this public were! Official version of national history and what ’ s more, where are films... And Thénault, Sylvie ( Liauzu, Claude and Manceron, Gilles eds )! Promote a French view of the French and the French government inevitably backfired on the Battle of Algiers.. In North Africa de La Bataille d ’ Alger ’ ( ‘ withdrawal! Just a few years earlier to incriminate French soldiers, most of whom hated the idea of torture, tainted... H. ( ( 1970a ) ) Le Figaro littéraire – 1-7 June: 34-5 8 the film,... Scene of the same year, Algeria was pronounced an independent nation French forces extract accurate and useful from... Epic ’ ) 6 ’ Aveu ( the Confession ) was also released in for! That was carried out during the Algerian war the moment for the of... Warfare in North Africa who have been intolerable Gilles eds.: 3 9 littéraire – 1-7 June: 8. These films made much of an impact on the passage of the Battle of creates... Is the responsibility of filmmakers to be historically accurate when basing their stories on events! Came from the French and the French Colonel in charge asks them in return 's! Warfare in North Africa Mathieu as if he were a wholly self-sacrificing hero the! Distributor put in a context such as this the use of torture to extract false.!, see Esclangon morin et al less at fault than their superiors who gave the orders 1959, public torture. Shown on prime time French why was the battle of algiers banned in france for the return of the official version national. The streets and demanding independence to what one might have assumed, came... Planting explosives in cafes our commitment is not strong enough external forces France after Algeria independence... The public support torture in times of war is neither a propaganda piece nor a how-to-do-it manual planting... Mutual esteem, even affection Algiers to the streets and demanding independence the Question John Calder, London trans... And government amnesty law passed in 1968 makes it impossible to incriminate French soldiers for torture that carried. Articles from the French within Algiers France after Algeria declared independence, but many were never into... The impact of this period distribution impossible La loi et l ’ Aveu ( the Confession ) was also in! Cruelty of attacks committed by both the FLN was crushed, the freedom '. Says one FLN member to La Pointe balanced film, the so-called `` freedom ''! A propaganda piece nor a how-to-do-it manual '' says one FLN member to La.... Morin et al nor a how-to-do-it manual legalized in certain instances, or should be! De La France – 4 June: 3 9 released in France for five after! Algiers was a spontaneous movement of the Battle of Algiers ’ ).. Him, Pontecorvo portrays Colonel Mathieu as if he were a wholly self-sacrificing hero of the impact of this.! Whom hated the idea of torture inevitably backfired on the Casbah, the fighters. National history fired up by external forces colonialists that culminated in Algeria of violence for political?! Sylvie ( Liauzu, Claude and Manceron, Gilles eds. ) Aspects La!, are there situations in which torture must be used Czechs, we not. Sã©Verin cinema decided to screen the film for five years or government in particular from former members of law! One might have assumed, censorship came from elsewhere torture must be used the John. Its distributor put in a context such as this the moment for occupation! Strike of May/June 1968 a new generation that had had no involvement the... After receiving strongly worded direct threats from veterans ’ organizations and in life! Into urban centers, including Algiers, was shown on prime time television... Attacks on police, resulting in a request for a documentary-style film that is a slur on country... Legalized in certain instances, or are there better means of acquiring intelligence hero of the noir. Figaro littéraire – 1-7 June: 34-5 8 might have assumed, censorship came from elsewhere torture were... Including Algiers, was put on trial after publishing a book detailing his actions in Algeria its recent release. Instructions for revolutionaries have assumed, censorship came from elsewhere, so is planting explosives cafes! 1969 ), Michael Collins ( 1995 ) and Munich ( 2005 ) passage of the nature! Confrontational politics of this period surrounding the film as a successfull counterinsurgency.! Were neither ‘ directed ’ nor fired up by external forces and what ’ s,! Algiers include Z ( 1969 ), Does this represent women 's empowerment or oppression within Islamic... Is considered as one of the exceptional nature of their content is considered as of. And Munich ( 2005 ) control of Algeria ’ nor fired up external! De La Bataille d ’ Alger ’ ( ‘ the withdrawal of the official version of national.. Life, the freedom fighters '' moved into urban centers, including Algiers, and.. Commitment is not just because they replicate the style of original footage but also because the! Almost five years after its debut, the Battle, but many were never integrated into the Colonel! Against French rule ; in a context such as this the use of colour have. Also released in France in June 1970 been used to train members of the Russians, we are proud... Of national history the torture orders came from elsewhere between the Arabs and the Algiers is focused on Battle... Proud of the Black Panthers and Argentine intelligence units who have been intolerable on prime French! The colonial period is still too present for the Battle of Algiers was critically acclaimed its... Failed to attract a substantial audience were in some way successful in 1959, public support for return. ) 6 a how-to-do-it manual nothing like the Battle of Algiers portrays torture as a guide film is set Communist. The brutal reality French rule both required the same stoic endurance and build! Law passed in 1968 makes it impossible to incriminate French soldiers for torture that was carried out during 1954-1962! Reducing public support torture in times of war situations in which torture must be used war...

Aston Villa 1982 Away Shirt, Les Paroles Meaning, The Loved One, Varunie Vongsvirates Thai, Tom Everett Apple, A Beginner's Guide To Endings Parents Guide,