FILM · 1966 · ITALY
La battaglia di Algeri
- Directed by
- Gillo Pontecorvo
- Runtime
- 122 min
- Studio
- Igor Film, Casbah Film
129 archived facts 7 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Paratrooper commander Colonel Mathieu, a former French Resistance fighter during World War II, is sent to 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…
129 Interesting Facts About La battaglia di Algeri
Interesting Facts (26)
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The film is famous for its almost entirely non-professional cast, picked mainly because they looked like the people they were playing, with acting ability coming second. Director Gillo Pontecorvo got the performances he needed from them through careful lighting, adequate staging and expert direction.
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In one scene, a loudspeaker message from the French counterinsurgency urges the rebels to give up, claiming many French officials were anti-Nazis who had fought in the French Resistance. Jean Martin, who plays Colonel Mathieu, commander of the French paratroopers, really had fought in the Resistance against the Nazi occupation in World War II, and he signed the 1960 Manifesto of the 121 backing Algerian independence.
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Colonel Mathieu is loosely modeled on the real General Jacques Massu. In 1958, right-wing elements of the French Army under Massu took power in Algeria and threatened to attack Paris with paratroopers and armored units at Rambouillet unless Charles de Gaulle was put at the head of the French Republic. De Gaulle did take office, on condition that a new constitution be written creating a strong presidency, with one leader, de Gaulle first, ruling for seven-year terms. Those changes went through, and the French Fifth Republic, still in place today, was born.
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French government figures put the number of Algerian Muslims serving in the French Army in 1962 at 236,000, in regular units (Spahis and Tirailleurs) or as irregulars (harkis and moghaznis), four times as many as in the FLN. Some estimates say native Muslim loyalists and their families may have numbered up to 1 million. None of them appear in the film.
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Production Story (43)
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The movie is known for using non-professional actors almost exclusively, chosen chiefly for looking like the people they portray rather than for acting skill. Director Gillo Pontecorvo drew the performances he wanted out of them with careful lighting, suitable staging and skillful direction.
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Director Gillo Pontecorvo and composer Ennio Morricone argued over the score again and again. At one point Pontecorvo had a melody stuck in his head that he badly wanted as the film's theme, so he went to Morricone's apartment to play it to him, humming it all the way up to the top floor. Morricone told him to hold on, because he had come up with a melody of his own, and to Pontecorvo's amazement it was exactly the tune he had in mind. He was thrilled that after months of struggle they had finally, independently, landed on something they could agree on. Only months later, at the Venice film festival, did Morricone admit it was a prank: he had heard Pontecorvo humming on the way up the stairs and decided to pretend he had thought of the same melody.
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Based on the 1962 book "Souvenirs de la Bataille d'Alger" or "Memories of the Battle of Algiers," an FLN military commander's account of the campaign; the screenplay is by Franco Solinas. Yacef wrote the book while a prisoner of the French, and it served to lift the morale of the FLN and other militants. After independence the French released him and he became a leader in the new government, and the Algerian government backed turning his memoir into a film. Salash Baazi, an FLN leader the French had sent into exile, brought the project to Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo and screenwriter Franco Solinas.
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The film is based on the 1962 memoir "Souvenirs de la Bataille d'Alger," written by FLN commander Yacef while he was held captive by the French. The book was intended to raise the morale of the FLN and other militants. Released after independence, Yacef rose to a leading position in the new government. The Algerian government supported adapting the memoirs into a film. FLN leader Salash Baazi, exiled by the French, brought the project to Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo and screenwriter Franco Solinas.
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The film received international acclaim and is regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. It won numerous awards at the 27th Venice Film Festival, including the Golden Lion. It was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Screenplay. The film sparked sociopolitical debate in France and was not released there for five years. Insurgent groups and state authorities regarded the film as an important commentary on urban guerrilla warfare. In Sight and Sound's 2022 poll of the greatest films of all time, it ranked 45th on the critics' list and 22nd on the directors' list.
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Director Gillo Pontecorvo and composer Ennio Morricone frequently clashed over the film's music. One day Pontecorvo had a melody stuck in his head and wanted to add it to the film. As he climbed the stairs to Morricone's apartment to play it for him, he hummed the tune. Morricone asked him to wait and played a melody of his own composition. When Pontecorvo saw that the melody was the same, he was overjoyed; after months of difficulties, they had finally found common ground. Months later, however, at the Venice Film Festival, Morricone admitted he had played a joke: he had heard Pontecorvo humming the melody on the stairs and pretended to have come up with it himself.
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Although the crowd scenes appear spontaneous, achieving that look required extensive planning. Director Gillo Pontecorvo often drew chalk lines on the ground to divide the crowd into groups and make each group start walking at a specific moment. He also used multiple cameras simultaneously to shoot from different angles and make the crowd appear larger than it actually was.
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The filmmakers received help from the Algerian Army to create a suitable military atmosphere. This is evident from the variety of vehicles seen in various scenes. American-made Ford GPW/Willys MB or French equivalent Hotchkiss M201 jeeps were used in close-up scenes. In wide shots, World War II-era American Dodge WC-51/52 1.5-ton 6x6 trucks and postwar French Simca 4X2 5-ton trucks are visible. A rare French EBR-75 Model 1951 8-wheeled armored vehicle also appears. At the end of the film, a pair of Soviet SU-100 tank destroyers facing an angry Algerian crowd are shown as French tanks. Finally, a helicopter appears briefly: the underside of a helicopter is seen between two Algerian buildings. It is a Soviet Mil Mi-4 Hound, closely resembling the American Sikorsky S-55 helicopters the French used in the Algerian War. The jeeps, Dodge trucks and EBR-75 were probably war-surplus vehicles; the trucks look freshly painted, and the armored vehicle is likely a non-operational war trophy. The Simca trucks, the SU-100 and the Mi-4 were acquired after the war. The Soviets courted newly independent young Arab nations from the 'wars of national liberation' and provided them with military aid.
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The only professional actor in the film is Jean Martin, in the role of Colonel Mathieu. Director Gillo Pontecorvo specifically wanted at least one professional actor in this key role. The two often argued on set because Pontecorvo tried to rein Martin in to make his performance consistent with the amateur actors.
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One scene in the film features a loudspeaker announcement in which the French counter-insurgency forces call on the rebels to surrender, and it is claimed that many French officials were themselves anti-Nazi and fought in the French Resistance. Jean Martin, who plays Colonel Mathieu, fought in the French Resistance during World War II and was one of the signatories of the 1960 Manifesto of the 121 in support of Algerian independence.
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The character of Colonel Mathieu is based on the real-life General Jacques Massu. In 1958, right-wing elements in the French Army led by General Massu seized power in Algeria and threatened an attack on Paris with paratroopers and armored units stationed at Rambouillet, demanding that Charles de Gaulle be installed at the head of the French Republic. De Gaulle accepted on the condition of a new constitution creating a strong presidency with seven-year terms. These changes were made and the French Fifth Republic, which still exists today, was born.
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The film is based on the 1962 memoir "Souvenirs de la Bataille d'Alger," written by FLN commander Yacef while he was held captive by the French. The book was intended to raise the morale of FLN and other militants. Released after independence, Yacef rose to a leading position in the new government. The Algerian government supported adapting the memoir into a film. FLN leader Salash Baazi, exiled by the French, brought the project to Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo and screenwriter Franco Solinas.
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The film received international acclaim and is regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. It won numerous awards at the 27th Venice Film Festival, including the Golden Lion. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Screenplay. The film sparked sociopolitical debate in France and was not released in the country for five years. Insurgent groups and state authorities regarded the film as an important commentary on urban guerrilla warfare. In Sight and Sound's 2022 poll of the greatest films of all time, it ranked 45th on the critics' list and 22nd on the directors' list.
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Film critics and historians describe this film as one of the first productions to portray North Africans as complex, fully developed characters. According to historians, while earlier films largely treated North Africans as part of the background or landscape, this film portrayed them as human beings.
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According to French government data, in 1962 236,000 Algerian Muslims served in the French Army (four times more than in the FLN); they were in either regular units (Spahis and Tirailleurs) or irregulars (harkis and moghaznis). Some estimates suggest that, together with their families, the number of loyal Muslims reached 1 million. They are not featured in this film.
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Behind the Scenes (20)
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The crowd scenes look spontaneous, but they took a lot of planning. Director Gillo Pontecorvo often drew chalk lines on the ground to split the crowd into groups that set off walking on cue so the movement looked right. He also ran several cameras at once and cut together footage from different angles to make the crowds look much bigger than they really were.
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The producer had the Algerian Army's help in giving the movie the right military feel, as the range of vehicles shows. In close-ups there are jeeps, either American Ford GPW/Willys MB or the French-made Hotchkiss M201. In wide shots of public spaces, bigger vehicles appear in the background: World War II vintage American Dodge WC-51/52 1 1/2-ton 6x6 trucks and postwar French Simca 4X2 5-ton trucks, plus one armored car, a fairly rare French EBR-75 Model 1951 8-wheeler. Near the end, a pair of Soviet SU-100 tank destroyers, standing in for French tanks, face down the angry crowds of Algiers. And one helicopter makes a brief appearance, its underside glimpsed between two Algiers buildings: a Soviet Mil Mi-4 Hound, which looks a lot like the American Sikorsky S-55 helicopters the French used in the Algerian War. The jeeps, Dodge trucks and EBR-75 were probably left over from the war (the trucks look freshly painted, and the armored car is likely a non-working war trophy), while the Simca trucks, SU-100s and Mi-4 were acquired after it. The Soviets courted the young Arab nations newly independent after their "wars of national liberation" and gave them military aid.
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Director Gillo Pontecorvo and composer Ennio Morricone frequently clashed over the film's music. One day Pontecorvo had a melody stuck in his head and wanted to add it to the film. As he climbed the stairs to Morricone's house to play the melody, he hummed the tune. Morricone asked him to wait and played a melody of his own composition. When Pontecorvo saw that the melody was the same, he was overjoyed; after months of difficulties, they had finally found common ground. Yet months later, at the Venice Film Festival, Morricone admitted he had played a joke: he had heard the melody Pontecorvo hummed on the stairs and pretended he had come up with it himself.
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Although the crowd scenes appear spontaneous, achieving that look required extensive planning. Director Gillo Pontecorvo often drew chalk lines on the ground to divide the crowd into groups and made each group start walking at a specific moment. He also used multiple cameras simultaneously to shoot from different angles and make the crowd appear larger than it actually was.
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The filmmaker received help from the Algerian Army to create an authentic military atmosphere. This is evident from the variety of vehicles seen in various scenes. American-made Ford GPW/Willys MB or their French equivalent, Hotchkiss M201 jeeps, were used in close-up scenes. In wide shots, American Dodge WC-51/52 1.5-ton 6x6 trucks left over from World War II and postwar French Simca 4X2 5-ton trucks are visible. A rare French EBR-75 Model 1951 eight-wheeled armored vehicle also appears. At the end of the film, a pair of Soviet SU-100 tank destroyers confronting an angry Algerian crowd are shown as French tanks. Finally, a helicopter appears briefly: the underside of a helicopter is seen between two Algerian buildings. It is a Soviet Mil Mi-4 Hound, closely resembling the American Sikorsky S-55 helicopters the French used in the Algerian War. The jeeps, Dodge trucks and the EBR-75 were probably vehicles that survived the war; the trucks look freshly painted, and the armored vehicle is likely a non-operational war trophy. The Simca trucks, the SU-100 and the Mi-4, however, were acquired after the war. The Soviets courted the young Arab countries newly independent from the 'national liberation wars' and provided them with military aid.
Characters & Cast (13)
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The French counter-insurgency's loudspeaker broadcast in one scene calls on the rebels to surrender, insisting that many French officials were anti-Nazis who had fought in the French resistance. Jean Martin, who plays the paratroopers' commander Colonel Mathieu, actually had fought with the French resistance against the Nazi occupation in World War II, and was one of the signers of the 1960 Manifesto of 121 supporting Algerian independence.
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Jean Martin as Colonel Mathieu is the only professional actor in the film; director Gillo Pontecorvo wanted at least one, especially in that pivotal role. The two clashed often on set, with Pontecorvo trying to rein Martin in so his performance would sit better alongside the non-professionals'.
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Col. Mathieu is loosely drawn from the real General Jacques Massu. In 1958, right-wing factions in the French Army led by Massu seized power in Algiers and threatened to march on Paris, with paratroopers and armored forces based at Rambouillet, unless Charles de Gaulle was put in charge of France. De Gaulle did take over, on the condition that a new constitution create a powerful presidency in which a single executive, starting with de Gaulle, would rule for seven-year periods. The changes went through, and the French Fifth Republic, which still stands, was born.
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The only professional actor in the film is Jean Martin, in the role of Colonel Mathieu. Director Gillo Pontecorvo specifically wanted at least one professional actor in this key role. The two often argued on set because Pontecorvo was trying to rein Martin in to make his performance fit with the amateur actors.
- #098
The film is famous for using almost entirely amateur actors; the actors were chosen primarily for their resemblance to the people they portrayed, with acting ability a secondary consideration. Director Gillo Pontecorvo obtained the performances he wanted from them through careful lighting, appropriate staging and skillful direction.
- #099
One scene in the film features a loudspeaker announcement in which the French counter-insurgency forces call on the rebels to surrender, and many French officials are said to have been anti-Nazi themselves and to have fought in the French Resistance. Jean Martin, who played Colonel Mathieu, fought in the French Resistance during World War II and was one of the signatories of the 1960 Manifesto of the 121 in support of Algerian independence.
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The character of Colonel Mathieu is based on the real-life General Jacques Massu. In 1958, right-wing elements in the French Army under General Massu seized power in Algeria and threatened to attack Paris with paratroopers and armored units stationed at Rambouillet, demanding that Charles de Gaulle be brought to head the French Republic. De Gaulle accepted the position on the condition of a new constitution creating a strong presidency with seven-year terms. These changes were made and the French Fifth Republic, which still exists today, was born.
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Easter Eggs & References (3)
Deeper Meaning (10)
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By French government figures, 236,000 Algerian Muslims were serving in the French Army in 1962 (four times as many as in the FLN), in regular units (Spahis and Tirailleurs) or as irregulars (harkis and moghaznis). With their families, these indigenous Muslim loyalists may have numbered as many as 1 million by some estimates, and the film doesn't depict them at all.
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Film critics and historians describe this film as one of the first productions to portray North Africans as complex and fully developed characters. According to historians, while earlier films largely treated North Africans as part of the background or scenery, this film portrayed them as human beings.
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According to French government data, in 1962, 236,000 Algerian Muslims were serving in the French Army (four times more than the FLN); they were in either regular units (Spahis and Tirailleurs) or irregulars (harkis and moghaznis). Some estimates suggest that the number of loyal Muslims, together with their families, reached 1 million. They were not included in this film.
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Career & Awards (14)
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The film won international acclaim and is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. Among other honors it took the Golden Lion at the 27th Venice Film Festival, and it was nominated for the Academy Award® for Best Director, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Writing, Story or Screenplay. Politically explosive in France, it went unscreened there for five years. Insurgent groups and state authorities alike have treated it as an important study of urban guerrilla warfare. In Sight and Sound's 2022 poll of the greatest films of all time, it ranked 45th with critics and 22nd with directors.
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Director Gillo Pontecorvo and composer Ennio Morricone fought over the music the whole way through. Once, Pontecorvo had a tune going round in his head that he wanted as the theme, and he went to Morricone's apartment to play it to him, humming it all the way up to the top floor. Morricone asked him to wait, saying he had written a melody of his own, and to Pontecorvo's astonishment it was the very melody he had in his head; after months of struggle, he was overjoyed that they had found something, separately, to agree on. Only months later, at the Venice Film Festival, did Morricone own up to the joke: he had heard Pontecorvo humming on the stairs and pretended to have come up with the same tune.
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Acclaimed around the world, the film is counted among the best ever made. It won the Golden Lion at the 27th Venice Film Festival, among other awards and nominations, and was up for the Academy Award® for Best Director, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Story and Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. Because of the sociopolitical storm it caused in France, it wasn't shown there for five years. Insurgent groups and governments both saw it as an important commentary on urban guerrilla warfare. In Sight and Sound's 2022 poll of the greatest films ever, it placed 45th on the critics' list and 22nd on the directors' list.
Sources & editorial notes
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