Uploaded December 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Although Gillo Pontecorvo's "The Battle Of Algiers" was controversial in France at the time of its release, a retrospective view makes it seem like common wisdom. French colonial rule over Algeria began in 1830 and ended in 1962, a period which saw the deaths of 1.5 million Algerians, the destruction of over 8000 villages, and a comparatively tiny number of European casualties. It also created a toxic environment for the pied-noir (French-born settlers) community in Algeria, who viewed themselves as overseers in an unwelcoming world. Interestingly, Gillo Pontecorvo chose to focus on the outcome of a losing battle (and even constructed a controlling metaphor around it) despite knowing the outcome of the war, creating additional tensions within his film.
In MovieMacro #5, Alex Sheremet and Keith Jackewicz discuss the film’s artistry and politics, question Pontecorvo’s claims of “neutrality”, and draw comparisons to other works of art as well as historical analogues. There is a bonus show for Patreon subscribers, as well.
To get the B Side to our discussion on Battle of Algiers, support us on our Patreon page: patreon.com/automachination
B Side topics: Who are the random, anonymous weirdos defending Elon Musk’s every bad move; more on meritocracy & loss of the mystique; why the 2016 election was depressing beyond the fact of two terrible choices; human gullibility; why Twitter should not be a business; how 1990s video games presaged modern problems in the arts, attention span, aesthetic values; why Alex and Keith feel so old at the prime of life; how AI will erode writing, reading abilities even further; Keith argues this goes way beyond literacy and the arts; device addictions; climate change feedback loops & unknown variables; the importance of cultivating quiet, particularly for writers; contrasting the Internet/social media experiences of the early 2000s vs. today; Twitter vs. one’s personal social circles; why Alex gets nervous about marijuana legalization; more Battle of Algiers; how shame, guilt, and vanity helped Alex keep his weight loss; ideally, having kids should be treated as a science experiment; how working 7 days a week can be energizing; on fortune, guilt, and the Global South; why the obesity epidemic might not last
Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: spoti.fi/3xw2M4D
Apple Podcasts: apple.co/3wLpqEV
Google Podcasts: bit.ly/3dSQXxJ
Amazon Music: amzn.to/2SVJIxB
Podbean: bit.ly/3yzLuUo
iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L
Read more from the automachination universe: automachination.com
Read Alex’s (archived) essays: alexsheremet.com
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/automachination
Timestamps:
0:00 – on the film’s alleged neutrality; war as the Nietzschean “beyond good and evil”
2:56 – the role of amateur actors; the Palestine connection; context for Algeria, World War II; character interiority
9:08 – the brazenness of Algierians' attacks speaks to French inability to distinguish between Arabs; why the controlling metaphor of the tapeworm works on multiple levels; systems and human behavior; comparisons to America’s “war on terror”; more on Israel/Palestine vs. Algeria
22:00 – when politics are used to soothe one’s brain; the French pathologies in colonial Algeria; French myth-making about Algeria; the nature of self-justification; why Westerners are comfortable living as overseers next to impoverished, exploited groups
36:40 – The Battle of Algiers & its Muslim / Arab “blob”; the film’s reverse use of Orientalism; dissecting the great “women’s scene” before the café bombings; an example of a bad, artistically ill-wrought shot; the film’s quick process of radicalization; the lack of “real” characters
46:21 – the use of neutrality in Battle of Algiers; how those in power construct a legal edifice sparing of power; a telling comment on violent resistance; Palestine and Lion’s Den; labor strikes; the difference between genuine resistance to fascism vs. incidental resistance; the passage of time & historical reference points;
01:04:08 – French claims about minority vs. majority opinions in Algeria; on the nature of causal chains; why most discussions of terrorism & war miss the mark; final comments on the use of Orientalism, related imagery / concepts in Battle of Algiers; guerrilla warfare vs. modern technology
Tags: #criterioncollection, #algiers, #algeria, #palestine, #cinemaworld
Although Gillo Pontecorvo's "The Battle Of Algiers" was controversial in France at the time of its release, a retrospective view makes it seem like common wisdom. French colonial rule over Algeria began in 1830 and ended in 1962, a period which saw the deaths of 1.5 million Algerians, the destruction of over 8000 villages, and a comparatively tiny number of European casualties. It also created a toxic environment for the pied-noir (French-born settlers) community in Algeria, who viewed themselves as overseers in an unwelcoming world. Interestingly, Gillo Pontecorvo chose to focus on the outcome of a losing battle (and even constructed a controlling metaphor around it) despite knowing the outcome of the war, creating additional tensions within his film.
In MovieMacro #5, Alex Sheremet and Keith Jackewicz discuss the film’s artistry and politics, question Pontecorvo’s claims of “neutrality”, and draw comparisons to other works of art as well as historical analogues. There is a bonus show for Patreon subscribers, as well.
To get the B Side to our discussion on Battle of Algiers, support us on our Patreon page: patreon.com/automachination
B Side topics: Who are the random, anonymous weirdos defending Elon Musk’s every bad move; more on meritocracy & loss of the mystique; why the 2016 election was depressing beyond the fact of two terrible choices; human gullibility; why Twitter should not be a business; how 1990s video games presaged modern problems in the arts, attention span, aesthetic values; why Alex and Keith feel so old at the prime of life; how AI will erode writing, reading abilities even further; Keith argues this goes way beyond literacy and the arts; device addictions; climate change feedback loops & unknown variables; the importance of cultivating quiet, particularly for writers; contrasting the Internet/social media experiences of the early 2000s vs. today; Twitter vs. one’s personal social circles; why Alex gets nervous about marijuana legalization; more Battle of Algiers; how shame, guilt, and vanity helped Alex keep his weight loss; ideally, having kids should be treated as a science experiment; how working 7 days a week can be energizing; on fortune, guilt, and the Global South; why the obesity epidemic might not last
Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: spoti.fi/3xw2M4D
Apple Podcasts: apple.co/3wLpqEV
Google Podcasts: bit.ly/3dSQXxJ
Amazon Music: amzn.to/2SVJIxB
Podbean: bit.ly/3yzLuUo
iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L
Read more from the automachination universe: automachination.com
Read Alex’s (archived) essays: alexsheremet.com
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/automachination
Timestamps:
0:00 – on the film’s alleged neutrality; war as the Nietzschean “beyond good and evil”
2:56 – the role of amateur actors; the Palestine connection; context for Algeria, World War II; character interiority
9:08 – the brazenness of Algierians' attacks speaks to French inability to distinguish between Arabs; why the controlling metaphor of the tapeworm works on multiple levels; systems and human behavior; comparisons to America’s “war on terror”; more on Israel/Palestine vs. Algeria
22:00 – when politics are used to soothe one’s brain; the French pathologies in colonial Algeria; French myth-making about Algeria; the nature of self-justification; why Westerners are comfortable living as overseers next to impoverished, exploited groups
36:40 – The Battle of Algiers & its Muslim / Arab “blob”; the film’s reverse use of Orientalism; dissecting the great “women’s scene” before the café bombings; an example of a bad, artistically ill-wrought shot; the film’s quick process of radicalization; the lack of “real” characters
46:21 – the use of neutrality in Battle of Algiers; how those in power construct a legal edifice sparing of power; a telling comment on violent resistance; Palestine and Lion’s Den; labor strikes; the difference between genuine resistance to fascism vs. incidental resistance; the passage of time & historical reference points;
01:04:08 – French claims about minority vs. majority opinions in Algeria; on the nature of causal chains; why most discussions of terrorism & war miss the mark; final comments on the use of Orientalism, related imagery / concepts in Battle of Algiers; guerrilla warfare vs. modern technology
Tags: #criterioncollection, #algiers, #algeria, #palestine, #cinemaworld
