Roger Ebert Loved This Classic ’60s War Movie Streaming on HBO Max

One of the best films of 1966 was “The Battle of Algiers,” a war film about Algerian rebels fighting against the French colonial occupation. The film, currently streaming on HBO Max, was notable because it portrayed a guerrilla insurgency movement from a sympathetic perspective without shying away from the crimes of French military officers. It was praised by famed Chicago Tribune film critic Roger Ebert, who gave it four stars in his 1968 review. writing:

“‘The Battle of Algiers,’ a great film by young Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo, exists at this level of bitter reality. It may be a deeper cinematic experience than many viewers can handle: too cynical, too true, too cruel, and too heartbreaking. It is about the Algerian war, but those not interested in Algeria can substitute another war; ‘The Battle of Algiers’ has a universal frame of reference.”

The “other war” Ebert referred to could have meant the Vietnam War, the troubles in Northern Ireland (as depicted in the acclaimed 2024 FX series “Say Nothing”), the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, etc. Its parallels to the Algerian War were easy to find, and critics’ feelings toward the film often depended on which side they supported in those struggles. If, for example, you were the type to dismiss the IRA as mere evil terrorists, you probably wouldn’t have enjoyed “The Battle of Algiers.”

And if you were French at the time, you might not have appreciated the film either. Much of the country’s press opposed the release of the film in French theaters. In fact, they managed to delay the film’s release in their country until 1971. But even the French eventually got used to the film after enough time had passed to become less defensive about their country’s actions in Algeria.

Time only improved Ebert’s feelings toward “The Battle of Algiers,” although his interpretation of the film’s message evolved. in a 2004 piecehe wrote about how he had come to believe that the film’s perspective was not “somewhere between the FLN (National Liberation Front) and the French”, but more clearly with the FLN. As he himself put it:

“The resistance begins with FLN members approaching French police officers in the street and shooting them, often in the back. Bombs are used against police strongholds. These actions are seen in silence, but when the French respond by blowing up a terrorist’s house, Ennio Morricone’s score becomes sad as survivors search through the rubble. His score shows no sympathy for the dead police officers.”

The approach of “The Battle of Algiers” is similar to that of Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Battle After Battle,” which is also a film about a revolutionary group (known as the French 75) that uses similar tactics. Although some critics feel that the film condemns the violent actions of both the French 75 and the authoritarian government they are fighting against, others believe that the film’s sympathies align more closely with the French 75. You can see the difference between the one death the French 75 are responsible for (a mistake that destroys their movement) and the many deaths the government causes (which are done casually without repercussions).

It’s fitting that “One Battle After Another” includes a scene in which a ’75 French revolutionary is seen watching “The Battle of Algiers.” It seems clear that Anderson, like Ebert, is also a fan of this ’60s classic. Sadly, Ebert tragically passed away in 2013, so we’ll never know what he thought of the PTA’s stance on such a similar dynamic.