Post by klep on Jul 10, 2017 6:42:22 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 7/10: The Battle Of Algiers
SIGHT & SOUND TOP 50 WEEK!
Revolutions are messy. There's an asymmetry to that kind of conflict which encourages both sides to indulge in unsavory methods. Revolutionaries do not have the resources of the government, and so cannot effectively engage in open combat. On the other hand, the government has to struggle to find the isolated, non-uniformed revolutionaries hiding amidst an at least occasionally hostile populace. It's a recipe for frustration, lashing out, and violent escalation, and The Battle Of Algiers captures the arc of revolution in its entirety.
Gillo Pontecorvo's chronicle of the struggle for Algerian independence tries to be evenhanded in its depictions of both sides, not shying away from the atrocities and misdeeds both government and insurgents commit in their conflict and how they cause the violence to escalate. At first the insurgents stick to murdering police, but then the police blow up the home of a suspected insurgent - causing many casualties - and the matter spirals out of control.
The film is shot with a procedural eye, but it never loses its humanity. Aided by an Ennio Morricone score, Pontecorvo never lets us forget that beyond the battling sides in this conflict, there are real human costs to their actions. A particularly haunting sequence shows innocent, unsuspecting people going about their lives while we wait for a series of bombs to go off and kill them. A later sequence forces us to witness the torturing of a number of men (who may be innocent, not that it matters).
The Battle Of Algiers is such a brilliant depiction of insurgency and counter insurgency that it has been shown as something of a training document to audiences on both sides. Pontocorvo himself was surprised at how true to life some of his shots seemed, and was very proud of not having used any stock or documentary footage in his creation of his film. But it's important to remember that for all the harm both sides did, neither really got what they wanted. Indeed, their efforts were counterproductive. France won the Battle of Algiers, the tactics they used to do so cost them greatly in the eyes of the public. And the FLN's terrorist tactics in Algiers led to nothing but a near-fatal weakening of their movement in the face of the French response. While Algeria did ultimately gain its independence, it was only when the population at large turned against French occupation - staging massive protests - that Algerians were finally able to wrest away their freedom.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 7/17: The Abyss
BEAT THE HEAT WEEK!
In order to find some relief from these sweltering summer temperatures, we're delving deep into the ocean with James Cameron's The Abyss. Join us next week for some deep sea salvage action and innovative special effects work. The Abyss is available on Amazon Video for Prime members with a STARZ add-on and a VHS I got as a well-intentioned but misguided gift several years into the DVD era.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 7/11: Babe
This week's podcast spends time with a pair of adorable pigs/pig-like creatures with Babe and Okja. We'll have a thread Wednesday to discuss the first of these films, Babe. Babe is available on Netflix Instant and for rent on Amazon Video, though it is not free for Prime members.
SIGHT & SOUND TOP 50 WEEK!
Revolutions are messy. There's an asymmetry to that kind of conflict which encourages both sides to indulge in unsavory methods. Revolutionaries do not have the resources of the government, and so cannot effectively engage in open combat. On the other hand, the government has to struggle to find the isolated, non-uniformed revolutionaries hiding amidst an at least occasionally hostile populace. It's a recipe for frustration, lashing out, and violent escalation, and The Battle Of Algiers captures the arc of revolution in its entirety.
Gillo Pontecorvo's chronicle of the struggle for Algerian independence tries to be evenhanded in its depictions of both sides, not shying away from the atrocities and misdeeds both government and insurgents commit in their conflict and how they cause the violence to escalate. At first the insurgents stick to murdering police, but then the police blow up the home of a suspected insurgent - causing many casualties - and the matter spirals out of control.
The film is shot with a procedural eye, but it never loses its humanity. Aided by an Ennio Morricone score, Pontecorvo never lets us forget that beyond the battling sides in this conflict, there are real human costs to their actions. A particularly haunting sequence shows innocent, unsuspecting people going about their lives while we wait for a series of bombs to go off and kill them. A later sequence forces us to witness the torturing of a number of men (who may be innocent, not that it matters).
The Battle Of Algiers is such a brilliant depiction of insurgency and counter insurgency that it has been shown as something of a training document to audiences on both sides. Pontocorvo himself was surprised at how true to life some of his shots seemed, and was very proud of not having used any stock or documentary footage in his creation of his film. But it's important to remember that for all the harm both sides did, neither really got what they wanted. Indeed, their efforts were counterproductive. France won the Battle of Algiers, the tactics they used to do so cost them greatly in the eyes of the public. And the FLN's terrorist tactics in Algiers led to nothing but a near-fatal weakening of their movement in the face of the French response. While Algeria did ultimately gain its independence, it was only when the population at large turned against French occupation - staging massive protests - that Algerians were finally able to wrest away their freedom.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 7/17: The Abyss
BEAT THE HEAT WEEK!
In order to find some relief from these sweltering summer temperatures, we're delving deep into the ocean with James Cameron's The Abyss. Join us next week for some deep sea salvage action and innovative special effects work. The Abyss is available on Amazon Video for Prime members with a STARZ add-on and a VHS I got as a well-intentioned but misguided gift several years into the DVD era.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 7/11: Babe
This week's podcast spends time with a pair of adorable pigs/pig-like creatures with Babe and Okja. We'll have a thread Wednesday to discuss the first of these films, Babe. Babe is available on Netflix Instant and for rent on Amazon Video, though it is not free for Prime members.