The Battle Of Algiers Analysis

Colonialism is the establishment of a country in another territory often through domination politically and culturally. This act generally occurs with a dominant, superior power and a smaller, lower-ranking area. However, in some cases, the lesser country will not easily allow such colonization to take place. A great example would be the Algerian’s fight for decolonization against the French. This occurrence was examined thoroughly through a film called The Battle of Algiers, which allowed the viewers to see the battle from both perspectives, and a book written by Frantz Fanon titled The Wretched of the Earth, where he argued that violence is the only means to ceasing colonization altogether. A great amount of violence was utilized throughout …show more content…
However, the French constantly denied their wants and forced their culture onto a reluctant Algeria. As a result of this persistent means of discourteous authority, Algeria had to retaliate in the only way they could send a clear message—through violence. The Battle of Algiers, a 1966 film directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, illustrates the war against colonialism between the Algerians and the French. The Algerians began to assassinate the perceivable enablers of the colonial oppression which happened to be French policemen. In no means was the violence at this particular point in the film meant to be aimed at French civilians. It was meant to be directed towards the higher French powers who were key components in their oppressive state at the moment. According to Fanon, an Afro-Caribbean psychiatrist, philosopher, and writer, there was no other possible way for the Algerians to take a stance against the colonialism they were facing. Some may say that it could have been handled non-violently, but alluding back to Fanon again, the masses are not take into consideration when trying to mediate the situation; only the colonized elites …show more content…
In the film, viewers see young children killing policemen at point blank range with no hesitation or sense of remorse. In addition to the children, the women were also a factor in Algeria’s fight for decolonization. Towards the climax of The Battle of Algiers, the viewers see women stashing bombs in hand baskets. These bombs were placed in three separate locations: The Offices of Air France, a café, and an ice cream bar. The detonation of these bombs ultimately wiped out a great amount of French civilians. Although the Algerian’s actions were in response to a French bombing on them prior, these brutal scenes portrayed women and children in a very different light and one cannot help but think that the overall cause was because of the French’s colonialism. Not only did it cause some individuals to lose their morality, colonialism also triggered psychological effects on some Algerians. As stated by Fanon in his book The Wretched of the Earth, the general problem is the system of colonialism. Children and women can no longer be seen as innocent because they are witnessing and growing up with a colonial heritage heavily influencing their lives. For example, in one of the chapters titled “Colonial War and Mental Disorders” in Fanon’s book, he lists a case study about two Algerian