Colonialism
At the heart of The Battle of Algiers is the major theme of colonialism. Defined as the control and occupation of another country while economically exploiting it, colonialism is a pervasive element in the film, just as it was a pervasive force in French Algeria. Early in the film, Pontecorvo establishes the colonial might of France by showing a terrified Arab Algerian sitting in his underpants while surrounded by smug French paratroopers. Colonialism also arises in the scene depicting Ali La Pointe's arrest for running a street gambling table: chased by a French colonial policeman who represents laws imposed by a foreign government, Ali is tripped and attacked by a group of white French settlers (pieds noirs) present in the colony to ensure France's cultural influence there. As the FLN's rebellion escalates, the colonial government imposes increasingly brutal methods to subdue the unrest. Ultimately, France's inability to maintain public support for its occupation of Algeria leads to the country's independence and contributes to the end of the French colonial empire.
Revolution
As a film about Algerians battling the French government for the right to self-rule, The Battle of Algiers depicts the civil unrest and guerrilla warfare that were part of the Algerian Revolution. Revolution—the forcible overthrow of a government in favor of a new system—usually involves both an armed insurrection and efforts to sway public favor toward the revolutionaries' aims. In the film, Pontecorvo also depicts the FLN's forcible imposition of new rules on Algerians within the Casbah and the violent elimination of opponents to their political project. Although the revolutionary tactics employed in the film are often bloody, FLN leaders such as Ben M'Hidi justify their tactics as essential to bringing about the goal of maintaining their revolution and introducing a new system of self-government in the country.
Torture
Torture—the practice of inflicting severe pain in order to extract information from someone or punish them—is another major theme in The Battle of Algiers. The theme first arises when Philippe Mathieu alludes to the practice upon arrival in Algiers, telling his men that they must use interrogation but are unfortunately limited in their tactics by certain laws. Later in the film, Pontecorvo shows several disturbing montages of Algerian men being tortured by French paratroopers who have rounded them up en masse. Torture techniques include burning men by blowtorch, waterboarding, and hanging men from ropes. These brutal methods prove effective as Mathieu collects enough information to identify and hunt down the heads of the FLN. However, his torture of Algerian citizens also contributes to a loss of public support for the French colonial occupation of Algeria.
Solidarity
Solidarity—unity of feeling or action among people with a common interest—is another important theme in The Battle of Algiers. As a revolutionary group, the FLN know they must work toward building solidarity among members of their group and regular citizens of Algeria. After Djafar inducts Ali into the FLN, their first mission is not to attack the French but to ensure they eliminate opponents within the Casbah so that they will be able to operate from the area without being sold out to the French. Over the course of the film, Pontecorvo depicts growing support for the FLN's political aims. To prove to the world that they are not a fringe group of extremists, the FLN makes known their country-wide solidarity by organizing a general strike of Algerian workers. The theme also arises at the end of the film with scenes depicting a diverse cross-section of the population demonstrating for independence in 1960. This widespread show of solidarity contributed to the referenda that brought about the country's independence.
Terrorism
In The Battle of Algiers, Pontecorvo does not shy away from depicting how both the FLN and the French used terrorism to achieve their goals. Defined as unlawful use of intimidation and violence (usually against civilians) in pursuit of political aims, terrorism first arises in the film with the FLN's November 1, 1954 coordinated attack of police officers and civilians. The Toussaint Rouge attacks launched the Algerian War of Independence and prompted the French to retaliate with their own terror tactics, which involved increased military presence to intimidate the residents of the Casbah. A police officer is also depicted bombing a civilian residence in the Casbah, which provokes the FLN to hit back with three simultaneous bombings of public places full of French settlers. Ultimately, both sides of the conflict use violence and intimidation to strike fear into their opponents and show how far they are willing to go to achieve their political goals.
The Influence of Media
Another key theme in the film is the influence of the media. Pontecorvo subtly introduces the theme with aesthetic choices that frame sequences in the film as real-life newsreel footage. Aside from this choice to lend the film a sense of realism by filtering images through a news-media lens, Pontecorvo shows Philippe Mathieu's changing relationship with the press: while the reporters begin seemingly on his side and his attitude toward them suggests some affection on his part, Mathieu later rails against the press for scrutinizing his torture tactics and turning public opinion against him and his soldiers. The FLN also knows the importance of the media, which it hopes to sway with a general strike that shows the solidarity among the FLN and Algerians seeking independence. With media attention focused on the brutality carried out against Algerian civilians, France steadily loses international support for its continued colonial presence and the FLN eventually gets to have a vote on independence.
Verisimilitude
Verisimilitude—the appearance of being real or true—is another major theme in The Battle of Algiers. One of the most striking things about the film is its documentary-style look, which is an aesthetic associated with the film genre known as Italian neorealism. Shot in black and white at a time when color was being used in most other features, the film bears the look of real-life footage from when the Algerian War was an international news story a decade earlier. Pontecorvo also includes montages that are shot with telephoto lenses to resemble newsreels—short films about news and current affairs that used to be shown in movie theaters. Pontecorvo further emphasizes the film's verisimilitude by casting non-actors in major roles, including Yacef Saadi, a man who was one of the FLN's leaders during the Algerian War. Ultimately, the verisimilitude of the project underscores the fact that the events of the film are based on real-life revolutionary activities that occurred not long before the film was produced.
