Disc Three of the DVD set contains four items grouped under the collective title “The Film and History.” The 69-minute 2004 documentary “Remembering History,” in which historians and participants look back at the war for Algerian self-determination, gave me a much better understanding of the movie. I think perhaps the most interesting person appearing here is Saadi Yacef, an important Arab military leader who plays a version of himself in the film.
I believe the Disc Three 25-minute feature “A Case Study” will be of particular interest to people concerned with exploring the implications of “The Battle of Algiers” for American policy in the early 21st century. Filmed in May, 2004, this is a discussion by Christopher Isham of ABC News and two former U.S. government officials: Richard A. Clarke, former national coordinator for security and counterterrorism, and Michael A. Sheehan, former State Department coordinator for counterterrorism.
Disc Three also contains two other documentaries. One is the 28-minute “États d’armes” (2002), which is about the French use of torture and summary executions in Algeria. The other is the rambling 58-minute “Return to Algiers” (1992), in which Pontecorvo goes back to the Algerian capital 30 years after the country gained its independence. The thing I found most interesting about “Return to Algiers” was that a fundamentalist religious movement known as the Islamic Salvation Front (Front Islamique du Salut, abbreviated FIS), arose after the war and grew strong enough to challenge the secular government.
Packaged with the three DVDs in “The Battle of Algiers” set is an attractive 56-page booklet. In addition to photos, the booklet contains an essay by film scholar Peter Matthews, excerpts from Saadi Yacef’s account of his 1957 arrest, the section of the screenplay dealing with that arrest, an interview with screenwriter Franco Solinas, and thumbnail biographies of key figures in the war.
“The Battle of Algiers” DVD set is one of the best I’ve seen, and I would recommend its purchase to any cinephile, as well as to anyone interested in world affairs. Below I’ve listed the DVD details for “The Battle of Algiers.”
DVD Details:
- Three-Disc Set
- Release Date: October 12, 2004
Disc One:
- Feature Film: “The Battle of Algiers” (2 hours 1 minute)
- MPAA Rating: Unrated
- Widescreen (1.85:1), Black-and-White
- French and Arabic Monaural
- English Subtitles
- Production Gallery
- Theatrical and Re-Release Trailers
Disc Two:
- Documentary: “Pontecorvo: The Dictatorship of Truth” (37 min.)
- Making-Of Documentary: “Marxist Poetry” (51 min.)
- Featurette: “Five Directors” (17 min.)
Disc Three:
- Documentary: “Remembering History” (1 hr. 9 min.)
- Documentary Excerpt: “États d’armes” (28 min.)
- Discussion: “The Battle of Algiers: A Case Study” (25 min.)
- Documentary: “Gillo Pontecorvo’s Return to Algiers” (58 min.)
56-Page Booklet
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