The Battle Of Algiers Film Analysis

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Recommended: Guerilla warfare in the 20th century

It is 1957 and the Algerian war is at its prime as the FLN fight against an elite troop of ruthless French paratroopers. The Battle of Algiers is a portion of the Algerian war which was fought in order for Algeria to gain independence from France. The film starts off with the torturing of an old man to gain information on where the last of the freedom fighters, Ali Pointe is hiding. A large segment of the film is shot in flashbacks focusing on the past of Ali Pointe. Pointe was a ruffian with theft and drugs on his record; he joined the militants to assist in getting rid of the problems in Algeria associated with the French. With the flashbacks the film tells the struggles of the insurgents and the persistence of the French to end the war. It shows the transformation of the insurgency into a full out revolution. When the flashbacks ends and it is now present time Ali Pointe, along with the rest of the FLN leaders captured are beheaded. Through this, the FLN reciprocate and the insurgency becomes a full on national revolution with growth in numbers and support. The film ends with Algeria gaining the independence it strived for in 1962. The film is important in understanding asymmetric conflicts because despite being the weaker side, Algeria had proved itself to be much stronger than the French and had its newfound independence to show for it.
Insurgency is defined as a rebellion against an indigenous government or a foreign occupier. In an asymmetric war there are two sides a strong and a weak side which have two strategies each. The French, who were the “stronger” side used “direct attack” which aimed at destroying the weak actor’s (Algeria) armed forces and thereby their capacity to offer violent resistance. During the seco...

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...ll to fight, more superior strategy as well as support from the outside.
In conclusion, despite being portrayed as the weaker side of the war, Algeria came out on top and got what it wanted from France. The film and Record article both present the idea of asymmetric war as a topic of significance. What the United States can learn about insurgency and counterinsurgency operations is to construct a military that is trained and skilled in things such as the language and culture of the country so that it has a logistical advantage over the enemy as well as to put less focus on the technological aspect. More time should be devoted into building the will to fight in our soldiers so that we don’t lose to the weak. Overall looking into the strategies of why the weak win as well as adapting these strategies to our military will help us be more successful in our wars.

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