Revenge Bombing, from "The Battle of Algiers" (1966), directed by Gillo Pontecorvo

One of the most palpitating sequences in all of cinema, from the greatest political film ever made. French colonial agents have detonated a bomb in the Casbah, killing many civilians. Three female FLN militants are recruited to take revenge, and must masquerade as westernized women to pass unchallenged. With only sparse dialogue, it focuses on faces, being careful to humanize both the bombers and their targets. Music is by the master, Ennio Morricone. I couldn't find any rip of this online that was hardcoded with English subtitles, so I figured out a way to embed them myself, which I swear was a technical challenge akin to the Apollo moon landing. Anyway, here it is. YouTube informs me that the copyright is restricted in some areas, so if you can't access this, there's an inferior rip without subtitles linked below. The rebel leader who first makes an appearance is Saadi Yacef, a genuine FLN revolutionary (Algeria won its independence in 1962) who co-produced the film with Pontecorvo. Notice how even a tiny role like the bombmaker's comes to life in the hands of the director and his exclusively non-professional actors (there's one pro elsewhere in the movie). "The Battle of Algiers" is always a highlight of my International Politics on Film course. Check out also the documentary, "Marxist Poetry," linked below; and the article on the real-life inspiration for one of the women bombers, Zohra Drif, who's published a book in English translation ("Inside the Battle of Algiers: Memoir of a Woman Freedom Fighter").

Rip without subtitles:

"Marxist Poetry: The Making of The Battle of Algiers" (documentary)

Inside the Battle of Algiers: An Evening with Zohra Drif (article)


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