The Battle Of Algiers

While reading Peter Rainer's review of Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers, it seemed to be more of a informational piece rather than a commenting review. Though he does make a point of admitting he thinks it's "the most electrifyingly timely movie playing in New York", he only goes on to describe the actors involved in making the film and Pontecorvo himself.

I hoped to hear more of what he really liked about the film, and what techniques he enjoyed most. Though he describes techniques used he doesn't reflect on them. Even though I don't really believe this was a review per say, I learned alot from it. I didn't know that Pontecorvo was involved in the Milan resistance. I believe this is what helped this film become so successful, along with the fact it does a wonderful job at depicting realistic events that occured in the FLN resistance against the French. I also had no idea that actor Jean Martin had been blacklisted from France for signing a manifesto against the Algerian war. To me that is ironic he plays the French commander of war.

Overall Peter Rainer should have been published this not as a review but as an article. He does a wonderful job of describing what this film has been used for in the past and the people that were involved in the making of the film, but does poorly on commenting the stylistic details used, like many reviews do.