The Battle of Algiers

During a tense raid in 1957, Ali la Pointe's hidden sanctuary is exposed to the French Army after a brutal round of torture. A fellow fighter reveals the location, and the authorities broadcast that the FLN organization has been cornered. The moment underscores the brutal realities of counterinsurgency and foreshadows a wider crackdown.

The film rewinds to November 1954, opening the chronicle of the conflict in Algiers and the Casbah. The city is torn by violence as revolutionary cells begin to form and the security forces clamp down on dissent. The stage is set for years of urban warfare and political struggle.

Ali la Pointe, a petty criminal, is radicalized through prison experience and recruited into the FLN by commander El-hadi Jafar. He becomes a central organizer within the Casbah’s insurgent network. His path anchors the human story of the uprising.

Larbi Ben M'hidi emerges as a key FLN leader, providing the political rationale for resisting colonial rule. He helps mobilize fighters and frames the struggle in terms of national dignity and independence. His leadership voice legitimizes the insurgency among urban cadres.

Revolutionary cells proliferate across the city, coordinating attacks and expanding the campaign beyond countryside battles. The Casbah becomes a hub where clandestine networks plan operations against colonial authorities. The campaign begins to feel like a nationwide urban insurgency.

The Milk Bar Café bombing is carried out by FLN militants to pressure the colonial authorities. The attack demonstrates the insurgency's willingness to strike symbolic targets in the heart of the city. In response, security forces tighten their control and pursue suspects with renewed zeal.

Three urban guerrilla fighters—Djamila, Zohra, and Hassiba—undertake a bold terrorist attack that expands the campaign's reach. Their action illustrates the FLN's strategy to apply pressure through high-profile acts within the Casbah. It elevates the perception of risk for both civilians and authorities.

France commits paratroopers to dismantle the FLN, shifting to a hard counterinsurgency approach. The troops conduct swift strikes, arrests, and targeted killings aimed at breaking the FLN leadership. The Casbah becomes the primary arena for this intensified military effort.

Security forces employ coercion and intimidation as they press to suppress the uprising in the Casbah. Killings and indiscriminate violence target those suspected of aiding the insurgents. The population endures a brutal cycle of retaliation on both sides.

In retaliation against colonial measures, the FLN tightens its grip by executing suspected criminals and collaborators. This escalation demonstrates the insurgency's willingness to use swift, punitive measures to deter cooperation with the authorities. The street-level violence heightens fear throughout the Casbah.

Paratroopers press on with leadership-targeted strikes, assassinations, and arrests that aim to dismantle the FLN command. The campaign reveals the military side of counterinsurgency and how it can undermine clandestine networks. Yet it also illustrates the resilience of the FLN’s urban organization.

The film culminates with nationalist demonstrations and riots that suggest a paradox: visible political momentum can appear to favor one side, while the broader war remains unresolved. The crowds reflect a society deeply divided by the conflict and fear. The ending invites reflection on the price of independence.

The narrative begins and ends with Ali la Pointe, whose trajectory from petty criminal to insurgent frames the Casbah's struggle. His personal path mirrors the larger arc of the city’s resistance and the war’s toll on ordinary people. The closing moments tie his fate to the broader history of the conflict.