The Battle of Algiers

The film opens with revolutionary cells taking shape in the Casbah, as groups recruit, train, and lay the groundwork for the uprising. Residents discuss politics and grievances, and early acts of resistance begin to form the backbone of the revolt. This origin story sets the tone for the three-year struggle that follows.

French paratroopers descend on Algiers to crush the FLN and capture its leadership. The occupation brings a harsher, more organized violence that targets both militants and civilians. The campaign aims to isolate the insurgent command and break the movement from within.

The paratroopers focus on decapitating the FLN, neutralizing its leadership through assassinations or arrests. As the environment turns deadly in the Casbah, the network of cells adapts to tighter surveillance and harsher repression. The struggle intensifies, creating cycles of retaliation.

Ali La Pointe, a petty criminal, becomes politically radicalized in prison. He is recruited by FLN commander El-Hadi Jafar and rises as a key figure within the movement’s urban network. His personal arc mirrors the broader turn from local grievance to organized rebellion.

Three women militants—Djamila, Zohra, and Hassiba—join the struggle, carrying out an urban terrorist attack as part of the FLN’s strategy to broaden its reach. Their actions challenge traditional gender roles and show how the insurgency mobilizes women within the Casbah. The attack underscores the spread of violence into everyday life.

The Milk Bar Café bombing is depicted as one of the signature attacks used to harass Europeans and disrupt daily routines. The act of terrorism escalates fear and leads to a harsher security response from authorities. It also highlights the moral ambiguities of both sides in the conflict.

The FLN commandeers the Casbah, imposing a parallel authority and conducting summary executions of criminals and suspected French collaborators. The area becomes a theater for public displays of power and fear. The civilians are swept into the broader insurgency as participants or victims.

French paratroopers intensify the crackdown with torture, intimidation, and murder to extract information and deter resistance. The brutality fuels further resentment and drives some locals toward the FLN's cause. The cycle of violence hardens loyalties on both sides.

Ali La Pointe’s leadership within the FLN’s urban insurgency grows as he coordinates local cells under El-Hadi Jafar's command. His transformation from petty criminal to guerilla organizer embodies the broader shift of Algerians toward organized resistance. The Casbah's street-level warfare centers on his efforts.

Little Omar, a street urchin, serves as an FLN messenger, illustrating how the rebellion extends into all layers of society. His presence shows the movement’s reliance on even the youngest and most vulnerable to relay information. The character highlights the insurgency’s reach into daily life.

In 1957 a raid on Ali La Pointe’s hideout follows after a compatriot betrays him under torture. The paratroopers surround his home and declare the 'organization' finished, delivering a bleak turning point for the urban struggle. The sequence closes the film’s flashback before returning to the present.

The coda shows nationalist demonstrations and riots as a sign of popular support for independence. It suggests that while France may have won the Battle of Algiers tactically, the broader war for Algerian independence was ultimately lost. The film ends on a sobering note about the costs of occupation and the inevitability of change.