About

Tracing the struggle of the Algerian Front de Liberation Nationale to gain freedom from French colonial rule as seen through the eyes of Ali from his start as a petty thief to his rise to prominence in the organisation and capture by the French in 1957. The film traces the rebels' struggle and the increasingly extreme measures taken by the French government to quell the revolt.

8.1
1,277
Directed by

Gillo Pontecorvo

Written by

Gillo Pontecorvo (Writer)
Franco Solinas (Writer)

Runtime

121 minutes

Country

Italy, Algeria

Language

Italian

Tagline

The Revolt that Stirred the World!

Cast

Keywords

military muslim independence torture resistance bomb revolution united nations government casbah algerian insurrection

Photos

Lists

#66 on 1,000 greatest films They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?

#120 on Empire's 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time Empire

#6 on The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema Empire

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Steven Jay Schneider

Awards

Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film

Oscar nomination for Best Director

Oscar nomination for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen