The Battle of Algiers follows the FNL movement and uprising against Algeria’s French colonizers in a vie for autonomy. Through the actions of the FNL’s leaders like Ali La Pointe and El-Hadi Jaffar, the story of the violence that ensued to create the Casbah War plays out in this historical reenactment. Although the story itself is intense, the use of cinematography further enhances the viewer’s feelings of shock when scenes of cafes and dance parlors being blown up are shown on the screen. The choice of filming techniques brings the viewer in close to the unsuspecting victims that are then seen in the next shot dead.

Part of the Casbah War included Algerian women dressing as French women in order to pass through checkpoints without suspicion. They then went on to plant bombs in public spaces. The idea and reality of these crimes is harsh and powerful in and of itself however Marcello Gatti, the cinematographer for the film, made these scenes of violence even more powerful with the use of different filming angles and shots. The scenes begin with the camera following the female bomber into the target public space. Each woman is filmed spending time in the café and dance parlor before the shot changes to a close-up of the women’s purses being placed in an inconspicuous place. The camera then switches back to the women as they exit. After the women leave the scene, the cinematography captures the innocent patrons of the businesses. Including up-close shots, shots of people laughing, drinking, and going about their daily lives, the cinematographer brings the audience into the fact that these victims were completely unsuspecting and simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

After the viewer feels like they know the patrons and sees them as unthreatening and undeserving of violence, the camera angle switches to outside of the café and dance parlor where within seconds the buildings are leveled and bodies of the once lively and laughing people can be seen strewn amongst the rubble. Marcello Gatti could have focused only on the bombers and could have glazed over the patrons. However, he chose to have the viewers get to know the patrons and exist among them before they are killed.