The Battle of Algiers Christian Review

The Battle of Algiers isn’t your run-of-the-mill war movie. It doesn’t ask you to sit back, watch the explosions, and cheer for the heroes. Instead, it’s a film that pulls you into the thick of things, makes you squirm a bit, and doesn’t let you walk away with easy answers. It’s about the Algerian struggle for independence from French colonial rule in the 1950s, but it’s also about so much more—about what it means to fight for justice, what war does to people on both sides, and what happens when the lines between right and wrong get blurred beyond recognition.

No Heroes, Just People

From the start, this film makes one thing clear: there are no heroes here, just humans, caught in the messiness of their circumstances. The Algerians want their freedom, and they’ll do whatever it takes to get it. The French, clinging to their colonial power, will use whatever means necessary to stop them. The film doesn’t let you cheer for anyone. It doesn’t glorify the violence of the Algerian resistance, nor does it shy away from showing the brutal tactics used by the French. Watching this as a Christian, you’re left with a deep sense of discomfort. We like our stories to have clear heroes and villains, but life—especially in situations like this—isn’t that simple.

The Bible tells us to “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44), but it’s hard to imagine that in the world of The Battle of Algiers. Both sides are trapped in this spiral of violence, and it’s not easy to figure out how anyone could break free of it. You watch the film and you feel the weight of human brokenness, the kind that doesn’t just affect individuals but entire nations.

Violence That Cuts Deep

The violence in The Battle of Algiers isn’t glamorous. There’s no grand showdown, no heroes emerging triumphant. What you get instead is a grim look at what violence does to people, both the perpetrators and the victims. The Algerian resistance fighters plant bombs in cafes and nightclubs, targeting civilians. The French military responds with mass arrests, torture, and ruthless counter-insurgency tactics. Watching it all unfold, it’s impossible not to feel conflicted.

It’s easy to say that violence is wrong, that we should turn the other cheek, but when you see the oppression that the Algerians are fighting against, it becomes harder to make those neat distinctions. They’re fighting for their freedom, for their dignity. But as Christians, we know that violence, even in the name of a good cause, has a way of corrupting. It doesn’t just hurt the enemy; it eats away at the soul of the person committing it. You see this in the film, in the way the French soldiers become hardened, and in the way the Algerians start to lose their humanity as they descend deeper into the fight.

There’s a scene that sticks with me—an Algerian woman calmly plants a bomb in a crowded café, knowing full well it will kill innocent people. It’s chilling, not just because of the act itself but because of how ordinary it seems in the context of the war. You watch it and think, “How did we get here? How did this become acceptable?” It’s a powerful reminder of how far sin can take us when we let hatred and anger take over.

Where’s the Justice?

The Battle of Algiers raises all sorts of questions about justice, oppression, and how far you’re willing to go to fight for what’s right. The Algerians are fighting against colonialism, and as Christians, we can recognize that there’s something deeply unjust about their situation. The Bible speaks often about justice—about standing up for the oppressed and fighting against injustice (Isaiah 1:17). But how do you do that without losing your soul? That’s the question the film leaves hanging in the air.

The Algerians believe that their only option is violence. They see it as the only way to shake off the yoke of colonialism. But what does that violence cost them? As Christians, we’re called to seek justice, but we’re also called to be peacemakers. There’s a tension there that’s hard to resolve. Can you fight for justice without resorting to violence? The film doesn’t give an answer, but it forces you to wrestle with the question.

And then there’s the French, using any means necessary to maintain control. They see themselves as upholding order, but the brutality of their methods—torture, executions, collective punishment—paints a different picture. They claim to be fighting for civilization, but what kind of civilization are they protecting when they’re willing to dehumanize their enemies in the process? It’s a stark reminder that power, when unchecked, has a way of corrupting, and even the side that thinks it’s in the right can lose its moral bearings.

No Easy Answers

This isn’t a film that ties things up neatly at the end. There’s no happy resolution, no clear sense of justice being served. The Algerians eventually win their independence, but it doesn’t feel like a victory. The violence has left scars that run deep, on both sides. Watching it as a Christian, you’re left with a sense of the brokenness of the world, the way that sin distorts everything it touches. War, violence, oppression—it all feels like part of the fallen world we live in, and The Battle of Algiers doesn’t shy away from showing that.

But even in the midst of all this darkness, there’s a glimmer of hope. The film doesn’t dwell on it, but you can’t help but think about the possibility of reconciliation, of peace. It’s what we’re called to as Christians, after all. The challenge is in figuring out how to live that out in a world that seems so far from it.

The Power of Empathy

One of the most remarkable things about The Battle of Algiers is the way it refuses to let you dehumanize anyone. The film doesn’t let you write off the Algerians as terrorists or the French as oppressors. Instead, it shows the humanity of everyone involved—the fear, the anger, the desperation. This is where the film’s power lies, and where it has something important to say to us as Christians.

We’re called to love our enemies, to see the image of God in every person, no matter how far they’ve fallen. The Battle of Algiers reminds us of that. It forces us to look at both sides, to see the people behind the violence, and to ask ourselves how we might respond in their situation. It’s not an easy thing to do, but it’s necessary.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, The Battle of Algiers is a film that doesn’t give you easy answers, but it forces you to ask the hard questions. As Christians, we can’t ignore the themes of justice, violence, and oppression that run through the film. It’s a movie that challenges us to think deeply about how we respond to a broken world, about what it means to seek justice in a way that honors God.

It’s not a comfortable film to watch, but maybe that’s the point. It leaves you feeling unsettled, forcing you to confront the messy, complicated reality of human conflict. And in that discomfort, it invites us to reflect on how we can be agents of peace in a world that desperately needs it.