The Battle Of Algiers (1966)

Argent Films launches its new HD Collection of Cinema Classics with the first ever UK Blu-ray release of one of the most acclaimed films of all time. Presented uncut and digitally remastered in HD from the original 35mm print, this release of The Battle Of Algiers, released on 9th July 2012, also commemorates the 50th anniversary of Algerian independence.

Set during the 1954 to 1962 Franco-Algerian conflict, the film effectively and authentically recreates the pivotal political events that took place in the city of Algiers between 1954 and 1957.

In an attempt to end French colonialism, which had been in place since 1830, in 1954 the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN) began a war of liberation, using terrorism to highlight the plight of the Algerian people to the rest of the world. In response to the escalating terrorist violence in the city of Algiers, the French government sent in an armed force of paratroopers to crush the uprising. Authorised to use whatever force and methods were believed to be necessary in bringing an end to the revolution, the actions of the French military led to a regrettable catalogue of atrocities being committed by those on both sides of the conflict.

The deserved winner of numerous awards, including a BAFTA UN Award and both the Golden Lion and the FIPRESCI Award at the 1966 Venice Film Festival, the film is a regular fixture in critics' and filmmakers' "Greatest Movies of All Time" lists and was also nominated for three Oscars, including Best Director and Best Foreign Language Film. An extremely powerful, deeply moving and often shocking cinematic experience, it's an astonishing film that presents a poignant and admirably unbiased view of a tragic period in modern history. As powerful today as it was on its original release, it is, perhaps, even more relevant in today's global political climate than ever before and makes for essential viewing.

Please note - Disc special features are subject to change, may differ from format to format and/or may differ from region to region.