Comments on: TCM Pick O’ The Day: Friday, February 20th http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/02/19/tcm-pick-o-the-day-friday-february-20th/ Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:50:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: mediaguy http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/02/19/tcm-pick-o-the-day-friday-february-20th/comment-page-1/#comment-217250 mediaguy Sat, 21 Feb 2009 19:56:48 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/?p=55502#comment-217250 You write a about a film without seeing it? Does the concept of going to a video store or ordering a film from Netflix seem difficult? You write a about a film without seeing it? Does the concept
of going to a video store or ordering a film from Netflix seem difficult?

]]> By: flyingtiger http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/02/19/tcm-pick-o-the-day-friday-february-20th/comment-page-1/#comment-210638 flyingtiger Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:34:35 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/?p=55502#comment-210638 I always have to explain the end of this movie. It was meant to be leftist propaganda. The directer did his best to be as accurate as possible. He succeeded. The result is that he showed how the French destroyed the terrorist network. This is why this film is very popular with the Pentagon and other armies around the world. While the French won Algers they lost the war. The directer did not want to show the real reason why the French lost the war. I always have to explain the end of this movie. It was meant to be leftist propaganda. The directer did his best to be as accurate as possible. He succeeded. The result is that he showed how the French destroyed the terrorist network. This is why this film is very popular with the Pentagon and other armies around the world. While the French won Algers they lost the war. The directer did not want to show the real reason why the French lost the war.

]]> By: Leo http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/02/19/tcm-pick-o-the-day-friday-february-20th/comment-page-1/#comment-209338 Leo Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:41:42 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/?p=55502#comment-209338 The movie is blatantly dishonest. The insurgents killed far more of their own people than they did the French. It's less historically accurate than the new movie on Che. Cheer for the French and mourn the tens of thousands of Algerians massacred by the terrorists. The movie is blatantly dishonest. The insurgents killed far more of their own people than they did the French. It's less historically accurate than the new movie on Che. Cheer for the French and mourn the tens of thousands of Algerians massacred by the terrorists.

]]> By: KnightRider007 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/02/19/tcm-pick-o-the-day-friday-february-20th/comment-page-1/#comment-209270 KnightRider007 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:23:49 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/?p=55502#comment-209270 u should get the dvd of this one becouse it's chock full of interesting comments and history of that time. u should get the dvd of this one becouse it's chock full of interesting comments and history of that time.

]]> By: Mark_S http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/02/19/tcm-pick-o-the-day-friday-february-20th/comment-page-1/#comment-208842 Mark_S Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:28:57 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/?p=55502#comment-208842 I was thinking the same John.. but I'll have to admit, I haven't seen this one in a LONG time. I was thinking the same John.. but I'll have to admit, I haven't seen this one in a LONG time.

]]> By: Joe Weldon http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/02/19/tcm-pick-o-the-day-friday-february-20th/comment-page-1/#comment-208782 Joe Weldon Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:06:44 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/?p=55502#comment-208782 I thought Battle of Algiers was OK, no better. If you want to see a real movie that shows the development of a militant urban guerilla warfare campaign from the ground up, you should check out - and I'm NOT making up the name of this movie - The Spook Who Sat By The Door. It's now on DVD. I thought Battle of Algiers was OK, no better.

If you want to see a real movie that shows the development of a militant urban guerilla warfare campaign from the ground up, you should check out – and I'm NOT making up the name of this movie – The Spook Who Sat By The Door. It's now on DVD.

]]> By: NeoCon http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/02/19/tcm-pick-o-the-day-friday-february-20th/comment-page-1/#comment-208586 NeoCon Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:16:50 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/?p=55502#comment-208586 Stephen presents my original point, much better than I did. Thanks. Other movies that play fast and loose with the truth (such as 'Munich'), I am better able to criticize for their political posturing. Stephen presents my original point, much better than I did. Thanks. Other movies that play fast and loose with the truth (such as 'Munich'), I am better able to criticize for their political posturing.

]]> By: Joe http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/02/19/tcm-pick-o-the-day-friday-february-20th/comment-page-1/#comment-208134 Joe Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:55:29 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/?p=55502#comment-208134 Battle for Algiers is a great movie. It would be a shame for someone to miss this because they mistakenly believe it is leftist propaganda. The Muslims are not glorified, the French are not villainized. Terrorism and torture are the brutal tools each side employs against the other. Robert Avrech's essays don't much address the actual movie, except to say that Pontecorvo neglected a Jewish narrative. But the story is the Algerians terrorising the French to scare them into leaving the country, and the French efforts to protect themselves. See this movie for yourself and come to your own conclusion. It's well worth it. Battle for Algiers is a great movie. It would be a shame for someone to miss this because they mistakenly believe it is leftist propaganda. The Muslims are not glorified, the French are not villainized. Terrorism and torture are the brutal tools each side employs against the other. Robert Avrech's essays don't much address the actual movie, except to say that Pontecorvo neglected a Jewish narrative. But the story is the Algerians terrorising the French to scare them into leaving the country, and the French efforts to protect themselves. See this movie for yourself and come to your own conclusion. It's well worth it.

]]> By: stephen http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/02/19/tcm-pick-o-the-day-friday-february-20th/comment-page-1/#comment-208010 stephen Fri, 20 Feb 2009 07:55:51 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/?p=55502#comment-208010 Actually, this is an excellent film. It is remarkably fair in its depictions of both sides, in my opinion, though it shouldn't be taken as gospel. The documentary style is amazing, and it feels like you're watching the real history unfold. Personally, I don't like the French and I don't like empires, but this film didn't demonize them or hero-worship the terrorists, though it probably did support Algerian independence in the end. The Algerian revolutionaries were clearly Muslim, but their motivation was much more about gaining independence for their country than simply killing westerners, and their strategy eventually worked. However, to start out with, small bands of them are depicted murdering policeman and other government officials, and women are shown setting bombs in cafes and dance halls, killing dozens of innocent people. It also shows the French government striving to cope with this isurgency by setting up blockades around the Muslim section of town and methodically arresting and torturing to get to the center of the terrorist ring. The film does not pass judgment on any of these actions, it merely documents them and displays both sides rationalizations. In the end, even though the French kill all the terrorists, the people rise up en masse, and the French are forced to leave. It isn't a fun movie or an action flick, it deals with the issues clearly and methodically and leaves the judgment up to the viewers. Watch it. Actually, this is an excellent film. It is remarkably fair in its depictions of both sides, in my opinion, though it shouldn't be taken as gospel. The documentary style is amazing, and it feels like you're watching the real history unfold. Personally, I don't like the French and I don't like empires, but this film didn't demonize them or hero-worship the terrorists, though it probably did support Algerian independence in the end. The Algerian revolutionaries were clearly Muslim, but their motivation was much more about gaining independence for their country than simply killing westerners, and their strategy eventually worked. However, to start out with, small bands of them are depicted murdering policeman and other government officials, and women are shown setting bombs in cafes and dance halls, killing dozens of innocent people. It also shows the French government striving to cope with this isurgency by setting up blockades around the Muslim section of town and methodically arresting and torturing to get to the center of the terrorist ring. The film does not pass judgment on any of these actions, it merely documents them and displays both sides rationalizations. In the end, even though the French kill all the terrorists, the people rise up en masse, and the French are forced to leave. It isn't a fun movie or an action flick, it deals with the issues clearly and methodically and leaves the judgment up to the viewers. Watch it.

]]> By: Morgan http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/02/19/tcm-pick-o-the-day-friday-february-20th/comment-page-1/#comment-207610 Morgan Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:33:47 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/?p=55502#comment-207610 Shouldn't be embarrassed about not having seen this film, Mr. Nolte. Based on what Mr. Avrech has written about The Battle Of Algiers, I'm not inclined to see it. Most propagandized films don't appeal to me for obvious reasons (Just a few minutes of Alexander Nevsky convinced me of that; come to think of it, so did Platoon). Sometimes, the content makes the film less than worth it, no matter how well made it is. Shouldn't be embarrassed about not having seen this film, Mr. Nolte. Based on what Mr. Avrech has written about The Battle Of Algiers, I'm not inclined to see it. Most propagandized films don't appeal to me for obvious reasons (Just a few minutes of Alexander Nevsky convinced me of that; come to think of it, so did Platoon). Sometimes, the content makes the film less than worth it, no matter how well made it is.

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