In the film The Battle of Algiers by Gillo Pontecorvo, music plays an essential role in each scene of the film. For example, when French soldiers march through the streets, the music has a mysterious quality that means an attack is imminent. When you look at the French point of view, it has a European tone and when you move to the Algerian point of view, it has a North African feel. Ennio Morricone's music draws attention to these horrific attacks and allows the viewer to feel sympathy for both the Algerians and the French. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get original essay The Battle of Algiers depicts the bloody struggles of Algerian rebels known as the National Liberation Front (FLN), then that they launch a gorilla type war against the French colonists. Many scenes show the rebels blowing up largely occupied French areas. These various bombings triggered a total war forcing many French soldiers to embark on an intense search for members of the FLN. The aim of these various FLN attacks is to incite the Algerian people to resist the French. During their first large-scale attack, the European battle song is played during this scene in place of the Algerian theme music, as it shows that the French are still the dominant power in Algeria. Although these attacks show the resistance of the FLN, the music also helps to convey that Algerians are all truly united to fight a common enemy. With the music alluding to this, the viewer feels the struggle of the FLN as it plans resistance movements and attempts to unite its people to fight a similar enemy. During the big riot scenes, the music plays like you're watching a documentary. This effect makes the footage you're watching look like it actually happened and is the real deal. Watching the aftermath of each attack while the music plays gives you a feeling of sympathy for these innocent people caught in the crossfire of this bloody revolution. During the initial shooting of the film, Pontecorvo would whistle during filming so as not to lose the rhythm of the film. He did this because the music was a vital part of the film as it helped portray both sides equally and gave them similarities. French counter-guerrilla tactics of torturing people for information are encompassed in religious music because they emphasize this greater authority and the degradation each prisoner suffers. The music in these scenes creates a symbol for these characters, allowing them to feel as if they are transcended and giving them an almost sacred personality. According to famous film critic Pauline Kael, in the soundtrack she describes it as “a form of restlessness: sometimes the strange percussive sound is like an engine that cannot start; thumping music gives the audience a sense of impending horror at every critical point; the high-pitched, rhythmic, bird-like cries coming from the Casbah tell us that all life is exciting and cries out for freedom. Kael's quote makes a great point about the use of music in each scene. She describes it rather as an “engine that does not start”, because the FLN is struggling to find the support of the majority of the Algerian population. After the devastating French attack in an Algerian neighborhood, Algerians unite after witnessing the horrors of the consequences. At this moment, the Algerian combat song begins to create unity.