The Battle of Algiers (1966)
0.2668Canon Score · ranked #61 all time
Aggregated from 11 of 31 authoritative lists, weighted by authority and adjusted for each list's scope and age. How scoring works →
About the film
Paratrooper commander Colonel Mathieu, a former French Resistance fighter during World War II, is sent to Algeria to reinforce efforts to squelch the uprisings of the Algerian War. There he faces Ali la Pointe, a former petty criminal who, as the leader of the Algerian Front de Liberation Nationale, directs terror strategies against the colonial French government occupation. As each side resorts to ever-increasing brutality, no violent act is too unthinkable.
Why it ranks #61
Every list on which The Battle of Algiers appears, with its position as published.
| List | Authority | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Sight & Sound Directors' 100 (2022) | Major international poll | #22 / 104 |
| Letterboxd Top 500 (2026-07 snapshot) | Editorial list | #30 / 500 |
| Halliwell's Top 1000 (2005) | Critics' canon | #38 / 1041 |
| Sight & Sound Critics' 250 (2022) | Major international poll | #46 / 264 |
| TIFF Essential 100 (2010) | Editorial list | #51 / 100 |
| Time Out 100 Best (2026 ed.) | Critics' canon | #89 / 99 |
| Empire 500 Greatest (2008) | Editorial list | #120 / 500 |
| Ebert Great Movies (I–IV) | Critics' canon | Selected |
| 1001 Movies (2003-2024 union) | Critics' canon | Selected |
| NYT Best 1000 Movies (2004) | Critics' canon | Selected |
| Venice Golden Lion winners | Award | Winner |