Pontecorvos Battle of Algiers Gillo Pontecorvos Battle of Algiers, although filmed in the late 1950s, remains one of the most powerful and emotionally stimulating films of the modern era. The realism captured by cinematographer Marcello Gatti served as a template for directors and photographers to shape and shape equally great works in the years to come. Gatti's revolutionary use of the handheld camera was instrumental in creating the simulated eyewitness narrative. So much so that it was necessary to state that no footage of news footage was used in its making so that the public would not be confused or misled. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay The most intriguing scene in the film is undoubtedly the bombing of the downtown cafe located near the casbah. As our own country's tragedy approaches, the emotion and confusion continue to run high, and Pontecorvo and Gatti's ability to capture such a catastrophic event in such an apocalyptic manner cannot help but amaze. fueling the emotional fire of modern audiences. As a New York firefighter said as America's famous towers burned: "It's almost a beautiful thing." One can't help but feel irritated or confused by this statement, but it is true of all modern tragedies. The power of the Pontecorvos cafe scene lies in the beauty of the hideous, capturing a heinous crime against humanity so realistically that, in all its gruesome forms, it still remains awe-inspiring. It also strikes a chord on a personal level, as the world arms itself for an all-too-familiar religious war. The sequence in which Algerian women shed their religious clothing and arm themselves with explosives is another example of the magnificence of modern tragedy. When you live a life of war, it's the enemy you don't see coming who always deals the fatal blow. This story can be seen in modern times, just as it was reenacted in the Battle of Algiers. All it takes is a late-night watch of CNN or MSNBC to see someone boarding a bus, only to see it explode at the next stop, or a woman, just like those in the film, exploding in a crowded market. In my opinion, and not on the eve of the anniversary of one of the most documented disasters in history, The Battle of Algiers remains one of the most emotionally powerful films that I have never filmed. As previously stated, discovering the beauty of an event so shocking that it is only seen by a select few once in a lifetime is an incredible cinematic feat, as well as a human one. The main thing is that Pontecorvo exposes us to the radiation of human tragedy, even if we try to look away..