VINTAGE FILM The Battle of Algiers

The Algerian War of Independence from France (1954-62) makes few appearances in American classrooms, yet this highly-decorated and unforgettable film about a key battle between colonial French forces and the FNL has been a required course for adults who make war: It was screened at the Pentagon in following the invasion of Iraq, and shown to counter-insurgency trainees in the Argentine military. Banned in France for five years, quality reels (and DVDs) were in short supply until 2004.