The Battle of Algiers Page #16

MATHIEU:

That's enough, Martin ...

The lights are again switched on in the room. Mathieu is again next to

the desk, and waits a second until the buzz of comments subsides.

MATHIEU:

We must start again from scratch. The only

information that we have concerns the

structure of the organization. And we

shall begin from that ...

He takes a wooden pointer from the desk in order to illustrate the

graph, while he speaks with the tone and precision of a university

professor.

MATHIEU:

It is a pyramid-like organization divided

into a series of sectors. At the top of

the pyramid is their General Staff.

He has moved near the blackboard, and taken some chalk, and slowly as

he speaks, he illustrates his speech.

MATHIEU:

The military commander responsible for

the executive body finds the right man

and nominates him to responsibility for

a sector:
number one. Number one in his

turn, chooses another two: number two and

number three ... And so they form the

first triangle.

He has written high on the board a number one and below it, with some

space between them, the numbers two and three. He unites the three

numbers with lines and forms a triangle.

MATHIEU:

Now number two and number three choose,

in their turn, two men each ... number

four and five, and so on ...

Mathieu writes the new numbers, spacing them on the next line. Then he

unites two to four and five, and three to six and seven, forming two

new triangles.

Mathieu has written other numbers and unites them to those of the

preceding line and thus forms other triangles. Now the blackboard is

covered by a series of triangles that form a large pyramid.

MATHIEU:

The reason for this geometry is so that

every militant will know only three

members in the entire organization: his

commander who has chosen him, and the two

members that he himself has chosen ...

Contacts take place only by written

instructions ... That is why we do not

know our adversaries: because, in

practice, they do not even know each

other.

Mathieu leaves the blackboard and moves near the officers. The tone of

his voice changes. The explanation is now finished. He gives

directions ...

MATHIEU:

To know them means to eliminate them.

Consequently, the military aspect is

secondary to the police method. I know we

are not fond of this word, but it is the

only word that indicates exactly the type

of work that we must perform. We must

make the necessary investigations in

order to proceed from one vertex to

another in the entire pyramid. The

reason for this work is information. The

method is interrogation. And

interrogation becomes a method when

conducted in a manner so as to always

obtain a result, or rather, an answer.

In practice, demonstrating a false

humanitarianism only leads to the

ridiculous and to impotence. I am

certain that all the units will

understand and react accordingly.

However, success does not depend solely

on us. We need to have the Casbah at our

disposal. We must sift through it ... and

interrogate everyone. And here is where

we find ourselves hindered by a

conspiracy of laws and regulations that

continue to be operative, as if Algiers

were a holiday resort and not a

battleground. We have requested a carte

blanche. But it is very difficult to

obtain. Therefore, it is necessary to

find an excuse to legitimize our

intervention, and make it possible. It

is necessary to create it ourselves --

this excuse. Unless our adversaries will

think of it themselves, which seems to be

what they are doing.

74ALLEY UPPER CASBAH. OUTSIDE. DAY.

It is not a song, but a type of spoken chorus, an assembly of young

voices, words whispered from the throat, both high and low, and sudden

silent pauses. It is monotonous; but it is just such a repetition,

always with the same pattern of tones -- high, low, then, silent --

that manages to transform itself into a motif, reach an excited pitch,

and acquire breadth and solemnity. The sound fills the alleys, rises

toward the long rectangle of sky, and moves farther away as if it were

meant to be heard by all.

The alley is narrow and sloping, with crumbling walls, tufts of grass,

and refuse. It is located at the outer periphery of the Casbah -- the

countryside is in the background. An Algerian is walking with large

steps; a five-year-old child is behind him, moving quickly, stumbling

from time to time on the pavement; although he does not cry,

occasionally he calls to his father, who proceeds forward, and does not

turn around. The chorus arises from behind them. It is incoherent. They

stop in front of a door; they have arrived. The door gives way and they

enter.

75KORAN SCHOOL. INSIDE. DAY.

A large room, like a shop or stable. Here too, on the ground and

pavement, there are tufts of grass. It is cold. The walls are

unplastered, the windows boarded. The roof is in sight, but not the

beams. The roof is made of tiles and covered with a coat of whitewash.

There are about twenty children, five to eight years old, seated on the

floor. The teacher is in front of them; he too is seated. He is

prompting the verses in a low voice, almost in a whisper, and the

chorus repeats it.

The Koran School: a bare, wobbling place.

The Algerian who has entered takes the child by his hand, and

accompanies him to the teacher who is now standing; the chorus

continues; the other children, do not look at the two who have just

entered.

The Algerian and the teacher greet each other, bringing their hands to

their hearts, and then to their mouths. At the same time, the teacher

takes an envelope from under his tunic, and hands it over to the other.

SPEAKER:

"To all militants! After two years of

hard struggle in the mountains and city,

the Algerian people have obtained a great

victory. The UN Assembly has placed the

Algerian question in its forthcoming

agenda. The discussion will begin on

Monday, January 28. Starting Monday, for

a duration of eight days, the NLF is

calling a general strike. For the

duration of this period, all forms of

armed action or attempts at such are

suspended. We are requesting that all

militants mobilize for the strike's

organization and success."

The Algerian has hidden the envelope inside his tunic, then presents

the child to the teacher, who makes him sit down with the other

children The teacher also returns to his place and sits down, and

suggests a new phrase; the chorus continues. The Algerian leaves the

school.

76ALLEY UPPER CASBAH. OUTSIDE. DAY.

Having passed through the door, he again moves along the alley, this

time descending, with hurried steps. The chorus continues, again heard

from without, but its echo is now different.

77VARIOUS VIEWS CASBAH. OUTSIDE/INSIDE. DAY.

Bars, stores, market stalls, "Arab baths." Typewritten pieces of paper

are used to wrap purchases, or slipped inside bags, or used on the

blank side to add up bills and then handed to the customers.

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