The Battle of Algiers Page #25

MATHIEU:

I don't trust you either. First stand up

so I can see you, and keep your hands

still and well in sight.

Mourad hesitates an instant, glances at Ramel, then:

MOURAD:

Okay. But we want your promise for a fair

trial in writing. Give us a written

statement, Mathieu, and then we'll

surrender.

MATHIEU:

How can I give you this statement?

MOURAD:

We'll lower a basket from the window ...

MATHIEU:

Okay, I'll make the statement in

writing ...

Mourad shows his companion the two large time-bombs that are on the

floor in front of him. He takes one, begins to prepare it, and

regulates the mechanism.

At the same time, he tells Ramel in Arabic to go find the basket.

Ramel crawls past the doors which are all closed, and asks for a basket.

A door opens and an old woman appears. She hands him a basket with its

cord rolled up.

MOURAD:

(without turning around)

A newspaper too, or a piece of paper ...

Ramel brings him the basket and newspaper. Mourad has loaded the time-

bomb mechanism, and the tic-toc sound is sharp and clear.

Now he has to move the second hand. Mourad's hands do not tremble, his

glance is attentive, concentrating. Ramel watches him without saying a

word; his fear is obvious.

Without moving, his eyes glued to the bomb dial:

MOURAD:

(loudly)

Are you ready, colonel?

MATHIEU:

Yes ... But let me first see you.

Mourad moves one of the clock hands to precede the other one by a

minute. Immediately afterward he places the flat and rectangular bomb

in the bottom of the basket.

The basket seems to be empty. The piece of newspaper protects its

bottom. Mourad tells Ramel to get up, and he too gets up. Their machine

guns are lying on the ground. Meanwhile, Mourad has begun to count to

himself silently, his lips moving: one, two, three, four ...

From the terrace, the paras can see Ramel and Mourad standing up not

very far away, their empty hands resting near the basket on the

railing.

A para shouts:

PARA:

We see them. You can come.

Mourad begins to lower the basket very slowly.

MOURAD:

(counting)

60, 59, 58, 57, 56, 55, 54, 53 ...

Mathieu enters the courtyard together with an officer and other paras.

He looks up toward the balcony, smiles, and shows them a folded piece

of paper.

MATHIEU:

Here it is ... you know that when I give

my word, I keep it ...

Mourad does not answer, but looks at Mathieu as if to calculate the

distance and time, and slows down even more the basket's descent.

Mathieu moves forward a few steps, as if to go for the basket that is

hanging on the other side of the courtyard, but suddenly he seems

perplexed for a second, and then changes his mind. He turns to the

nearest para, and gives him the note.

MATHIEU:

You go ...

Mourad's face has remained motionless. In his expression there is a

shade of disappointment. He sees Mathieu retrace his steps toward the

door, and is now surrounded by a group of paratroopers ...

MOURAD:

(counting)

25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19 ...

The basket has stopped moving two yards from the ground. In order to

reach it, the para has to step over the corpses of his dead companions,

his face hardens, he reaches the basket, and extending his arm, he

throws in the note. The basket does not move; the para looks up.

PARA:

(muttering)

Hurry up, black bastard!

Mourad smiles at him, and mumbles something in Arabic, a phrase that he

doesn't manage to finish, for now is heard -- the explosion.

129RUE CATON 4. FATHIA'S HOUSE. INSIDE. NIGHT. SEPTEMBER 2.

Rue Caton number four. It is 11 p.m. A large, badly lit room is filled

with paratroopers and one of them is now being carried away on a

stretcher. Another three or four wounded are seated on the opposite

side of the room and are waiting their turn to be carried away.

Two paras are by the door. They look out from time to time, and are

attentive, ready, with machine guns clutched by their sides.

On the other side of the room opposite the door, the Algerians who live

in the house are standing against the wall. Mathieu is in front of

them, and he is asking a group of women:

MATHIEU:

Which one of you is Fathia?

A woman about forty years old raises her eyes toward him.

MATHIEU:

Is it you?

The woman nods yes.

MATHIEU:

Go up the stairs, and tell Kader that if

they don't surrender, we'll blow up

everything ... Do you understand?

The woman again nods yes, and without waiting for more words, she moves

toward the door, taciturn, silent. Mathieu follows her, he pushes past

her.

MATHIEU:

Try to convince him, if you care about

your house ... Wait a minute ... Do you

want to get killed?

He leans out the door and says loudly:

MATHIEU:

Kader, look. Fathia is coming ... I

wouldn't shoot ...

Then he steps aside and lets the woman pass.

MATHIEU:

Go on ...

Outside the door, there is a small landing, then a steep stairway, and

at the top, a corridor. Fathia climbs the stairs that are cluttered

with empty magazines, with cartridge boxes. The walls are chipped from

the shooting. The ceiling is parallel to the stairway at the same

inclination, for part of its distance. But for the last few yards, it

straightens out and lowers to become horizontal.

The floor of the hiding place is open. Inside are Zohra and Kader.

Fathia repeats to them in Arabic what Mathieu has said to her.

Kader listens to her then answers, he too in Arabic. Then he smiles.

KADER:

Okay ... You can tell the colonel to blow

up whatever he likes. Go on, now.

Fathia goes down the stairs, and reenters the room.

FATHIA:

(to Mathieu)

He said that you can blow up whatever

you like ...

She, then, rejoins the other women.

Mathieu seems to be tired, he has lost weight, he is nervous. He turns

to his men, and slowly as he gives the orders, the paras begin to move.

MATHIEU:

Return to where the others are. Prepare

the plastic. It should be placed on the

ceiling of the stairway under the hiding

place ... a long fuse rolled up ... Take

cover ... keep shooting while you are

working. Quickly! Clear the house ...

Bring them outside, then check the rooms

again ... Hurry up!

Kader gives Zohra a box of matches. She goes to the back of the hiding

place where there is a bundle of papers. She lights them, then returns

near to Kader who is inspecting the magazine of his machine gun.

There are only two shots left. The other empty magazines are scattered

around. Kader turns to Zohra, and starts to speak, but suddenly his

words are blurred by the sound of shots.

Kader and Zohra have to step back a little, because the shells are

flashing at the edge of the opening.

The shooting stops. From the stairway, one end of a long fuse is

thrown into the corridor. The other end is inserted into a plastic

charge fastened to the ceiling of the stairway, under the hiding place.

Kader and Zohra can see two or three yards in front of them, below,

into the corridor, where the end of the fuse is glowing and burning.

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