HORS LA LOI 2010
by
Rachid Bouchareb
This is the story of three brothers who take the Algerian War of Independence from their native country to France. Most of the events play out between 1945 and 1961, beginning with the Setif Massacre in Algeria in May-June 1945.
The eldest brother finds himself in a French prison. The middle one becomes a hustler who knows how to earn money by any means. The youngest one enlists, goes to Vietnam and comes back with ideas of liberty and nationalism.
The trio and their mother get reunited in France. By 1954, the FLN replaces MNA as the sole Algerian challenger to the French. An era of violence, assassinations and bombings begins. Counter-violence is not too far. Reprisals are brutal. Hors la loi is the story of how Algerian turn the heat on the French.
The film is too heavily inspired by Godfather in its beginning, and then assumes the form of a gangster film. Tension is maintained throughout, and the film gets progressively darker. This is a very fine film on the Algerian War of Independence, one that is highly recommended.
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