Pepe le Moko Powerpoint

1. Pepe le Moko
Part One
Themes, Settings, Context, Visual Composition

2. Discussion Questions
 1. As your readings demonstrated, North Africa in general
and Algeria in particular were fairly diverse. What
populations have existed in Algeria? Which civilizations
influenced its development? What connections between
Global North and South can be seen in the history of
Algeria? What elements of this diversity and history are
visible in Pepe le Moko?
 2. What is classical narration or the classical Hollywood style?
Is Pepe le Moko classical in its composition, and if so why?
 3. Who is the implied audience for this film? How do we
know this? How does the implied audience shape the view
of Algeria offered by the film?

3. Context
 Made during the colonial era, set in Algeria, officially a
Department of France
 Made collaboratively in studio production style with many
of the “stars” of French cinema (actors, producers, set
designers, etc.)
 Regarded as one of the great examples of colonial cinema

4. Setting

5. Historical Setting
 Colonial Algiers
 The Casbah
 1930s
 References to French control, power (the police, the efficacy
of the police)
 Use of colonial era iconography to represent Algeria
(feminized, violent, dirty, chaotic)

6. The Colonial Imaginary

7. North Africa

8. Iconography of North Africa
Exoticism /
Eroticism Violence / Danger

9. Settings (Scenes)
Exotic / Erotic /
Dangerous Beautiful / Civilized

10. Foreign, Unknowable,
Dangerous
Foreign / chaotic Criminal Dangerous

11. Casbah as Prison

12. Themes
 France vs. Algeria
 (Pepe vs. Slimane, Gaby vs. Ines, Slimane vs. Paris Police)
 Law / order vs. violence, chaos, crime
 Paris vs. Algiers
 Entrapment
 Power of destiny
 Love as only possible among those who are alike
 Restoration of order