African identities and critical postcolonial theory dialectic of heuristics in The Battle of Algiers

Postcolonial theory usefully guided anti-colonial activities and literary criticism for most of the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Critics have, however, questioned its nature, limits, and the continued relevance of its structures in contemporary times. This article probes the dialectic of postcolonial methods and theories, arguing that a disjunction exists between today’s postcolonialism and the theoretical signs mobilized to represent it. It makes a case for revising the referent of postcolonial theory from history to heurism, with the aim of making it more responsive to the critique of contemporary realities. This article demonstrates the use of heuristic criticism by applying this new orientated theory, which is termed critical postcolonial theory, to examine postcolonial African identities as constructed in The Battle of Algiers. The question addressed here is: How does postcolonial theory influence how African identities are constructed, and what is the place of heuristics in improving this process?.