Hello, all! We’ll continue lurking in the trenches of World War I with today’s recommendation with a film that focuses on one of the more controversial battles in the so-called “Great War.” Specifically, it’s the battle that very nearly derailed future PM Winston Churchill’s career, with opponents repeatedly shouting “Remember the Dardanelles” at him unto [and even after] his resigning his cabinet position entirely. Luckily for us, he would “never give in,” tho’ those who were deployed to fight the supposed “sick man of Europe” would eventually be forced to do just that. Indeed, as you’ve likely guessed, today’s pick is GALLIPOLI, a terrific film by Peter Weir [who also directed an earlier pick (MASTER AND COMMANDER) in this “series”] about the battle of the same name. The trailer for the film is embedded below:
Many folks were probably introduced to Mel Gibson either by MAD MAX or THE ROAD WARRIOR [like GALLIPOLI, also released in 1981], but it’s this movie that really established him as an actor with some serious acting chops. His turn as ANZAC soldier Frank Dunne here is rock-solid, and like yesterday’s pick, the film is carried largely by the relationship between him and a fellow runner turned soldier, Archy Hamilton [played by Mark Lee]. Some might complain that the film spends too much time establishing the friendship between the two men, but I’d reply that the ending of the film would not underscore nearly so well the futility of the battle [and of the war (and war)] in general if it didn’t.
For those unfamiliar with the battle, Churchill [and others] felt like Gallipoli would be the soft underbelly of the enemy forces, easily exploited and hopefully changing the tide of the war. As it turned out, the British/ANZAC troops barely even made it off the beach before they had to dig in, ultimately throwing one pointless wave after another into the meat grinder between the two forces. Nearly every battle in the First World War would see the generals of both sides throw their forces into the fray like so much cannon fodder, but I don’t know of a battle other than at Gallipoli where the casualties of such a war of attrition were quite so evenly distributed. To wit, both sides lost almost exactly 250,000 troops. At other famous battlefields of The Great War, from Verdun to the Somme and so forth, one side or the other would lose at least tens of thousands, and sometimes more than a hundred thousand more troops than the opposing force. [Yes, that mini historical summary was included in hopes of helping the viewer of this film to appreciate just how frustratingly futile the battle was for the Allied troops.]
As was alluded to above, the film spends an awful lot of time developing the relationship between the two lead characters, especially in establishing both as gifted sprinters. And yes, for the shrewd viewer, that’s a level one foreshadowing alert. After the two decide to volunteer to fight, it’s the old-fashioned “hurry up and wait” shtick, with a fair amount of time being spent with the troops before they’re thrown into harm’s way. One of the more memorable of these downtime scenes – specifically, one talking about the use of prophylactics – was indirectly called back on in HAMBURGER HILL. Regardless, the film does inevitably move from the rear echelon to the front line, and it achieves one of the more jarring, dramatic moments in any of the war films addressed in this “series,” incorporating Albinoni’s “Adagio in G Minor” in simply brilliant fashion. There really are very few films that more perfectly marry the on-screen action with the musical score, and with a selection not specifically written for the film, to boot.
For anyone who wants to examine a film that examines one of the lesser-known battles from The Great War [the recent THE WATER DIVINER notwithstanding], and one that has a profound emotional gut punch after a good slow burn in the second act, this one is for you. Enjoy!
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (Director's Cut); Day 2 - GLADIATOR; Day 3 - TROY; Day 4 - SPARTACUS; Day 5 - BRAVEHEART; Day 6 - MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD; Day 7 - GLORY; Day 8 - GODS AND GENERALS; Day 9 - GONE WITH THE WIND; Day 10 - CAPITAINE CONAN; Day 11 - ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT]
Many folks were probably introduced to Mel Gibson either by MAD MAX or THE ROAD WARRIOR [like GALLIPOLI, also released in 1981], but it’s this movie that really established him as an actor with some serious acting chops. His turn as ANZAC soldier Frank Dunne here is rock-solid, and like yesterday’s pick, the film is carried largely by the relationship between him and a fellow runner turned soldier, Archy Hamilton [played by Mark Lee]. Some might complain that the film spends too much time establishing the friendship between the two men, but I’d reply that the ending of the film would not underscore nearly so well the futility of the battle [and of the war (and war)] in general if it didn’t.
For those unfamiliar with the battle, Churchill [and others] felt like Gallipoli would be the soft underbelly of the enemy forces, easily exploited and hopefully changing the tide of the war. As it turned out, the British/ANZAC troops barely even made it off the beach before they had to dig in, ultimately throwing one pointless wave after another into the meat grinder between the two forces. Nearly every battle in the First World War would see the generals of both sides throw their forces into the fray like so much cannon fodder, but I don’t know of a battle other than at Gallipoli where the casualties of such a war of attrition were quite so evenly distributed. To wit, both sides lost almost exactly 250,000 troops. At other famous battlefields of The Great War, from Verdun to the Somme and so forth, one side or the other would lose at least tens of thousands, and sometimes more than a hundred thousand more troops than the opposing force. [Yes, that mini historical summary was included in hopes of helping the viewer of this film to appreciate just how frustratingly futile the battle was for the Allied troops.]
As was alluded to above, the film spends an awful lot of time developing the relationship between the two lead characters, especially in establishing both as gifted sprinters. And yes, for the shrewd viewer, that’s a level one foreshadowing alert. After the two decide to volunteer to fight, it’s the old-fashioned “hurry up and wait” shtick, with a fair amount of time being spent with the troops before they’re thrown into harm’s way. One of the more memorable of these downtime scenes – specifically, one talking about the use of prophylactics – was indirectly called back on in HAMBURGER HILL. Regardless, the film does inevitably move from the rear echelon to the front line, and it achieves one of the more jarring, dramatic moments in any of the war films addressed in this “series,” incorporating Albinoni’s “Adagio in G Minor” in simply brilliant fashion. There really are very few films that more perfectly marry the on-screen action with the musical score, and with a selection not specifically written for the film, to boot.
For anyone who wants to examine a film that examines one of the lesser-known battles from The Great War [the recent THE WATER DIVINER notwithstanding], and one that has a profound emotional gut punch after a good slow burn in the second act, this one is for you. Enjoy!
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (Director's Cut); Day 2 - GLADIATOR; Day 3 - TROY; Day 4 - SPARTACUS; Day 5 - BRAVEHEART; Day 6 - MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD; Day 7 - GLORY; Day 8 - GODS AND GENERALS; Day 9 - GONE WITH THE WIND; Day 10 - CAPITAINE CONAN; Day 11 - ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT]
