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A landmark Australian movie that has lost none of its potency or poignancy, Gallipoli deserves all the accolades and acclaim it continues to receive over four decades after its original release. Released in 1981, Gallipoli represented a noticeable change of pace for director Peter Weir, who took a break from making strange and ethereal genre films, such as Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Last Wave, to helm this grounded, affecting human story about the moment when Australia lost its innocence as a nation. Weir dials back his surrealistic filmmaking tendencies to focus on clean storytelling, but the director still brings an arresting sense of visual lyricism to the picture and powerfully conveys the emotion and humanity of the real-life tragedy. Viewers who enjoy combat-oriented war films like Saving Private Ryan should not expect a similar experience from Gallipoli, as it is not strictly a war movie in that sense. Instead, the film is about the friendship between two men and their loss of innocence during a crucial moment in Australia's history.
In 1915, after Australia enters the Great War, 18-year-old Archy Hamilton (Mark Lee) longs to enlist in the Australian Light Horse and fight for his country. Archy, a champion runner, lives in Western Australia with his uncle Jack (Bill Kerr), who trains him for races and dissuades the young man from enlisting. After meeting another talented runner, the unemployed Frank Dunne (Mel Gibson), the pair sign up for the Australian Imperial Force, though Frank can only join the Infantry while the Light Horse accepts Archy. After completing their training in Cairo, Frank and Archy reunite before departing for the Gallipoli Peninsula as part of the ANZAC force, which comprises soldiers from Australia and New Zealand. Archy and Frank battle boredom in the trenches, spending time with Frank's former railway co-workers Bill (Robert Grubb), Barney (Tim McKenzie) and Snowy (David Argue). But the reality of war soon sets in, with the men needing to participate in futile battles against the Turkish soldiers to provide a diversion while thousands of British soldiers land nearby at Suvla Bay.
After struggling to grasp the significance of Anzac Day in his youth, Weir was greatly moved by a 1976 visit to Anzac Cove in Turkey, after which he sought to make a cinematic account of the campaign. Recruiting playwright David Williamson to write the screenplay, the pair explored several different approaches for a film about Gallipoli. They consulted Australian historian Bill Gammage, who supplied research materials, and drew on the literary works of war correspondent Charles Bean to ensure accuracy. The Gallipoli Campaign lasted nearly a year, from February 1915 to January 1916, encompassing numerous battles and events that involved soldiers from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and France. Despite the title implying an expansive account of the eleven months at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli concentrates on two Australian soldiers who only experience combat in the final act. Although the first draft of the screenplay was an ambitious war epic covering virtually everything and containing dozens of main characters, Weir and Williamson realised the film would be more emotionally impactful if it concentrated on Archy and Frank.
With Gallipoli patiently developing Archy and Frank and giving us a reason to care about them, the experiences at Anzac Cove carry a more devastating impact, while their loss of innocence is all the more perceptible and intense. Archy and Frank embody the traits of many Australians who enlisted to serve in WWI, with Archy lying about his age, Frank giving in to peer pressure, and the young men perceiving war as an adventure more exciting than their humdrum home lives. Additionally, Archy's personal experiences as a sprinter, with his uncle conducting his training, give the character more appreciable dimension, with Archy recalling his regular pre-race routine - including deep breaths and Uncle Jack's motivational words - before climbing out of the trench during the Battle of the Nek. This material further underscores the futility of war and the senselessness of each death.
Despite the solemnity of the Great War, Gallipoli is not a bleak or depressing experience. Weir brilliantly captures the uniquely Australian sense of humour, from humorous small talk and banter to general cheekiness and tomfoolery, with the soldiers even unable to take a training exercise seriously. Weir also portrays the flippant atmosphere at Anzac Cove, with the men playing games to amuse themselves and seemingly unable to grasp the danger of battle. However, the tone becomes more serious after the Battle of Lone Pine, as Archy and Frank experience loss firsthand and confront their mortality. Gallipoli also emphasises the sheer bravery of the Australian soldiers during the First World War, with men charging into gunfire at the behest of callous British officers, who perceived the Aussies as mere cannon fodder. The men do not abandon their duties despite the futility of charging at the Turkish trenches.
Costing a reported $2.8 million to produce, Gallipoli had the highest budget of any Australian flick to date at the time, despite the amount seeming paltry by Hollywood standards. Luckily, the film never feels cheap or low-budget; instead, the period recreations burst with authenticity, and Weir's visual treatment of the screenplay is compelling. The crew recreated Anzac Cove on a stretch of coastline in South Australia (now known as Gallipoli Beach) with striking attention to detail, with the trenches and tents looking authentic and lived-in. To further augment the authenticity, Weir filmed parts of the film on location in Egypt, where Australians underwent training during WWI. The scope of Gallipoli does not feel restricted, as the production used hundreds of extras for the sprawling scenes during training and at Anzac Cove, many of whom were soldiers from the Australian Army. Weir also captures the unforgiving conditions of life at Anzac Cove, with unappetising food, biscuits covered in dead flies, and poor hygiene.
Weir retained Picnic at Hanging Rock cinematographer Russell Boyd to lens Gallipoli, and the resulting visuals are lush and evocative, with eye-catching compositions that capture the scenic landscapes of Australia and Egypt. Notable visually arresting sequences include Archy and Frank climbing a pyramid at sunset, and the two men witnessing the Battle of Lone Pine at dusk while standing beside grave markers. Gallipoli carries a PG rating, and although it is not as graphic as Saving Private Ryan, the violence still packs a punch, and the heady thematic undercurrents render the film absolutely unforgettable. Certain technical aspects date the film, particularly the use of electronic music that does not fit the tone. However, the use of "Adagio for Strings in G Minor" for the film's climactic moments at the Battle of the Nek is superb, adding poignancy to a heart-wrenching montage as men (aware of their imminent deaths) write letters to their loved ones and place their jewellery on bayonets embedded in the sandbags. It is incredibly upsetting.
Scenes away from the battlefield often feel perfunctory during war movies, making it all the more bold that Gallipoli only depicts a single battle during the climax. Fortunately, the dramatic scenes are highly compelling and involving, a testament to the robust storytelling, the shrewd editing, and the performances from a superlative cast. Fresh from his memorable role in George Miller's Mad Max, Mel Gibson is a charismatic and rugged presence as Frank Dunne, representing a more world-weary Australian who drifts around the country. Gibson's fear and anguish in the trenches is startlingly convincing, with the actor believably transitioning from optimistic and nonchalant to petrified and devastated as the reality of the Great War sets in. Additionally, Gibson shares fantastic chemistry with the young, fresh-faced Mark Lee (who had no major credits to his name at the time), whose courage and determination in the face of certain death is highly affecting.
The late Bill Hunter, a beloved Australian acting legend, also appears as Major Barton, one of the key Australian officers in the story who coordinates the Battle of the Nek and desperately wants to end the carnage. Hunter carries the right temperament and gravitas for the role, making the character relatable and believable. More than an obligatory officer role, Major Barton has genuine dimension, with the film showing him interacting with his wife (Diane Chamberlain) before departing for the training camp in Egypt, and his wife giving him a bottle of champagne to drink on their anniversary. Little moments like this amplify the film's sense of humanity. Weir also incorporates other secondary characters to underscore the mateship and camaraderie on the front lines, with Robert Grubb, Tim McKenzie, and David Argue playing Frank's friends who convince him to enlist. The three actors contribute further colour to the picture, with amusing banter and cheeky antics, including several of them choosing to engage with Egyptian prostitutes.
Teachers continue to use Gallipoli in high school classrooms across Australia, as it humanises a tragic event in modern history, driving home the awful reality of loss and sacrifice to ensure the Anzac legend is not an abstract concept. Merely hearing about the thousands of casualties and the inhuman conditions is not as impactful as a compelling re-enactment, with Weir underscoring that each soldier was a young man with hopes, dreams, and a whole life ahead of them, and whose hunger for adventure led to a harrowing loss of innocence. The film's iconic final freeze frame, with a dying soldier's position deliberately reminiscent of a runner breasting the tape at the end of a race, represents the perfect way to conclude the story in a symbolic and spiritual sense, further reflecting Weir's stunning visual sensibilities. An essential watch for history and military enthusiasts alike, Gallipoli serves as an excellent companion piece to other Australian productions about the Great War, including the 1985 miniseries Anzacs, the 2015 Gallipoli miniseries, 1987's The Lighthorsemen, and 2010's Beneath Hill 60.
8.8/10
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