Review of Beneath Hill 60 (2010) by David E — 28 Feb 2016

Courage. Valour. Sacrifice. Ingenuity. Comradeship. Australian's.

Lying in wait for almost a century, Beneath Hill 60 is the untold true story one of the most misunderstood, misrepresented, and mystifying conflicts of World War One.

On the site of some of the bloodiest battles, an unpredicted stalemate of trench warfare enticed the industrial age's progressively destructive nature to reach for new heights of unforeseen warfare tactics. In 1916 at Berlin's Western Front the most successful allied forces campaign saw the creation of the largest man made explosion in history; felt as far away as London and Dublin.

This extraordinary true story concerns the struggles of a civilian unit of mining engineers and demolition experts, plucked from around Australia and entrusted with the enormous task of maintaining the elaborate labyrinthine tunnel system established 30 meters under enemy lines.

In an extremely rare kind of battle, underground warfare, their mission within the tunnels at Hill 60 was to; stay silent over an extended period (seven months), keep track of the equally silent enemy's activities (using just a stethoscope), avoid detection (within inches of said enemy) whilst secretly placing over 70,000 lbs of explosives under the heavily fortified enemy position.

Finally the detonation orders came from command and in a series of 18 perfectly sequenced explosions; Hill 60 crumbled on June 7, 1917 at precisely 3.10am.

Brendan Cowell leads one of Australia's best ensemble cast in a gripping story based upon the diaries of Oliver Woodward.

After the death of a close friend Queensland miner, Woodward (Cowell) enlists in the war effort. Interrupting a budding relationship with his deceased friend's 16-year-old sister Marjorie (Bella Heathcote), Woodward is to command the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company underground unit.

The untrained soldier must earn the respect of his men, live up to hierarchy expectations and attempt to stay alive, all under the most adverse conditions imaginable.

Actively avoiding the Hollywood glamour and unnecessarily graphic showmanship that seems inevitable with war films, the Australian produced, Beneath Hill 60, brilliantly captures the horror, futility, conditions and senseless waste of young life endured by the diggers in the trenches with genuine realism and grim depth.

More than just a suicidal run across fields of mud and chemical warfare, Beneath Hill 60 offers a great insight into the ingenuity of the time. Daring engineering, progressive technology and developmental sciences all had a place in the initial world changing war.

Exposing younger generations and finding its on place in history, the momentous story of Hill 60, Messines, Berlin has tremendous significance. Combining an impressive cast, great characterization and outstanding cinematography, renowned actor/director Jeremy Sims evokes emotion without unnecessary sentimentally.

The films minor flaws pail in comparison to its subject; flashbacks into the mundane romance story sees momentum wain occasionally and the lack of introduction begs the question behind the film, until the very closing scene.

The Verdict: Excusing the release scheduling as an ANZAC day filler, this movie has wonderful historical significance and is well worth its salt as a stand alone film experience.

Published: The Queanbeyan Age.

Date of Publication: 23/04/2010.