Review of Beneath Hill 60 (2010) by Luke M — 30 Jan 2015

From the beginning of this film, you know you're in for a bumpy ride. Once past the cryptic beginning of an Anzac getting dressed, the simple picture of a soldier, bent over double inside a tunnel with only a candle for light, unable to breath to loudly for fear of being heard by German soldiers sets the tone for the entire film. .

Being in a tunnel, whilst being extremely claustrophobic, gives each of the characters a new fear; being discovered. Anything above a whisper could result in hundreds of people being killed, one slip could bring an entire army down upon your head. Truly chilling to think about. And the film definitely lets you feel that danger, with enough instances of unexpected explosions or horrifying discoveries to let you know that this is the real deal. I found myself holding my breath for minutes at a time, only breathing when the people onscreen found it safe to do so. .

This could have easily dominated the entire film which would have made for an extremely scary movie involving characters which we knew nothing about. Instead, we are treated to generous amounts of our main character, Oliver Woodward's (played with incredible restraint by Brendan Cowell), backstory. And yes, the action in the trenches does overwhelm the somewhat weak love story between Oliver and his Marjorie, but it is a welcome break from the heart-in-mouth feeling of the war, and the overall effect is good, even though the script is not quite up to scratch and the girl who plays Marjorie can't act. These interruptions are felt to be exactly that near the end of the film and the wild tonal shifts are often offputting. .

But beyond that, the script is brilliant. Throughout all of the war pieces, there is never once a moment which doesn't feel like it should be there, never feels forced and it flows beautifully. It also highlights the great Australian camaraderie in a way which is reminiscent of Peter Weir's Gallipoli with great set pieces such as Streaky drawing the fire of a machine gun away from his mates or having an improvised rugby on an unused battle field. These moments are used sparingly which makes them even more special when they take place. .

One of the best decisions by writer David Roach was to include scenes of the German soldiers on the other side of the tunnel walls; showing their differences and their similarities to the Australians, making them more than just 'the enemy.' In fact if you weren't busy enough crossing your fingers for the Aussies, you'd be crossing them for the German guy whose outlandish ideas are constantly being shot down by his superiors. Showing the Germans to be human means that becomes all the more difficult to support Oliver's decisions, if they weren't difficult enough in the first place. .

The final, heartbreaking scene, is the best of the flashbacks, though it's technically a flashforward, and sums up the entire movie beautifully. Beneath Hill 60 is one of the best Australian war films ever made, joining the ranks of Gallipoli and Breaker Morant. Incredible film. .

Defining Scene: .

There can only be one. Woodward makes the toughest decision in his life.