Review of Beneath Hill 60 (2010) by Darren G — 03 May 2010

A good war film is never an easy ride, as "Beneath Hill 60" proves. It can be completely gut wrenching and tear jerking at times, not to mention completely suspenseful. The hardest part of this film, and indeed any war film, is realising that it is not all just make believe, that there are people out there who have and will continue to experience these horrors. "Beneath Hill 60" is based on the true story of Captain Oliver Woodward (Brendan Cowell), who finds himself on the western front in World War I, working in the underground tunnels below Hill 60. Here, he and his group of soldiers work in the tunnel system to try and carry out the biggest man made explosion to date.

Like many war films, this film shows the horrors of war and how war takes its toll on the soldiers. There are some very emotional and hard-hitting moments, and many scenes that are not for the faint hearted. However, the setting of the underground tunnels does set this film apart from the stereotypical war film of fighting on land, although there is this as well. The script is very well written and tells the story of these soldiers in such a way that it is enthralling from start to finish. The film is very suspenseful, yet the first half is more suspenseful than the second. It seems like the first half and the second half are almost two storylines, but nevertheless, both are good in different ways. The cinematography is good for the most part, but the special effects are not quite as lifelike as what one would hope. The musical score and sound are also fantastic, as is the ability of director, Jeremy Hartley Sims to recreate the warfront and early century Australia.

Brendan Cowell is the star of "Beneath Hill 60" and gives the standout performance of the film. He carries himself beautifully throughout the whole film and shows the change in his character as the film goes on. He is able to be the tough soldier, the smart mouthed new guy, the gentleman and the mentally wounded ex-soldier all in one film and carries each persona out perfectly.

"Beneath Hill 60" may be too much for some people to watch, as it is gory in the way which war films are and can be very upsetting. It shows the ways in which war affects soldiers emotionally and how boys come back from war as men and no man comes back the same as they left. However, it is a beautifully made film and definitely one to be seen and praised.