goreilly40 This movie showed a brutally honest depiction of the tragedy that was the fateful Gallipoli campaign. The futility of trench warfare, the grim conditions that the soldiers unfortunate enough to be there had to endure and the sheer ferocity of the Turkish defence were some of the more accurate I've seen in war movies. The fateful Battle of the Nek was a faithful depiction, it shows an Australian Colonel, not a British officer as some think, ordering the the ill-fated attack to continue despite the first waves being massacred within seconds of going over the top which sadly is what happened. The only real issue I had with the movie was the absence of the Royal Welch Fusiliers who also suffered heavy losses at the Nek on that fateful day. The story is compelling and although the two main protagonists are fictional, their story is not too far from the truth, the naive romantic ideals young men at the time had of the war, it would be over by Christmas, it would be a picnic etc, then when the nightmare of reality hit home was again excellently done. The ending is one of the saddest and emotional I've seen when the soldiers know what's coming. All in all this movie is such an honest depiction of a period which some have tried to forget and one to own if your into history and war movies.

Gino Cox Despite its subject matter, "Gallipoli" is a stunningly beautiful film, even viewed a third of a century after its production. Many films from the eighties now seem quite dated, with poor color saturation, static shots and clumsy editing, but this one has aged quite well. However, it does seem a bit slow by contemporary standards. At 110 minutes it is overly long and it takes a full 75 minutes before they actually arrive at Gallipoli and another fifteen before the battle begins. We spend a lot of time getting to know the half dozen young recruits. We see their pride, patriotism, fear, hopes, camaraderie, petty jealousies and other aspects of their lives. By the time the battle begins, we know them quite well and care about them. At 25, Mel Gibson is already displaying star potential. Mark Lee, the protagonist, does equally well, although his career has been eclipsed by Mel's. Sets, costumes, props and other production elements are also top notch. Some films are quite heavy-handed in trying to make a political statement. Films like "The Life of David Gale" and "The Star Chamber" employed hopelessly convoluted plots and characters with nonsensical motivations to make sophomoric statements. "Supersize Me" distorted and controverted journalistic principles. Other films attempt to present multiple perspectives of complex issues in a reasonably objective fashion, although one perspective may be presented more sympathetically. "Lions for Lambs," "Lone Star" and "JFK" come to mind. "Gallipoli" deals with politically charged issues and seems to want to make a statement of some sort, but seems muddled in its execution. Okay, there's the obvious. War is hell. Many young men are killed in their primes. But the film seems to lose focus regarding the why. There are quite a few elements. Australia is fighting to support Britain, not its own agenda. There are mistakes. Poor communications. Misguided acts of patriotism. Blind determination to follow orders despite changing circumstances. But in the end, the film doesn't offer an answer to the question of why or a set of possible answers to debate or consider. Considerable attention is devoted to an early scene involving a foot race and a horse race. One expects this to be some sort of allegory to Australia's involvement in the war. There are some parallels. The protagonist is cowered by a more imposing character. Both are handicapped. Pride impels the characters to foolish choices. The outcome doesn't seem to have any consequence, but does impact future events. But the allegory isn't as clear or relevant as one might hope or expect. Overall, it's a beautifully photographed, produced and performed film that could have been trimmed to about eighty minutes and seems to want to convey something profound, but can't quite condense its ideas into a simple declarative statement.

russellalancampbell "Gallipoli" is a film that has been part of my teaching life. I saw it and was thrilled by it the day before I went into my first class as a student teacher. Over the next 30 years it is probably the films I have shown most often to students studying Australian history.There are so many scenes that have stayed with me such as the attack on The Nek and the final freeze frame but I want to point out three others that live on in my mind. Geoff Parry's speech to the troops prior to them being allowed to explore Cairo was a gem. Great writing and the delivery had a deliciously sarcastic tone.The cameo from Diane Chamberlain as Major Barton's wife was heartbreaking. The look on her face as she turns away after imploring her husband to, "Please come home" tells all about what wives and mothers went through.Lastly, Bill Hunter as he drinks a toast on his wedding anniversary as he listens to an aria from an opera and attempts to whistle along with it. He is aware of what is to come the next day but the young troops who look in on him are not. They smile almost patronisingly. Awareness and unawareness has never been more brilliantly portrayed. There are many more great scenes and moments in what is a brilliant film.

SnoopyStyle It's May 1915 Western Australia. Archy Hamilton (Mark Lee) is 18 and the best sprinter of the land. The British has just invaded Gallipoli and Archy is desperate to join. His uncle Jack trains him and counsels him to continue racing. The age limit for service is 21. Frank Dunne (Mel Gibson) is scrapping by. He is cynical of the war and doesn't join even though his mates are all going. He loses money in a race against Archy and has nothing left. Frank leads Archy to Perth to help him sign up. General pressure convinces Frank to join Archy in the Light Horse. However he's a terrible rider and is forced into the infantry. They both end up in Gallipoli fighting the entrenched Turkish army.This is beautifully shot by director Peter Weir. The Australian outback looks great. The trench warfare looks good. I'm sure the first half could be a lot better. It would be a lot simpler to just have Archy and Frank be lifelong friends and rivals in sprinting. Both leads do a good job but it takes too long to set up their friendship. They have good chemistry together. They're only missing a more compelling history together. The trench warfare is well made and culminates in the pointless and hopeless charge.