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GALLIPOLI (1981)
Gallipoli poster

CAST
MEL GIBSON
MARK LEE
DAVID ARGUE
BILL HUNTER
ROBERT GRUBB
BILL KERR
TIM MCKENZIE

STORY BY
PETER WEIR

SCREENPLAY BY
DAVID WILLIAMSON

CINEMATOGRAPHY BY
RUSSELL BOYD

EDITIING BY
WILLIAM M. ANDERSON

MUSIC BY
BRIAN MAY

PRODUCED BY
PATRICIA LOVELL  
ROBERT STIGWOOD

DIRECTED BY
PETER WEIR

GENRE
DRAMA
HISTORY
WAR

RATED
AUS:PG
UK:PG
USA:PG

RUNTIME
110 MIN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Gallipoli image

A heartbreaking World War I drama featuring terrific performances from Mel Gibson and Mark Lee and exceptional direction by Peter Weir, Gallipoli stands the test of time as an anti-war movie in which the themes of mateship, bravery, and the horrors of war haunt viewers long after its tragic conclusion.   

Peter Weir’s Gallipoli is Australia’s quintessential war movie. It works as a stirring tribute to the ANZAC’s (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps), a condemnation of the travesty which is war, and a commentary on just what drives men to sign up for the Armed forces be it duty of country, a sense of adventure, the sex appeal of being in uniform, or buying into the propaganda war machine.

Yet its main theme is the mateship between its two lead characters and indeed the mateship between every soldier.

The film is set in Western Australia, 1915, where two rival athletes – one an 18-year-old patriotic farmhand (Mark Lee), the other an opportunistic nomad (Mel Gibson) – who form a strong bond whilst travelling to Perth to join the Australian Army in the battle against Turkish forces in Gallipoli.

Director Peter Weir and his crew have placed great strain into creating Australia circa 1915, with impeccable costume and production designs. Gallipoli was mainly shot in rural South Australia, with cinematographer Russell Boyd capturing the outback in all its banal yet majestic glory.

The most interesting scenes are the ones set and filmed in Cairo, Egypt, where the Anzacs were trained to fight against “the enemy”, while craving to the temptations of the flesh in the city’s various brothels, and the con of various antique merchants. It is quite a sight viewing a game of Aussie rules played against the backdrop of the great pyramids.

Gibson and Lee both play their roles convincingly. Gibson is especially good, his natural and expressive features lending credence to his character, as he transforms into the fine actor which we know today. Bill Kerr and the legendary Bill Hunter provide memorable supporting roles.

Weir and screenwriter David Williamson have done a commendable job developing these characters. It is a move which pays off during the films final tragic moments that take on a whole new level of emotions, with Gallipoli ending a tragic and sad note, shot in stark detail complete with a closing still image sure to haunt the soul for days on end. 

****

 

 

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Created and Edited by Matthew Pejkovic / Contact: mattsm@mattsmoviereviews.net
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