Australia has a history of creating some of the world’s best war films. Films such as ‘Breaker Morant’ (dir: Bruce Beresford) and ‘Gallipoli’ (dir: Peter Weir) spring immediately to mind. Now director, Jeremy Sims (‘Last Train To Freo’) has created a masterpiece that deserves to be mentioned with these classic films.
‘Beneath Hill 60’ tells the story of a forgotten part of Australian war history; the men of World War I whose job it was to tunnel under German lines so explosives could be planted. Mining expert, Oliver Woodward (Brendan Cowell – ‘Three Blind Mice’, ‘Ten Empty’) leaves his sweetheart, Marjorie (Bella Heathcote – ‘Acolytes’, TV’S ‘Neighbors’), and with just one weeks practice as a soldier is sent to France to head the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company. Soon he and his group which consists of Streaky (Mark Coles Smith – TV’S ‘The Circuit’, ‘The Dirt Game’), Tiffin (Harrison Gilbertson – ‘Blessed’, ‘Accidents Happen’), Walter Sneddon (newcomer Alex Thompson), his father, Jim Sneddon (Alan Dukes – TV’S ‘East West 101’, ‘Rescue Special Ops’), Norman (Gyton Grantley – ‘Balibo’, TV’S ‘Underbelly’) and Sergeant Bill Fraser (Steve Le Marquand – ‘Franswa Sharl’, ‘Men’s Group’) are sent to Belgium where they are to build a complex mine to help the Allies take Hill 60; all while trying to escapte the detection of the Germans.
Film loves quickly learn two things from this film. Firstly that Jeremy Sims is one fine director and secondly that this film will be the one that launches Brendon Cowell onto the international stage. Cowell is absolutely sensational here; he is in virtually every scene and commands the screen in a way very few leading men do these days. He is well supported by Steve Le Marquand and Gyton Grantley, while yet again youngster, Harrison Gilbertson shows that he has a huge future ahead of him.
But perhaps the most impressive thing about ‘Beneath Hill 60’ is that Sims has managed to make this film in Townsville, Queensland, a feat in itself as you would swear that it had been made in Europe. Sims visionary-style of filmmaking lends itself to this film amazingly well. Rather than glorify war, Sims allows the film to show the horror of war while still showing these men as heroes… heroes who are literally in the middle of hell. The realism that this films consist of, while staying historically correct shows just how amazing Sims is as a filmmaker.
When AFI Awards time comes around ‘Beneath Hill 60’ is going to win a swag of gongs. There is nothing to fault with this war epic. This acting and story are top notch while Jeremy Sims shows that he is going to be (if not already is) a legendary director… one of the great directors of our time. This film is a genuine masterpiece.
Year: 2010
Director: Jeremy Sims
Stars: Brendan Cowell, Bella Heathcote, Mark Coles Smith, Harrison Gilbertson, Alex Thompson, Alan Dukes, Gyton Grantley, Steve Le Marquand
Classification: M
Runtime: 122 mins
Rating: 