This is based on the true story of how Australian coal miners were recruited during the First World War in order to develop tunnels under the trenches and to specialise in explosives as well. Captain Oliver Woodward (Brendan Cowell) must lead his men of various ages through a series of missions, such as blowing up a farmhouse where there is a planted machine gun and facing a German choke point with the notorious Hill 60. Between these battles are a series of flashbacks from eighteen months earlier where a romance between Woodward and Majorie Waddell (Bella Heathcote), a sixteen-year-old girl, emerges. Given that their love is interrupted by the war, Woodward must ask her father for permission to write to her while he is away.
Although this has been labelled as an extraordinary story, this is thankfully not a film of self-congratulation and patriotic flag waving. To capture the grittiness of the terrible conditions of the tunnels, as well as the overwhelming sense of endangerment faced from the vulnerability of the trenches, director Jeremy Sims has concentrated much of his efforts on the aesthetic qualities of the picture. The opening scenes, staged with minimal sound and near darkness, are tremendously effective in creating a claustrophobic sense of terror in such an enclosed space. Woodward holds a candle in his hand as he searches almost blindly for an officer he's never met before, rarely whispering to other soldiers who have to give him directions through the shadows. The containment and quiet intensity of these scenes are juxtaposed with the exteriority of the trenches, as shells unrelentingly pummel the soldiers, leaving trails of bodies before Woodward and the audience. The mud, the dirty and the overall feeling of chaos suggest a difficult shoot for Sims but his attention to detail here is admirable. It is with this emphasis on realism in the battle scenes, rather than sentiment, which intelligently reminds the audience of the futility of war.
As with the Australian film Kokoda from a number of years ago, it is frustrating to say that the technical accomplishments have been given far more emphasis than the screenplay. Beneath Hill 60 does not dedicate enough time to the characters and the audiences lack of involvement with many of them weakens the film's emotional impact. There is a heavy reliance on the use of stock characters and sketches here, like a father and son who signed up together and a sprint runner, rather than opting to fully develop these individuals. Although they do not have a very prominent part in the film it is also rather tiresome that a number of the British officers have been characterised as pompous and snobbish, leaving them as very familiar caricatures. Thankfully even though the audience does not learn a lot about Woodward's past, Cowell gives a likable performance, injecting his limited characterisation with humour, knowledge and courage. Gyton Grantely from Underbelly also has an underwritten part but he still offers very solid support. In just her second film Heathcote is beautiful but less impressive, with a largely superfluous role as the love interest. She shows her inexperience with a slightly cringing and silly entrance but there is little doubt that she will improve as an actress over time. The flashbacks to her romance with Woodward are part of a number of less interesting adventures that slow the pace of the film down, leaving the second half of the film in particular feeling sluggish and over-extended. It is a shame given how intense and exciting some of the early scenes are, most specifically the opening and the attack on the farmhouse.
Beneath Hill 60 begins very strongly with a high degree of authentic attributed to displaying the horrors of war, in not just the combat, but the abysmal living conditions the soldiers faced as well. It is evident that a great deal of time was spent on the aesthetics of the film so that the intensity and immersion could be enhanced. The problems with the script though, from the pacing to the thin character development and characterisation, makes much of the film far less enjoyable than it should be, weakening the dramatic and emotional impact.
Although this has been labelled as an extraordinary story, this is thankfully not a film of self-congratulation and patriotic flag waving. To capture the grittiness of the terrible conditions of the tunnels, as well as the overwhelming sense of endangerment faced from the vulnerability of the trenches, director Jeremy Sims has concentrated much of his efforts on the aesthetic qualities of the picture. The opening scenes, staged with minimal sound and near darkness, are tremendously effective in creating a claustrophobic sense of terror in such an enclosed space. Woodward holds a candle in his hand as he searches almost blindly for an officer he's never met before, rarely whispering to other soldiers who have to give him directions through the shadows. The containment and quiet intensity of these scenes are juxtaposed with the exteriority of the trenches, as shells unrelentingly pummel the soldiers, leaving trails of bodies before Woodward and the audience. The mud, the dirty and the overall feeling of chaos suggest a difficult shoot for Sims but his attention to detail here is admirable. It is with this emphasis on realism in the battle scenes, rather than sentiment, which intelligently reminds the audience of the futility of war.
As with the Australian film Kokoda from a number of years ago, it is frustrating to say that the technical accomplishments have been given far more emphasis than the screenplay. Beneath Hill 60 does not dedicate enough time to the characters and the audiences lack of involvement with many of them weakens the film's emotional impact. There is a heavy reliance on the use of stock characters and sketches here, like a father and son who signed up together and a sprint runner, rather than opting to fully develop these individuals. Although they do not have a very prominent part in the film it is also rather tiresome that a number of the British officers have been characterised as pompous and snobbish, leaving them as very familiar caricatures. Thankfully even though the audience does not learn a lot about Woodward's past, Cowell gives a likable performance, injecting his limited characterisation with humour, knowledge and courage. Gyton Grantely from Underbelly also has an underwritten part but he still offers very solid support. In just her second film Heathcote is beautiful but less impressive, with a largely superfluous role as the love interest. She shows her inexperience with a slightly cringing and silly entrance but there is little doubt that she will improve as an actress over time. The flashbacks to her romance with Woodward are part of a number of less interesting adventures that slow the pace of the film down, leaving the second half of the film in particular feeling sluggish and over-extended. It is a shame given how intense and exciting some of the early scenes are, most specifically the opening and the attack on the farmhouse.
Beneath Hill 60 begins very strongly with a high degree of authentic attributed to displaying the horrors of war, in not just the combat, but the abysmal living conditions the soldiers faced as well. It is evident that a great deal of time was spent on the aesthetics of the film so that the intensity and immersion could be enhanced. The problems with the script though, from the pacing to the thin character development and characterisation, makes much of the film far less enjoyable than it should be, weakening the dramatic and emotional impact.