The Hill (1965)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers:

Ray Rigby (screenplay)
Ray Rigby (play) ...

Release Date:

22 June 1965 (Denmark)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

They went up like men! They came down like animals!

Plot:

In a North African military prison during World War II, five new prisoners struggle to survive in the face of brutal punishment and sadistic guards.

Plot Keywords:

Sergeant | Prison | Military | Punishment | Exhaustion

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Sean Connery	...	Joe Roberts
Harry Andrews	...	R.S.M. Wilson
Ian Bannen	...	Harris
Alfred Lynch	...	George Stevens
Ossie Davis	...	Jacko King
Roy Kinnear	...	Monty Bartlett
Jack Watson	...	Jock McGrath
Ian Hendry	...	Staff Sergeant Williams
Michael Redgrave	...	The Medical Officer (as Sir Michael Redgrave)
Norman Bird	...	Commandant
Neil McCarthy	...	Burton
Howard Goorney	...	Walters
Tony Caunter	...	Martin

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (video rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:X (original rating) | USA:Approved (certificate #20843) | USA:TV-14 (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

In Sidney Lumet's autobiography "Making Movies", the director recalled suffering through the horrendous heat of the location and asking Sean Connery if he was urinating at all, to which Connery's reply was "Only in the morning".

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When the five new prisoners are ordered to empty their kits, a camera shadow is clearly visible passing over them on the left edge of the screen.

Quotes:

Regimental Sergeant Major Bert Wilson: New scum and old scum are bad mixes.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Making 'Murder on the Orient Express' (2004) (V)

Connery really stretched out in this one...

Sidney Lumet is one of my favorite directors. His films sometimes have weak plots or poor dialogue, but he always elicits superb performances from his cast, and seems to encourage them to really dig into the characters. This film is no exception.

"The Hill" features top-notch performances from the entire cast in a gritty anti-war film with a unique perspective - it's filmed in a British Army prison camp. It raises the issues of racism, indolence, sadistic camp guards, a failed bureaucracy, and ultimately, the actions of true non-conformists and their treatment by a class-driven society.

Connery took a 180-degree turn from James Bond at just the right time in his career, and proves he's a great actor without the babes and the gadgets. Lumet makes one of his tightest films, from the script and camera work through to the final editing.

Although not always pleasant to watch, a definite 10...one of the finest anti-war films made.