The 1981 Gallipoli film by Peter Weir

Yeah, I know this title isn't gonna attract people into reading this, but...C'MON.

It's the 100 anniversary/commemorative thingy of ANZAC Day (25th April in Aus and NZ), which celebrates- I mean, remembers the fallen Australian and New Zealanders who fought in WWI, especially at the time when they fought in Gallipoli.

So, in commemoration of the 100th year since the Gallipoli landings, I present to you a special thread of...

...The 1981 Gallipoli film! Directed by Peter Weir, this film follows two young blokes living in Down Under (one of which played by young Mel Gibson) decide to sign up for the war in 1915. Hilarity Ensues, in the most horrifying yet tragic way possible.

For those non-Aussie and non-N Zs who don't know, many, MANY people who fought at Gallipoli died. Guess which character dies at the end.

Anyway, if you have the time, including those Yankees and pommies out there, watch this film. It will teach you about our side about war, and how tragic the guys who had to sacrifice themselves at Gallipoli.

If you also have the time (especially if you've seen the film already), you can discuss the thoughts/feedback/criticism you have in your mind about the film here!

Happy ANZAC Day for this Saturday! :D

It's a good film, but 'The Mel Gibson Hates Britain' effect does seem to kick in yet again - I know he personally didn't have any influence, it's just bizarre how it's another film starring Gibson where the Brits get an unnecessary historical villain upgrade. There were British battalions on the beaches of Gallipoli too, they suffered some truly horrendous casualties.

There's a new film by Russell Crowe that deals with the aftermath of Gallipoli, The Water Diviner. He directs it, too. Unfortunately, the reviews say it's Dull Surprise: The Movie.

As for Gallipoli:

"What are your legs? Springs, steel springs. What are they gonna do? They're going to hurl me down the track. How fast can you run? As fast as a leopard. How fast are you gonna run? As fast as a leopard. Then let's see you do it!"

edited 24th Apr '15 10:16:40 AM by AnotherGuy

Watch the scene in the start where he practices running and the final scene of the film, together. Ironic Echo indeed.

I thought this was a great film. The cut from the shiny party they're attending to the beaches of Gallipoli in the dark was quite effective.

There's a page for this film on the wiki, BTW: Gallipoli

I've already noticed (and read!) that. Gallipoli seems like a boring film to watch at high schools or universities in Australia, but this film will always be the one that shows how awful war was in our point of view.

Also, without this film (and Mad Max), Mel Gibson wouldn't be as popular as he would today.

Boring? Man, I didn't feel that way at all. Quite moving, actually.

That's what I was trying to say. I said it was boring FOR OTHERS WHO ARE IN HIGH SCHOOL (especially teens who never cared about WWI and II, a low possibility of that happening, anyway) because, well, watching school films in schools are deemed to be uninteresting or interesting. I dunno, but that's what I think for others.

But I can tell you this: The majority of our country loves this movie to shreds. Including me. So there.

We have a whole index for Australian Movies. Walkabout was weird for weirdness's sake, but I liked it.

A decent movie, if I recall right. However, that 80s soundtrack is lulzy in how out-of-place it is.

Picnic at Hanging Rock remains the best Australian film.

Let's see, looking at the index, ranking only the ones I've seen...

• Walkabout
• Picnic at Hanging Rock
• Gallipoli
• Mad Max
• Sirens — Elle Macpherson naked, can't go wrong there
• Dot And The Kangaroo — one of the first movies I remember watching
• The Dish
• "Crocodile" Dundee
• Moulin Rouge! — is this movie really "Australian"?

edited 5th Jun '15 3:24:16 PM by gallium

I saw Matilda in theaters.

We know. We were there. More British soldiers died than did troops from all the other contributing nations combined.

I know, but there's this irritating insinuation in the film and the OP that Gallipoli is an ANZAC tragedy alone and that British people don't know about it.

edited 21st Jun '15 3:58:02 PM by Achaemenid

The film was about pointlessness, not who died more.

I'm American so I have no stake in the UK-Australia fight, but I didn't take from the movie the idea that Gallipoli was an all-Australian affair. The movie was about a particular unit involved in a particular attack. The Gallipoli campaign lasted for months.

There was, however, the pretty clear message that the whole disaster was England's fault, both in the commanders bumbling at the scene and the general absurdity of Australia getting dragged into a conflict that it had nothing to do with between two countries that are, what, ten thousand miles away?

Add Breaker Morant for "Blame Britain" movies.