So if he doesn’t lack courage, what is his character flaw? We need to connect at the beginning with a flawed individual and ride with them as the events of the story don’t just unfold but confront us at a human level. Tagged as: Lie – which I wouldn’t have ruled out, since your primary duty is to entertain your audience not keep present a faithful historical record. What I did think was the most interesting part of the film was the way in which the tunnels, which at first seems so claustrophobic and foreboding gradually become more like a sanctuary from the horrors going on outside. Great Endings #8: What does your hero sacrifice? So they had two means at their disposal to make the quest more cinematic. And it’s one with a lot of promise. The film brilliantly captures the horrors and futility of war, the senseless waste of young lives, and the appalling conditions endured by the diggers in the trenches. The production design. That doesn’t leave me with a great feeling as I walk back into the street I have to tell you. I’m sure the filmmakers would respond that this is a fair and honest representation of what Hill 60 looked like. 4. Why do they want it? Throughout the text, the producers use film techniques to draw … Woodward, also known as Woody, is the main character of this film. Beneath Hill 60 is a 2010 Australian war film about the Trench War. However, Sims and the cast work well together to overcome the stereotypes and create a genuine sense of camaraderie among a diverse group of men. Beneath Hill 60 is the latest film to do all these things and it is based on the true story of a platoon of Australian miners who helped to fight World War I by tunnelling under the Western Front to place explosives underneath the German forces. In film terms, it’s not a story. I really agree with you on this one Thomas. Deep beneath the German lines. We know why they want it. That’s often a great way to get yourself out of a screenwriting corner. Beneath Hill 60. The quest should force the hero to evolve or die and when we reach that climax in the final act ideally they’ll be faced with a choice: fall back into their old ways or take the tougher path demanded by their higher selves. I’m afraid it doesn’t really work like that. When Woodward does get back to the surface and walks out in the trenches the film shows us the bewildering chaos and violence of trench warfare making the tunnels seem pleasant in comparison. This never-before told Australian story is set in 1916 - where Queensland miner Oliver Woodward, under-trained and having never faced hostile fire before, finds himself on the Western Front, the bloodiest battlefield in history. Having said that, the entire exercise could have been absolutely futile – like Gallipoli, for example – if the characters’ journeys had been compelling. 4. × Edit Locked. The way empathy is portrayed in this movie is by flashbacks, love and romance, death situations, and age. Synopsis BENEATH HILL 60 is an Australian War Movie set underneath the trenches of World War I. We look at why, and how good basic narrative material could have been tweaked to appeal more to the eminence gris of Australian cinema – and movie-goers in general. Deep beneath the German lines. Are they indicating he was a coward? By focusing on Australian miners tunnelling beneath enemy lines to plant explosives, it introduces a fascinatingly unfamiliar element into the well-worn sub-genre of the First World War movie. But the flashbacks might have worked if they created a ground zero for the character. What’s at stake? Beneath Hill 60 by Will Davies, is a 2011 non-fiction account of the tunnelling activities of the war, with particular emphasis on the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company, Captain Oliver Woodward, and the mining under the Messines Ridge, the detonation of which kicked off … Beneath Hill 60 is a story of courage, heroism, sacrifice and mateship set against the background of the trench warfare of the Western Front in 1916, the site of some of the bloodiest battles of World War One. The Matterhorn”. Historical accuracy in cinema is a very tricky issue. If the plot doesn’t drive character growth then we don’t ride with the characters, we just watch them. Gallipoli was at the time also making an important statement about contemporary Australia’s need to culturally sever its ties with England by reminding audiences of one of the many reasons why Australians shouldn’t feel a subservient loyalty towards the English. I don’t always agree with David Stratton but I concur with his assessment of Beneath Hill 60: “I felt removed. To get some insight into tunneling operations War Underground offers some detail into the people that made up “tunnelers” the majority were drawn from the mining community primarily coal mining in the instance of the British contingent albeit those drawn from the colonies like my father had worked in the gold mines at Ballarat and other such areas. Beneath Hill 60 details the brave exploits of WWI Diggers. Here are the changes that I think could have made a significant difference to the emotional power of the story. No wonder Woodward feels ‘snug’ while underground. 1. The scenes in the tunnels and trenches are fabulous and director Jeremy Hartley Sims (Last Train to Freo) does a fine job creating tension and excitement as well as depicting the dynamics between the various soldiers. The acting. Resource type: Worksheet/Activity (no rating) 0 reviews. and I can vouch for the terrible conditions under which they operated the scars never left him up until the day he passed away in hospital where he spent most of his time following his discharge from the military in 1919. They just tell us that that he was late into the war and that he’s keen on the 16 year-old daughter of a family he knows well. Beneath Hill 60 also admirably depicts the German perspective in a way that highlights how much both sides had in common rather than simply depicting the Germans as the enemy. War is bad? Synopsis: The extraordinary true story of Oliver Woodward. I just didn’t feel that I was connected with these characters”. Get smart with the Thesis WordPress Theme from DIYthemes. Peter Weir’s Gallipoli was part of the wave of films that asserted Australia’s cultural independence from Britain by helping to create the image of the heroic, anti-authoritarian and noble Australian soldier. The final scene of the group on the church steps at Woodward’s wedding feels like an after-thought. Financial analysis of Beneath Hill 60 (2014) including budget, domestic and international box office gross, DVD and Blu-ray sales reports, total earnings and profitability. Don’t ask why it’s important. It is a factual exploration of the events of WWI and really puts the phrase Diggers in perspective. Why does he need this story to happen to him? The dry humour. I admire the humour. So it’s refreshing to report that Beneath Hill 60 is a superbly crafted, tension-filled drama based on a little-known episode of the First World War. Plot isn’t there for its own sake. Open for comments. Just take our word that it’s important. C.E.W. We look at why, and how good basic narrative material could have been tweaked to appeal more to the eminence gris of Australian cinema – and movie-goers in general. In both films, the fate of one character rests in the hands (or legs) of another. It's 1916 and Woodward must tear himself from his new young love to go to the mud and carnage of the Western Front. This never-before-told Australian story takes place during 1916 and 1917, when Queensland miner Captain Oliver Woodward (played by Brendan Cowell) – under-trained and never having faced hostile fire before – finds himself on the Western Front, the bloodiest battlefield in history. In Beneath Hill 60, Sims does not portray the same ideal, rather, he presents a slightly more reasonable picture of mateship by showing that Woodward (and his desires and motivations) is only human. Analysis. And, unfortunately, that’s what happens in Beneath Hill 60. Beneath hill 60, It’s a solid film. The officer shown ordering the later attack waves at the Nek had a plummy Pom accent. The director of the film “Beneath Hill 60” has used film techniques to ensure that the audience becomes attached to each character in a certain way. Are they indicating he was a coward? I think it was a mistake to meet Woodward already in the war – in fact, in the tunnel – before we’d been introduced to his character in his ordinary world. We don't have an article named Analysis/BeneathHill60, exactly. 2. Beneath Hill 60 is an ambitious and relatively large-scale Australian drama. Furthermore, history is always open to interpretation too. That’s a marketable proposition. Their mission is to dig under German trenches in order to set a powerful explosive device. Details: 2010, Rest of the world, 122 mins. 4.214285714285714 33 reviews. 'Beneath Hill 60’ is the exciting story behind the Battle of Messines Ridge in 1916 during World War I, in which the underground efforts of a small company of Australian miners led by Captain Oliver Woodward were poised to detonate the largest explosion the world had ever known and change the course of the war. But what’s at stake? And films that are just plot are very rarely successful. Beneath Hill 60 is a decent film but it “didn’t connect” with ABC reviewer, David Stratton. For seven months, those tunnels were held … All in all, Beneath Hill 60 is a top-notch war movie which delivers traditional genre elements in effective ways, and delivers them as powerfully as almost any Hollywood epic. That’s not good enough. First you’ll need a shattering low. Beneath Hill 60 tells the story of a Queensland miner – Oliver Woodward who joined the Australian Army during World War I as part of the 1 st Tunnelling Company. No, he displays bravery very early in his war effort. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author is strictly prohibited. You can also argue that Gallipoli, and more so ‘Breaker’ Morant, were, in light of the Vietnam War, commenting on Australia’s tendency to follow other countries into war at our own great and needless expense. Beneath Hill 60 (2010) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Deep mining under the German galleries beneath Hill 60 began in late August 1915 with the 175th Tunnelling Company which began a gallery 220 yd (201 m) behind the British front line and passed 90 ft (27 m) beneath. What’s the theme? In fact, Beneath Hill 60 has a fighting chance of joining the ranks of Gallipoli and Breaker Morant as one of the best Aussie war film of this generation. Last updated. It’s there to challenge the character and force them to grow. Beneath Hill 60 seems to have the hallmarks of what we’d call a “good story”. See the list below. We do have: Film/Beneath Hill 60; YMMV/Beneath Hill 60; If you meant one of those, just click and go. War films are concerned with warfare, are usually about naval, air or land battles, and can be fiction or based on true events. Otherwise Beneath Hill 60 is a strong film telling an important story and while it won’t have the same impact as Gallipoli, it is still a film of significance. I agree with Thomas Caldwell that while feature films should be as accurate as possible they should be never be taken as “complete histories” nor should they be seen as documentaries. What a great yarn! The idea of blowing up that clump of earth isn’t going to fire the imaginations of the audience as you’d like. Film reviews, criticism and discussion by Thomas Caldwell. Instead of making a grim kitchen sink drama in the grand Australian tradition, they have actually tried to tell us a story that might appeal to a broad audience. The movie “Beneath Hill 60”, explores the notion of cultural identities through the use of media conventions, which prompts the viewer to respond with agreement and respect. 3. As I will stress many times in my film courses, there are 4 basic storytelling questions: Reviews in chronological order (Total 0 reviews) Post a review. But as a cinematic story, it doesn’t fulfil its potential. Edit Page; Inexact title. What’s stopping them from getting it? Emphasise the stakes – which brings me to my second concern about the film’s story. Because Hill 60 gives the Germans a strategic advantage. Writer, broadcaster, film critic, public speaker and film programmer. Played by Brendan Cowell (Noise), the audience first encounter Woodward lost in the maze of tunnels under the enemy lines. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! But, in film, you need more than that for a great story. 1. 2. … Clearly underwhelmed, he’s told, “What were you expecting? These scenes could have provided an important contrast to the war scenes but instead feel like a hurried afterthought with trite dialogue and noticeably weaker acting. You could imagine that guy pulling Woodward’s discarded diary out of a bin and thinking, Eureka! Those nasty Germans. Their primary role was to work beneath the German lines; building tunnels and planting explosives. It's 1916 and Woodward must tear himself from his new young love to go to the mud and carnage of the Western Front. We conjure up what we imagine Hill 60 might look like and that’s an important part of telling a story on film. 3. Cracking Yarns by Allen Palmer - Screenwriting Tips, Screenwriting Courses, David Stratton but I concur with his assessment of Beneath Hill 60, Why Schindler’s List won Best Film and Saving Private Ryan didn’t (in 27 words or less), 10 screenwriting insights I wish I’d had 25 years ago, My philosophy (or why I believe people go to the movies), Screenwriting secrets found Buried in a box, How to read between the lines of the 2011 Golden Globe nominations. After all, the whole incident was the result of an English military blunder. The Strat feels that the flashbacks to Woodward’s pre-war life back in Townsville are the problem and he’s partially right. The absence of a character arc for Woodward – or someone – is the main reason the film doesn’t pack an emotional punch and what will limit its box office appeal both here and particularly in the States. I thought it could have been a much more impressive film without the flashback sequences – they just didn’t work at all and I fear that they remained only so Jacqueline McKenzie wouldn’t be cut from the film (although admittedly she was fine). The characters do all somewhat represent the sort of stock characters you so often find in war films: the good bloke commander, the stuffy and clueless officers who insist on protocol over common sense, the naive young soldier and the tough guy who turns out to be all right. And Brendan Cowell is becoming a ‘bloody good’ actor! Compounding this lack of clarity around the stakes is the fact that we’re told in the coda that the Hill was reclaimed by the Germans in the following year. So it was all for nothing? I received and watched this film yesterday, and I think it ranks as one of the best World War 1 films of recent years. So I think there is a good reason for Australian war films to portray the English officers in a negative light and in the case of Antill I believe he was forced to do what he did by his English superiors. With: Alex Thompson, Brendan Cowell, Gyton Grantley, Harrison Gilbertson and Steve Le Marquand. None of the flashbacks provide any answers to these questions. Beneath Hill 60 is a 2010 war film by Australian director Jeremy Sims. Interesting comments about Beneath Hill 60. Next post: Why Schindler’s List won Best Film and Saving Private Ryan didn’t (in 27 words or less). 2. I think the film has a good title. Great Endings #7: Want a massive high? Beneath Hill 60, alas, doesn’t take us on that journey. Their mission is to dig under German trenches in order to set a powerful explosive device. They are remarkable enough without resorting to spiteful inaccuracies. So while some critics have commented on the “pom officer”, (played by Chris Haywood,) in fact, Chris plays an Australian Officer, and is clearly wearing an Australian Officer’s uniform. We were very aware that the stuck up British Officer has become something of a cliché in Australian war films and decided not to go too far down that path. Enter your email address to subscribe to Cinema Autopsy and receive notifications of new posts by email. They don’t. If that was the theme, the whole story needs to be shaped to dramatise that. It's 1916 and Woodward must tear himself from his new young love to go to the mud and carnage of the Western Front. “Beneath hill 60” Sacrifice, larrikinism and mate ship are traits possessed by Australians, which have helped shape who we are as a nation. BENEATH HILL 60 Sam Rankine 'Streaker' breaking the british lines to win the game MATESHIP 'Brothers by bond, not by blood' -Unknown 'Retreat hell! Beneath Hill 60 isn't an action packed war film, the combat scenes are toned down a bit, and director Jeremy Sims focuses more on the miners themselves, which of course is the focus of this film. Beneath Hill 60 is a tense, thrilling and true story of a group of Australian miners who would go on to change the course of the war. It’s just plot. Great Endings #9: Does your script have a Bow and Arrow Moment? And there is a lot to like about the film. What does let Beneath Hill 60 down are its flashback scenes depicting Woodward in Australia before he joined the Tunnelling Company. An … Yes, the exploits of this group of literal Aussie diggers are novel and interesting and contain moments of bravery, suspense, comedy and tragedy. Beneath Hill 60. If you want to start a Analysis/BeneathHill60 page, just click the edit button above. We just got here' - Belleau Wood, June 1918 The war under No Man’s Land was fought by thousands of German and Allied (mostly British, Canadian and Australian) miners, who had only received a few weeks of military training. Engaging and relevant. It’s definitely one of the better recent Australian films. If you want us to care about what you’re trying to achieve, we need to understand why it matters. In 1916 the Australian mining engineer Oliver Woodward enlists in the army and is affected as new officer of a mining section, in the Western European trenches. A comparison of the physical differences between the British and colonial miners indicates that unlike the A.T.C. Beneath Hill 60. 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