Movie Review – Gallipoli (1981)

In today’s movie review we’re taking a look at Gallipoli, a 1981 Australian film that focuses on two friends who enlist in the Australian Army and are sent to the Gallipoli Campaign against the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey).

As we know from our history books, the Gallipoli Campaign was designed to have Allied forces invade and capture Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire so that the Russian Navy would have a clear path from the Black Sea into the Mediterranean.  That part of the Ottoman Empire was a critical chokepoint against the Russians.  The Gallipoli Campaign lasted from April 25, 1915 until January 9, 1916.  The campaign was a serious failure for the Allies and cost the lives of over 56,000 soldiers.

Directed by Peter Weir, Gallipoli stars Mel Gibson as Frank Dunne, and Mark Lee as Archy Hamilton.

Gallipoli begins in Western Australia in May of 1915.

Archy Hamilton (Mark Lee) is an 18-year-old sprinter continually being trained by his uncle, Jack (Bill Kerr).  When he’s not training to be a champion sprinter, Archy works on a cattle ranch.  One day Archy is challenged to a race by fellow cowboy Les McCann (Harold Hopkins).  Archy is forced to run barefoot across a desert while Les rides his horse bareback.  Although Archy wins the race, he badly damages his feet and faces disapproval from Uncle Jack.

Meanwhile, Frank Dunne (Mel Gibson) and his companions are railway workers.  When his companions read about Australia’s involvement in the war and the start of the Gallipoli Campaign, they’re motivated to join the Australian Army.  That is, except for Frank.  Nonetheless, the four of them suddenly quit their jobs and hop aboard the next train that passes through the area.

Frank makes his way to an athletic carnival taking place in a nearby town.  He’s a fast sprinter, and also a big gambler, and he bets on himself to win a race.  However, Archy Hamilton is one of the contestants in the race, and Frank loses to Archy.  After the race, Archy tries to join the Australian Imperial Force at a recruitment post there at the carnival.  He lies to the recruiter and claims that he’s 21 years old, but Les McCann spoils the fun and tells the recruiter that Archy is really 18.  Archy quickly climbs onto a horse and flees from the carnival.

A short while later, Frank finds Archy in a cafe.  The two runners quickly become friends, and they plot a way to join the Australian Army.  The only trick is that they’ll have to go to a different city and try again.  The only problem is that neither of them have any money to travel.  Frank lost his money when betting on himself to win the race.  Archy gave his prize winnings to his uncle as he wouldn’t be needing the money in the army.

That night, Frank and Archy hop onto a freight train bound for Perth.  However, when they wake the next morning, they realize that their train car had been delivered to a lone station out in the desert.  The next train isn’t scheduled to arrive there for another two weeks.  Instead of sitting around and waiting for the next train, Frank and Archy set out across the desert and walk to Perth.  It’s a grueling journey that lasts several days, but the two of them finally make it to the city in Western Australia.

In Perth, Frank and Archy spend the night at the house of Frank’s father.  While there, Frank forges Archy’s birth certificate to give him an older age and an alternate name.  Archy tries to give Frank some lessons in riding a horse, but Frank doesn’t have the ability to do so.

The two of them go to the recruiting station and successfully enlist in the Australian Army.  Archy is accepted into the Light Horse division, and he tries to get Frank into the unit as well.  However, when Frank has to prove his riding ability, he fails and is not allowed to join.  Instead, Frank goes into the infantry along with his old friends from the railway.  Frank and Archy are separated and sent on different transport ships bound for Cairo, Egypt.

In July of 1915, Frank’s infantry unit reaches the Australian Training Camp outside of Cairo, Egypt.  Near the Pyramids, the new recruits quickly form bonds with one another as they learn how to be soldiers in the infantry.  When not on duty in the army, the soldiers are allowed to go into Cairo and mix with the locals.  The soldiers deal with the merchants, mix with the locals, and even experience some Egyptian brothels.

One day when the infantry is in the desert and training for a mock attack, Frank and Archy run into each other.  The two of them race each other through a market and later climb to the top of one of the Pyramids.  Later, Frank is able to be transferred into the Light Horse division when the commanding officer learns that both he and Archy are sprinters.  Since the use of horses has been phased out from this newer type of warfare, soldiers who could quickly run were found to be valuable at delivering messages across the battlefields.

A short while later the soldiers leave Cairo and arrive at Anzac Cove, a small area on the Gallipoli peninsula used by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.  Anzac Cove serves also serves as the headquarters and primary supply point for the ANZAC forces despite continually being under artillery and mortar fire.  One day while the soldiers are swimming in the cove, they’re suddenly attacked by Turkish gunfire.  A few of the men are wounded during the attack, but the soldiers are carefree about the incident.

The soldiers adjust to life in the trenches over the next few days.  They’re exposed to the constant shelling, the threat of enemy machine gun fire, and they even meet some captured soldiers standing in a small prison cell.  Although the war itself still seems like a novelty to Frank and Archy, they slowly realize the reality of life and death in the trenches.  It’s just a matter of time before they’ll be facing combat for real.

One night, Colonel Robinson (John Morris) holds a briefing and informs his officers that 25,000 British troops will be landing in nearby Suvla Bay.  Without these British reinforcements, the ANZACs will never be able to break out of Anzac Cove.  The Australians are to attack the Turkish forces at Nek to occupy them while the British make their way on shore.  The only problem is that as Major Barton (Bill Hunter) points out, the Nek is basically a fortress heavily defended by machine guns.  The major is assured that an artillery bombardment is going to hit the Turkish trenches and annihilate the Turks, clearing a path for the Australian infantry.  When the artillery commander checks his watch, we see that his watch is almost ten minutes faster than Major Barton’s watch.

Later that afternoon, the Australians attack the Turks in the Battle of Lone Pine.  This was also a diversion attack to help the British land their soldiers on the beach.  Although neither Frank or Archy are assigned to this engagement, they can clearly hear the sounds of battle nearby.  Shortly later we see that the Australians were hit hard by the Turkish resistance.  When Frank finds one of his friends from the railroad, he learns that one of them was killed in action, another was badly wounded, and the third was very traumatized from the battle.  This makes an impression and Frank realizes that he and his friends aren’t invincible as they believed.

The next morning the Australian soldiers prepare for their attack at Battle of the Nek.  Major Barton orders Archy to be his message runner during the battle, but Archy declines the offer.  He recommends Frank for the job.  Archy grabs a rifle and prepares for the fight with the rest of his fellow soldiers.

The artillery fire begins and the Turks are forced to retreat from their trenches and defensive posts.  However, when the guns fall silent and the Turks are most vulnerable to attack, Major Barton checks his watch and thinks that there’s still going to be a final barrage of artillery fire.  But it doesn’t happen.  Barton didn’t know that his watch was not synchronized with that of the artillery commander.  When Colonel Robinson calls Barton on the telephone, he orders him to carry out the attack immediately, knowing full well that the Turks are returning to the trenches.

Barton orders the first wave to attack, and nearly all of the men are cut down by machine gun fire within seconds of going over the top of the trenches.  It’s a slaughter.  When the second wave of men go over the top, they’re also quickly decimated by the brutal machine gun fire.  It’s obvious that nobody is going to succeed in attacking the Turks from this angle.

Major Barton calls Colonel Robinson and urges him to call off the attack, but Robinson tells him that somebody told him that they saw ANZAC flags in the Turkish trenches, indicating that the attack was partially successful. Before it could be clarified, the phone line goes dead.  Barton sends Frank running to the colonel to clarify the situation.  When Frank reaches the Brigade HQ, Colonel Robinson insists that the attack must continue.

Back in the trenches, Frank suggests to Major Barton that he goes over the colonel’s head to General Gardner.  Barton agrees and Frank sprints through the trenches, across an open stretch exposed to machine guns, and he reaches the general’s headquarters on the beach.  General Gardner (Graham Dow) has been informed that the British are not only on the beach at Suvla Bay, but they’re sitting back and drinking tea.  He tells Frank that he’s reconsidering the entire attack.  Elated with the news, Frank sprints back to the trenches and races to find Major Barton.

While Frank is running back, the telephone line is repaired and Colonel Robinson orders Major Barton to launch the final wave of the attack.  The soldiers know what’s awaiting them, and many of them write farewell letters to their family back home.  Some of the men also leave behind heirlooms such as medals, wedding rings, and even pocket watches.  They then ready their weapons and prepare to go over the top.  Major Barton joins the men in this final attack.  He climbs the ladder and blows his whistle, ordering the men to go over the top.  When Frank hears the whistle he screams in anger, knowing that he’s too late to stop the attack and save his friend’s life.

Gallipoli ends with the final wave of Australian soldiers being slaughtered by the Turkish machine guns.  Archy drops his rifle and sprints to the enemy lines, running as fast as he can.  It’s not quick enough and the final frame of the movie freezes as bullets slam into Archy’s chest, killing him.

So, is 1981’s Gallipoli a good movie?

Yes, Gallipoli is a good movie set against the backdrop of the failed Gallipoli Campaign during the First World War.  This is a classic coming of age movie where two patriotic friends join the military to serve their country, but while serving in Gallipoli, they both realize that life in a war zone can come to a very quick ending.

Gallipoli also features the classic “armchair” commander who issues orders over a telephone and has no problem ordering men to their death.

Those people who are expecting to see a lot of warfare may be disappointed.  While Gallipoli does a great job showing that small but important part of the Great War (as opposed to other films that focus on the Western Front), we really don’t see that much of Gallipoli in the movie.  You’ll have to wait until about the last third of the film before the soldiers finally arrive in Gallipoli, and the main battle scene isn’t until the very end of the movie.

Gallipoli (1981) – movie trailer

Gallipoli is more about two friends and their journey to the war rather than the war itself.  With that taken into account, Gallipoli is a good movie.  The war sequences are outstanding, but they’re limited in this film.  This film has inspired me to learn more about the Gallipoli Campaign and the events surrounding it.

Jack – “What are your legs?”
Archy Hamilton – “Springs. Steel springs.”
Jack – “What are they going to do?”
Archy Hamilton – “Hurl me down the track.”
Jack – “How fast can you run?”
Archy Hamilton – “As fast as a leopard.”
Jack – “How fast are you going to run?”
Archy Hamilton – “As fast as a leopard!”
Jack – “Then let’s see you do it!”

——————

Col. Robinson – “Tell Major Barton that the attack must proceed.”
Frank Dunne – “Sir, I don’t think you’ve got the picture. They are being cut down before they can get five yards.”
[hits the phone]
Col. Robinson – “Bloody line! I don’t care! Our marker flags were seen in the Turkish trenches. The attack must continue at all costs.”
Frank Dunne – “But…”
Col. Robinson – “I repeat, the attack must proceed!”

——————

Major Barton – [to the soldiers in the final attack wave] “All right men… we’re going. But I want you to remember who you are. You are the 10th Light Horse! Men from Western Australia. Don’t forget it. Good luck.”