Beneath Hill 60 By Jeremy Hartley Simms

So I come this week to the new Australian war film Beneath Hill 60. I had low expectations about this film and I found myself enjoying this film in most part despite itself.

Jeremy Simms has been a favourite actor of mine and his work as a director both through his theatre company Pork Chop and behind the camera have always wielded interesting results. With Beneath Hill 60 interesting takes a back step and he dives into trying to make a classic Australian war film. Whether he succeeds at this will be debated. For me the film fails, although I loved roughly 90% of this film but that other ten really drags it down, the two people I saw it with were overcome by the film, they loved it.

The strength of the film lies in the claustrophobia it invokes. From the first shot we know what we are in for. It's when the film cuts away to before Brendan Cowell joined the war effort that the film crashes and really drags. The film is quite unevenly plotted and tries to hard to invoke the great Australian war films of the past, especially Gallipolli. The other misstep of the film is the score by Cezary Skubezweski, at no point does it fit the film, I almost felt as if I was watching a print that had the sound out of sync.

Despite my above misgivings, the performances of all those involved are what keep you watching. Everyone are at their best. Brendan Cowell and Steve La Marquand nail the begrudging respect that their characters come to earn form one another in the most trying of circumstances. And the way the film ends is something to behold.

If your up for a war film that is all about flying the Australian banner, then this one is definitely for you.