Gallipoli (1981)

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Director: Peter Weir

Writers: David Williamson, story by Peter Weir, from a novel by Ernest Raymond

Stars: Mel Gibson, Mark Lee, Bill Kerr, Harold Hopkins, Charles Lathalu Yunipingu, Heath Harris



Two young Australian men (Mel Gibson and Mark Lee) answer the call of adventure during the early years of World War I and enlist in the infantry only to find themselves caught up in a military tragedy of historic proportions.

 


Director Peter Weir’s film is a powerful answer to the myth that war is a grand adventure that provides a stage for young people to display their honor and loyalty.

 


A susceptibility to propaganda, a sense of adventure, and the longing to be a part of something bigger than oneself are all revealed as motivating factors. 



The way a bull-headed pragmatism from the officer class can chew up these young people with their fine motivations in a meat grinder is heartbreaking. 



Weir presents a fascinating evocation of Australian life and warfare in the early 20th century.



Spoiler alert!!! The end of the movie!!














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