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Mark Lee, Mel Gibson, Bill Kerr, Harold Hopkins, Charles Yunupingu, Ron Graham

An infamous conflict in history that occurred during WW I, “Gallipoli” comes around for the infamous double dip from Paramount. This time around, though, Paramount gets it right and includes a six part documentary on the real conflict and the making of the movie. This was the first vehicle where I caught my first performance of Mel Gibson who along with Mark Lee create the heart and soul of Weir’s terrific film about the brutality of war. The film has aged remarkable well despite the use of early synthesizer music as an occasional score (much like “Chariots of Fire” whose synthesizer score pleasant as it is has aged badly). ***

Archy Hamilton (Lee) runs like the wind. He’s got the speed and ability to be an Olympic caliber athlete but his idealistic beliefs pull him away from running to serve in the war in the Australian cavalry. He’s joined by rival Frank Dunne (Mel Gibson) another amazing sprinter who competes for the money. The two strike up an unlikely friendship after their match against each other and end up enlisting despite Dunne’s initial disinterest in becoming yet another body trying to outrun flying bullets. This harsh indictment of the b senseless nature of war and how it robs the world of promising young men in their prime allows Weir to wax on the nature of what war costs a nation. Weir avoids he politics of right or wrong regarding the conflict instead focusing on the terrible cost war visits on human life. The visuals are frequent stunning and “Gallipoli” like Weir’s earlier films continued to show the breathtaking development of an amazing filmmaker with as much intelligence behind the camera as skill with it. ---

Paramount’s previous release looked extremely good on DVD. This edition looks remarkable sharp and crisp with a nice reproduction of the textures, colors and clarity of the theatrical release. The 5.1 audio sounds fine here although clearly it isn’t used to the optimal effect it could be given the film’s age.

We get a six part documentary on the making of the film that also includes a bit of history. Featuring interviews with the late Bill Gammage author of “The Broken Years”, film director Weir, screenwriter Williamson actors Gibson, Lee and others from the production of the film the documentary focuses initially on the conditions that provoked the country to become involved in WWI despite no direct threat to their nation. It’s far from the dry documentaries that many people are accustomed to, the inclusion of those who were involved in the production of the film discussing the circumstances of the conflict at Gallipoli makes the documentary far more entertaining and interesting that one might expect otherwise. Inspired by Kubrick’s “Paths of Glory” Weir decided to do the film after visiting Gallipoli in Turkey. There’s footage that shows the historically preserved location. Weir discusses the emotional impact of his visit and how it solidified his decision to make the movie. Weir relates how there are still items from the war at the site. Weir brought Williamson on as the writer and the film’s genesis actually began in 1977 with their collaboration. They went through many drafts before discovering the core story. Gammage’s book which included letters from actual soldiers from the time became the touchstone for Weir and Williamson. We also get the original theatrical trailer for the film. ---

A terrific film, this is a bitter reminder of the callousness of war. For those that feel the need to enlist this is an enlightening reminder that the job of the military isn’t a game nor is it a frat. Once called into service war is a brutal, nasty business that plucks whole generations and wipes them from the face of the Earth sometimes for a questionable cause. Without going into the politics of the war, Weir brilliant visualizes the destruction of war and the script written by David Williamson provides perfectly realized characters in this powerful film.