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By
WAYNE KLEIN
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 the 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 the 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. There's no commentary track
as Weir isn't a fan of commentary tracks.
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. |
