Gallipoli November 29, 2005

Directed by Peter Weir
Australia, 1981, Color, 110 min.
With Mark Lee, Mel Gibson, Bill Hunter

Partially inspired by Weir's visit to the infamous battle site on the Turkish coast, this historical epic focuses on the individual journeys of two young Australian sprinters?wide-eyed country boy Archy (Lee) and street-smart Frank (Gibson)?who become friends and join the army. Their reasons for enlisting are similarly opposite: na?ve Archy holds vague visions of glory, while pragmatic Frank figures he might return an officer. As much a study of the Australian psyche circa WWI as an anti-war screed, the film examines how camaraderie and the sporting mindset translate to the theater of war.