Australia has provided war movie lovers with some
good movies. “The Odd Angry Shot” (1979),
“Breaker Morant” (1980), “Gallipoli” (1981), “The Lighthorsemen” (1987), and
“Kokoda” (2006) are some. “Beneath Hill
60” is a recent addition to the subgenre.
It was directed by Jeremy Sims.
He was tabbed because of his reputation for filming claustrophobic
scenes. Because of budget constraints,
the tunnels were sets constructed indoors.
One set was provided by Hugh Jackman.
It had been used for a trench scene in “X Men Origins: Wolverine”. It was critically acclaimed in Australia and
was nominated for many Australian Film Institute awards including Best Picture and Best Actor. The story is based on the diaries of Capt.
Oliver Woodward. It was suggested by a
mining engineer and historian.
The movie is set on the Western Front in 1916. The war is at a stalemate. The 1st Australian Tunneling
Company is digging a tunnel in the area of Armentieres. The men are whispering for fear of
countermining. A stethoscope is used to
listen for the Germans. A canary will
warn of any poisonous gas. A Lt.
Woodward (Brendan Cowell) arrives to take command. Through flashback we learn that he was a
mining engineer in Australia when the war broke out. He woos a lass named Marjorie, but her father
is cool to this because Woodward has been receiving numerous white
feathers. His job is important to the
war effort, but that matters little to his overly patriotic peers. Problem solved when the British create the
tunneling company and commission him to lead it.
An early scene depicts the claustrophobic suspenseful
nature of mining in warfare. Two
Australians work below the earth when Germans suddenly break through. There is an intense fight which is heightened
by the dousing of the light. The screen
goes blank for a while. An explosion
causes a cave-in. This is serious
business. Now that the fact has been
established we can get on with the story.
A stereotypical WWI general shows up from his chateau
and demands that Woodward’s unit eliminate a German machine gun position called
the Red House. But not by tunnel,
instead by crossing no man’s land and packing explosives under the
position. Huge explosion aimed at the
American audience. After this bit of
above ground activity, the unit is transferred to the Messines Ridge
region. Their assignment is to tunnel
under Hill 60 and lay a huge amount of explosives. The ensuing eruption will signal the
beginning of the battle to take the ridge.
The mining features cat and mouse activities with the suspicious
Germans. When it is suggested to the
German general that the front line troops be moved back one hundred yards in
anticipation of a mine, he responds that they will concede no ground. The tunneling is made more difficult by
water seeping into the tunnel. Christ,
aren’t there enough man made problems?
It is not a smooth path to the explosion-packed climax.
“Beneath Hill 60” is well acted, especially by
Cowell. He has a lot of charisma, but
underplays the role. He makes Woodward a
likeable character who has to make some tough decisions as good leaders are
wont to do. The supporting cast is fine
and there is some nice character development.
The deaths of some are powerful, yet not melodramatic. The dialogue holds up and the soldiers talk
realistically. (Being an Australian
movie, it could have used some subtitles.)
The cinematography is excellent at depicting the claustrophobic nature
of this kind of warfare. The movie does
a fine job showing the wet, rainy, muddy, grimy aspect of the war in the
trenches and beneath the trenches.
The film makes effective use of flashbacks. The scenes from Woodward’s past are brightly
lit and pristine to offer a contrast to the trench scenes. The flashbacks blend in well and are touching. The movie also does a good job giving a
German perspective. Some sympathy is
engendered.
As far as accuracy, the movie acquits itself
well. Woodward was a metallurgist and
mine manager. He did join the newly
created 1st Australian Tunnelling Company after staying put in
Australia due to the importance of his mining job. The Australian tunneling units were copies of
the Royal Engineer units. They consisted
of five officers and 269 sappers. By the
end of the war, there were thirty companies including from Canada and New
Zealand. The 1st Australian
Tunneling Company first saw action when it replaced a British unit that
tunneled under German lines in the Ypres Salient. This is where the movie opens. The movie does not stick around for the
blowing of the mines which was the largest explosion up to that time on the
Western Front. The resulting Hooge
Crater was captured by the British, but subsequently changed hands several
times with the Germans using mines against it.
When the Australian unit was transferred to Hill 60 on the Messines Ridge. Hill 60 was the highest point on the ridge
and was used for artillery observation.
The mines had already been constructed and armed by Canadians. The digging is not shown in the movie which
is a shame because it was remarkable. It
was done by miners called “clay kickers” because they used steel spades
attached to their feet to dislodge the clay which was then removed by a man
following him! Oxygen depletion was a
problem only partially solved by a bellows system similar to that used in “The
Great Escape”. The Australians maintained
the mines and conducted activities to discourage German countermining. This is well depicted in the movie. This “War Underground” featured shooting,
knifing, grenading, and even strangling.
Woodward was assigned the job of setting off the explosions. Woodward set off possibly the largest
non-nuclear explosion in history. There
were a total of 19 craters created.
10,000 Germans were killed. The attack that the mines launched was successful
in capturing Hill 60, but now the British were exposed in a salient that the
Germans rained artillery fire on and launched numerous counterattacks against. An incredible four Victoria Crosses were
awarded to defenders. As the movie’s
post script says, the hill was retaken by the Huns in 1918. For those wanting a happy ending, Woodward married Marjorie when he
returned. He went on to a very
successful career in the mining industry.
This is the best movie on mining in WWI. Of course, it is the only one, but that fact
makes it special. I have a soft spot for
movies that bring to light little known people, events, and units from military
history. “Beneath Hill 60” is of this
type. WWI is getting a renewal of
interest as we celebrate its hundredth anniversary, but few are familiar with
the role tunneling played in the war.
This movie does homage to those brave miners on both sides. I would question their sanity except that it
was an insane war and most of them were using their pre-war skills in service
to their countries.
GRADE = A-
I had the pleasure of watching this movie the time slot before the official show. Three people were in the theatre. I even got free large coke and popcorn. I watched that movie in total awe. Half way up the seats, right in the middle. Absolutely blown away. I cried when they cried and laughed at the funny stuff. I'm in Townsville, where it was filmed and delivered a huge load of timber which they used for sets. I bought the book, Ross Thomas signed it, as I visited his home and we chatted for quite a while. I have the rum jar but missed out on the bronze plaque that went it. I have 2 different medallions both designed by Micheal Meszarros. This movie was, in my opinion, brilliant.
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