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DVD Description
The extraordinary true story of Oliver Woodward. It's 1916 and Woodward must tear himself from his new young love to go to the mud and carnage of the Western Front. Deep beneath the German lines. Woodward and his secret platoon of Australian tunnelers fight to defend a leaking, labyrinthine tunnel system packed with enough high explosives to change the course of the War.
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (2.35:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Commentary, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: BENEATH HILL 60 tells the extraordinary true story of Oliver Woodward, the legendary Australian metal scientist. In 1916, Woodward faced the most difficult decision, ultimately having to separate from his new young love for the deadly carnage of the Western Front. On treacherous territory, behind the German enemy lines, Woodward and his secret platoon of Australian tunnelers face a suicidal battle to defend a leaking, tunnel system. A tunnel packed with enough high explosives to change the course of the War... ...Beneath Hill 60 ( Beneath Hill Sixty )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
149 of 150 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It was not long ago that I watched the excellent Australian film "Kokoda 39th Batallion", which brought deserved attention to the less well known conflict in Papua New Guinea during the Second World War. They have done it again with "Beneath Hill 60", which is the true story of the 1st Australian tunnellers, with particular emphasis on their involvement in the Battle of Messines during World War One. It was a story that was truly crying out to be told. The screenplay for the film was adapted from the war diaries of Captain Oliver Woodward who served with the tunnellers. A film about the role played by the tunnellers during the Great War has been long overdue. The novel "Birdsong" brought home the horrors of this type of war to me. Men toiling beneath the earth to set off huge mines beneath enemy positions. Then there were counter mines from the enemy, which sometimes ended in brutal hand to hand combat where men hacked at each other with spades.
The film captures the awful realities of the war under the ground, whilst interweaving flashbacks of the captains romance back home. Whilst I don't pretend to be an expert, the action seems very authentic, with detail such as the listening posts and the reference to digging down to the blue clay to avoid water flooding. The conditions and scenes of World War One action around the Ypres salient are very convincing. I have visited the Flanders field museum in Ypres and the film certainly looked like many of the photos I saw there. It is remarkable to think all this was done in Australia. Prior to the commencement of the Messines Battle, 19 mines were set off simultaneously, in the greatest man made explosion the world had ever witnessed. It was heard in London and Dublin, and changed the geography of the area. An estimated 10,000 German soldiers were killed. It was not until testing the atomic bomb in 1945 that there was a larger explosion. Sadly although the allies gained valuable ground initially it was retaken by the Germans in a matter of months, and the bloody stalemate continued.
The acting is solid by all the cast, and star Brendan Cowell is particularly effective as Woodward. Jeremy Sim's has directed this large production with an impressively sure hand. It is always difficult to bring something new to the canon of World War One movies that has not already been done, and usually done well by someone, but Sim's and his crew have managed this. There might be an even more definitive film to be made about the tunnellers, but for the time being this will more than suffice. It is an entertaining and informative film, that casts light on a lesser known chapter of the Great War. Well worth watching.
The film captures the awful realities of the war under the ground, whilst interweaving flashbacks of the captains romance back home. Whilst I don't pretend to be an expert, the action seems very authentic, with detail such as the listening posts and the reference to digging down to the blue clay to avoid water flooding. The conditions and scenes of World War One action around the Ypres salient are very convincing. I have visited the Flanders field museum in Ypres and the film certainly looked like many of the photos I saw there. It is remarkable to think all this was done in Australia. Prior to the commencement of the Messines Battle, 19 mines were set off simultaneously, in the greatest man made explosion the world had ever witnessed. It was heard in London and Dublin, and changed the geography of the area. An estimated 10,000 German soldiers were killed. It was not until testing the atomic bomb in 1945 that there was a larger explosion. Sadly although the allies gained valuable ground initially it was retaken by the Germans in a matter of months, and the bloody stalemate continued.
The acting is solid by all the cast, and star Brendan Cowell is particularly effective as Woodward. Jeremy Sim's has directed this large production with an impressively sure hand. It is always difficult to bring something new to the canon of World War One movies that has not already been done, and usually done well by someone, but Sim's and his crew have managed this. There might be an even more definitive film to be made about the tunnellers, but for the time being this will more than suffice. It is an entertaining and informative film, that casts light on a lesser known chapter of the Great War. Well worth watching.
70 of 71 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A good honest film about the British Empire forces in the First World War, albeit from an Australian perspective. That said there is not modern stereotypical characterisations, the British soldiers are depicted fairly and there is no modern anti-British sentiment in this. This is just a good honest story about soldiers and the travails that they faced whilst serving on the Western Front. The British film industry could learn a lot from this production, the research on the Uniforms and equipment is first rate and the depictions of the social mores of the time are excellent too. It tells good story of men at war without a ham fisted attempt at making a point. I recommend this to everyone interested in the Great War.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Like Tommy D who posted a review yesterday (9th Nov.), I have other reviewers (and Amazon's recommended lists) to thank for my purchase of this film. When the first review mentioned the film Kokoda - 39th Battalion, I was instantly interested, because I enjoyed that immensely. Birdsong is one of my top five favourite books too, so I was attracted to the idea of a film about sappers in WW1. Plus good films about the conflict are few and far between. There's the seminal anti-war film, All Quiet On The Western Front, based on Remarque's book, Gallipoli, and perhaps a handful of others. Hence the reason my antennae shoot up at the prospect of a good WW1 film.
I won't go into the plot - the blurb and other reviews do that in spades. What's important to me is that with the passage of time, and the deaths of all the suriviving veterans, I sadly feel that in no time at all, WW1 will be consigned to history. Fine films like this, which are realistic (in as much as we can know), while also managing to be gripping and moving will hopefully be one of the ways that the terrible conflict, and the ordinary men who served in it, will never be forgotten. The fact that this film is based on a real man, Captain Woodward, and his exploits, adds to its appeal even more.
(The two tiny spoilers were the poor music, and the shot of Australian mountains in the background of one scene - there are no mountains anywhere near Ypres as far as I know! Not enough to take away a star, however.)
Ben Kane, author of The Forgotten Legion.
I won't go into the plot - the blurb and other reviews do that in spades. What's important to me is that with the passage of time, and the deaths of all the suriviving veterans, I sadly feel that in no time at all, WW1 will be consigned to history. Fine films like this, which are realistic (in as much as we can know), while also managing to be gripping and moving will hopefully be one of the ways that the terrible conflict, and the ordinary men who served in it, will never be forgotten. The fact that this film is based on a real man, Captain Woodward, and his exploits, adds to its appeal even more.
(The two tiny spoilers were the poor music, and the shot of Australian mountains in the background of one scene - there are no mountains anywhere near Ypres as far as I know! Not enough to take away a star, however.)
Ben Kane, author of The Forgotten Legion.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
ONE OF THE GREATS
I watched this film on a long haul flight and was totally gripped by it so much so that I will buy the DVD when I get home . Read more
Published 1 month ago by C. WEEKES
One of the Best WWI Films Going.
I'm so glad I managed to stumble across this film as personally I found it a real treat to watch. I'm Cornish born and bred so I do have a deep interest in mining as it's in my... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. Lr Mitchell
A Must Watch Film
Sorry about the cliche title, but quite simply, that is what this film is. Well done the Aussies for making it and acting in it so well. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Leslie10646
Beneath Hill 60
Gripping account of the incredible dangers faced by the Tunnellers who dug mines beneath enemy lines and exploded them. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. W. J. Neil
Hill 60
I bought this film after reading some very positive reviews, however I was quite disappointed. The outstanding feature for me is that the film gives recognition to the Tunnellers... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Dean Grady
Don't hesitate get it!
Don't hesitate get it! Because the reviews say it all!!!!l Great film in that everything was convincing!! Read more
Published 9 months ago by T. R. Wantling
Really gripping
Covers all the aspects a war film needs too. Keeps you interested all the way through, the action is realistic and enjoyable, war is shown to be brutal and pointless and you care... Read more
Published 11 months ago by EGGY6198
Very intriguing movie!
One of the few really good WWI movies.
I got claustrofobic while watching the tunneling scenes!
I wish more WWI movies were made like this!
I got claustrofobic while watching the tunneling scenes!
I wish more WWI movies were made like this!
Published 11 months ago by Hubert
Predictable but worth watching
The story of Australian Tunnellers is given the film treatment.
The narrative is conventional enough and based on the memoir of the same name by Oliver Woodward. Read more
The narrative is conventional enough and based on the memoir of the same name by Oliver Woodward. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Clio
Outstanding!!
Outstanding war film depicting for the first time in film the true horrors of the 1st World War in graphic hard hitting reality. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Pagey
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