We watch as they train in sands of Cairo, as they swim in the seas of Gallipoli and, ultimately, as Archy is cut down by Turkish gunfire sprinting towards the enemy’s trenches. They each join the Anzacs, but Weir luxuriates in the quotidian details of their lives rather than rushing into battle. Each competitive runners, their initial rivalry soon transforms into a close friendship – or, rather, mateship. Gallipoli tells the tale of two young soldiers, Archy Hamilton (Mark Lee) and Frank Dunne (Mel Gibson). Peter Weir was one of the most important figures of the movement, with his Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) a significant film in the movement. The movie is part of the Australian New Wave, an era that – thanks largely to the foundation of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School and the government funding that came with it – heralded the birth of Australian cinema as a serious artistic force. Released in 1981, the film opened to impressive box office receipts, taking $11.7 million domestically from a $2.8 million budget, and received critical praise to match.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of Peter Weir’s Gallipoliin shaping both Australia’s cinema and its wider culture.
0 kommentar(er)
