Beneath Hill 60 (2010)

Director: Jeremy Sims
Starring: Brendan Cowell, Steve Le Marquand, Harrison Gilbertson, Alan Dukes, Mark Coles Smith, Gyton Grantley, Bella Heathcote
Certificate: 15
Genre: War
Awards: None

Beneath Hill 60 tells the story of an Australian mining company in World War One who dug tunnels and planted explosive under the German lines. The target is Hill 60 in Belgium, a strategic point that, if timed right, could cause a great turn in the war.

The film flits between the soldiers, in the trenches and the tunnels, and 18 months earlier when the main character, Captain Woodward (Cowell) was a miner in Australia who was told no to go to war as the mines were needed. Whilst the latter scenes does give a greater beck story for the character (and allows female characters to be included) it isn't needed to make the war scenes more tense or dramatic and arguably takes away from the feeling of isolation WW1 is associated with.

Yet Beneath Hill 60 hits all the right notes and works its context well, showing the trenches to be horrific places to live and the comradeship that comes with being in the army. Some parts feel like they could have been done better but overall it is a reasonably strong war film.

****Good