I know ANZAC Day isn’t until April, but with Remembrance Day around the corner here in Canada and the UK, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on films that honour the bravery and sacrifices of those who served. Between the locations and character building, this was a BEAUTIFUL film. If you want to watch the full length reaction or support the channel: patreon.com/chrissiereacts
We have Remembrance Day in Australia as well. It's not a public holiday like ANZAC Day, but we do pause to remember the fallen at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
Hi Crissie, My folks were 40 when they had me, as was the same with my dad and his parents. My Grandfather went to Gallipoli as a 16yo. They were told it was like an adventure novel and will be home by Christmas. They had no idea what a machine-gun was because the british didn't issue them to our troops.( The movie ending reflects the lack of information sent home ) When dad saw this movie he cried. It was one thing to hear the story from his dad, but this movie was a little too accurate. The Anzacs' mission was to distract the Turks from their Naval Attack on the Dardanelles. The attack was successful and the navy picked up the survivors without detection. The ANZACS were successful in their mission but it cost half a genetation of males in each country. Now you need to do a reaction for the song "And the band played Waltzing Mtilda " (Bring your tissues)
You also have to take the 'taboo' topic of politics at the time. Canada, New Zealand and Australia were the most recent colonies to claim independence. A massive cull would see England returning to 'save their economies. The Gallipoli ANZACS that were able were immediately sent on to the Western Front.
When the offical Australian war historian Charles Bean described the final attack at the Nek he mentioned a young Australian soldier who was last seen running “towards the Turkish positions as if breathing the tape in a foot race”… the screenwriter David Williamson took inspiration from that line. And the names of the two young men - Frank and Archie - were inspired by a visit Williamston made to the pyramids while working on the script. In those days you could still climb the Great Pyramid, Williamson did, and at the top was a piece of graffiti- “Frank and Archie, AIF (Australian Force), 1915” … who knows who the real Frank and Archie were, but it’s a lovely touch.
Wow as a 56 year old you have made my day with this bit of trivia. Went to the movies as a kid had a few tears in the end as had lost family in war not actually knowing them as I was a baby. But having cousins and aunts without father/husband. This has made this movie that little bit more special ✨💥 thank you
@@kevinknight1924 oh pleasure Kevin, Thankyou - there are quite a few nuggets of gold in that film. Years ago I worked with Hal McElroy who was, when I met him, a successful TV producer- he made things like Blue Heelers and other prime time shows. His first job as a young intern was as a runner on Gallipoli driving bits and pieces back and forth to location. One of the biggest days on the shoot was the first day on location at the bit of coast they chose for ANZAC cove, the location was in South Australia. McElroy was given all the film stock for the shoot and drove down to the location which was about three hours from the production base. When he got there he opened the boot to find it empty- he’d left it all in Adelaide! He was told to solve the problem and then was sacked from his first job. He said it made him, he realised there was no margin for that kind of error on film - light lost. Hundreds of extras called, etc etc. if you like war film trivia the actor who plays Archie’s coach (Bill Kerr) was in one of the most famous war films of all time - The Dambusters. He plays ‘Mick Martin’ the Australian pilot. But you’re right - gallipoli is a beautifully made film and captures the naïveté, generous and trusting spirit of that first war generation. And it established Peter Weir as a master film maker.
For Gods seem, who cares? This aggrandisement of fools who VOLUNTEERED to go to another country to kill its residence on their own land is as offensive as it is deluded. Imagine lionising a German soldier who's running prowess helped his 'mates' vanquish the people of Poland they intended to slaughter in their homes. We may not know who the real. Frank & Archie were, but we do know they were the products of a reprehensible, psychotic, ideology which approved the invasion and killing on other people without consideration - and even purely for adventure, We know the real Frank and Archie volunteered to kill people who were betrayed by the British empire and only because the British empire wanted their land. They werent heroes and the only sense in which they were 'innocents' is in their degree of ignorance, and indifference, of the reason they were there in the first place. Like the nonexistent Simpson and his donkey, Frank and Archie are the products of a national fairy tale desperate to avoid what they really were
@@dragosapina5692Right, thanks to this movie, now I see how much sense it makes when young guys literally throw away their lives for old guys egos! Thanks for straightening me out on that!
@@dragosapina5692 This. This is absobloodylutley the point. Sure, the original reasons to sign might have been a bit fuzzy, but ultimately it was to protect the country. Naive, but commendable. The two main characters had MORE than ample opportunities to just keep their heads down and ride it out. They didn't. War is bloody hell. They had a job to do. The lads around them were in it deep, and they had a chance to contribute. So they did.
@@SpidatheSmear If you think it was to protect the country you're obviously very naive. Innocent people will continue to die in wars because too many people like you never learn from history.
To Australians, Gallipoli is much more than a historical event; it's a defining moment that shaped our national identity. When Australian and New Zealand forces landed at Gallipoli in 1915, it was the first major military action for our countries, barely a decade after Australia's federation. The bravery, mateship, and resilience of the ANZAC soldiers in facing impossible odds became known as the 'ANZAC spirit,' a foundational element of who we are as Australians. Peter Weir’s Gallipoli captures this spirit in a way that few films do, balancing the camaraderie, humor, and heartbreak that Australians hold close in remembering the ANZACs. The film doesn’t just tell the story of a battle; it reflects the youthful idealism and devastating loss that defined a generation and cemented Gallipoli’s place in Australian consciousness. The powerful ending, showing the senseless tragedy and bravery of those young men, brings home the immense cost of war and reminds us why we commemorate ANZAC Day every April 25th. The movie is essential for understanding Australia’s connection to Gallipoli and why this campaign remains such a poignant symbol of sacrifice, unity, and resilience.
@user-jp6xw7sb4u But they served as South Australians, not Australians. We were not even a Federation of States until 1901, and the Boer was was 1899 - '02. Australia, as a NATION, was blooded at Gallipoli.
In the 1980s the Turkish government officially renamed the area the Anzacs fought at Gallipoli to Anzac Cove. The Australian Government in turn renamed the channel leading out of the Princess Royal Harbour (the harbour where the Australian troops heading for Gallipoli left Australia) to Ataturk Channel, after the Turkish commander at Gallipoli (and later the first Turkish President).
I think there was some effort to demonize the Turks during that period, and yet decades earlier they were allied with the Brits to fight the Russians. I'm happy to hear that there was some form of detente between the Aussie and Turks....something the rest of us can learn from.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, also known as Mustafa Kemal PashaAtaturk was a fine leader of his countrymen, and as a statesman and leader, implemented compulsory secondary education (highschool) for males and females of Türkiye.
"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives ... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours ... You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."
Midnight Oil sold that quote to my generation in Blossom and Blood. "You the mothers that lost your sons, wipe away your tears, For those who fought and those who fell, became our sons as well... They went on with - "You the warriors with your words, Throw away your spears You talk of times of peace for all, And then prepare for war..." Some things don't change. They are still sending the sons of our nations to fight in stupid wars that matter to noone except the rich and powerful.
The film ended abruptly like that because every Australian already knows that our boys were massacred at Gallipoli and it was all for nothing. There was no 'Thanks to these men, objectives A, B, and C were achieved.' The diggers died as cannon fodder because of the arrogance of the British command. The story is as simple and as tragic as that. And yet, their bravery and sacrifice became etched in the Australian character and psyche and they are remembered reverently to this day, even by the Turks.
Same with New Zealand, and just to add the Gallipoli campaign and WW1 in general marked a huge shift away from considering ourselves as part of the British empire and more as our own countries on the other side of the world. Such a senseless war
And by 1918 the Australian government had demanded that the 5 Australian Divisions be commanded by an Australian General. Sir John Monash. See the Battle of Hamel.
Although the battle was lost, *it tied up the Turkish army enough to help our allies on other fronts.* _Contributing to the ultimate 'winning' of the war._
I grew up in Canada. I was 15 when I saw Gallipoli in the theatre in 1981. I became an instant fan of Aussie films and Mel Gibson & Peter Weir. Peter Weir is Australia's greatest director. Peter Weir's next movie was "The Year of Living Dangerously" Starring Mel Gibson & Sigourney Weaver. Great movie! Then Weir went to America and made "Witness" Starring Harrison Ford. Ford's best performance and only Oscar nomination. I love Witness!! Then Weir made "Dead Poets Society". A must watch!! Another great Aussie film that came out in 1982 that I've watched 20x since is "The Man From Snowy River". It was Australia's highest grossing film until Crocodile Dundee. I recommend watching every movie Starring Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell or Harrison Ford in the 80s.
Many of the Australians who went to war thought it was going to be a great adventure and that they would only be gone for a few months. Many didn't even think they would see action. During the Egypt layover, the Aussies used the pyramids for rifle practice. Something that didn't endear them to the locals. The movie ended this way because we as Australians, the key audience, knew what happened. Too many of us had relatives who died there. We were Winston Churchills expendable soldiers. I remember when Churchill died. Not a lot of my family were cut up about it.
Churchill deservedly gets credit for his leadership during WWII, but he was also partially responsible for such failed campaigns as Gallipoli and the failed expedition to Narvik.
@@greypossum1 It was his idea. He was minister of defense. He said it haunted him till the day he died. People hated him for it even in his own party. Kitchener was horrified when he went to the trenches to assess the situation and told them to get out.
@@1fires1 yes. I agree with every bit of that. Especially the part where you said People hated him for it. I don't know what you are disagreeing with me.
I'm sure the British French and Indian troops probably felt the same. 19,000 British troops became casualties on first day alone 4 Victoria Crosses to one British regiment. 58,000 British troops became casualties by the end of the 8-month campaign.
As to why the film ended so abruptly, I've always thought it was meant as a metaphor. The film is Archie's story, which, like so many others, ended abruptly in a senseless moment. It's only fitting that the film would likewise end abruptly without pretending to make it make sense.
The reason it ended like that is because not long after that we packed up our shit and left .we lost and many brave me died nothing was gained at this piont ..
My grandfather was at Gallipoli - landed 25 April 1915 with the 16th Battalion AIF. He was wounded (shot through the lung) on 1 May 1915 while carrying a despatch at the "Chessboard" which is maybe 50m from the "Nek" - essentially what Mel Gibson's character was doing. Messengers were targeted to disrupt communications. Returned to Australia via England minus one lung. Lived until 1968. His son, my Dad, was at Gallipoli on the beach 100 years after his father landed there in 1915.
My great Uncle was from this area in western Australia in the 10th Aust. Lighthorse and went to Gallipoli just like this and died there. He was 25yrs old.
My Great Grandfather and two Great Uncles were also part of this campaign. Luckily only one uncle was lost at Gallipoli, but unfortunately the other uncle and grandfather succumbed to "shellshock" on their return to Western Australia and died only a few years after returning home 😢
Camels were introduced to Australia in the 1840’s and with the introduction of motorised vehicles that replaced them as a means of transportation were left to roam wild and go feral. The current populations is estimated in the millions. Australia actually exports camels to the Middle East as both a source of food, and as breeding stock for camel race stables.
@@vinsgraphics I believe that's true of the Arabian Camel, but there's also a small population (~1 000) of Bactrian Camels (two-humped) that remain wild in Central Asia. They range from Afghanistan to China, but the majority of their numbers inhabit the northern China/southern Mongolian region of the Gobi Desert and the Steppes of Mongolia.
The wild camels in central Australia which were originally herded by Afghanistanis gave name to one of the greatest train routes in the Southern Hemisphere known as "The Ghan". It runs from Adelaide in South Australia to Darwin at the tip of the Northern Territory. It is practically a rite of Passage to experience the 4 day and night journey on the Ghan with its classic sleeper and Cafe and Restaurant carriages. It's a magnificent trip for enthusiasts showing the diversity of the Australian Environment.
Hi Chrissie, excellent watch, thanks for giving Gallipoli a go. It's very dear to Aussies. It is a stern comment on the Aussie temperament and good hearted nature of our people and how it can be used against its own interest. The experience made us grow up as a nation. If I can suggest another Aussie war film "Beneath Hill 60" should serve well and is a tribute to Aussie grit and ingenuity.
For me the part of this film that hits hardest is seeing the names of the soldiers hometowns scrawled upon the bands of their hats. Obscure places only a West Australian would recognize such as Narrogin and the tiny mining town of Coolgardie where my grandmother and great grandparents came from.
Rob Grubb - one of Mel's mates in this appears with him in "Mad Max 3" as the 'pig killer' Bill Hunter the grandfather is in a lot of Aussie films There was a criticism of using modern - Oxygène by Jean-Michael Jarre which was not a period piece of music The Lighthorse were mounted infantry. They rode to the battlefield and then dismounted and fought as infantry... except at Beersheba in 1917 - the subject of another movie "The Lighthorsemen"
The guy who played Johnny the boy in mad max is also in lethal weapon with Mel ! He is the guy who Mel handcuffs himself to and jumps off the roof with !
The fighting at the end depicts the Battle of the Nek (7th August 1915). 600 men from the 3rd Light Horse Brigade, the 8th and 10th regiments, attacked the Turkish positions in 4 waves of 150 men. There were 372 casualties, split between the 8th regiment (234, with 154 dead) and the 10th (138, with 80 dead). Although the movie is from the point of view of the 10th Rgt, it was the 8th Rgt who made up the first and second waves and suffered the greatest casualties.
The sad part is that this is just one of many, many examples of poor Allied planning and command during the Gallipoli Campaign. Many young men were killed over missed opportunities or foolish gambles which ultimately amounted to nothing. In the end all it did was deplete Ottoman manpower in the long term.
Thank you for this reaction video, this film is so important for us. We grew up watching this knowing full well that we live in such an incredible country because men like the ones depicted in this film sacrificed their lives. Forever grateful to their sacrifice of the past, present & future
My grand father was in the battle for chunnuk bear at Gallipoli. He was in the NZ Auckland horse battalion. He was one of 60 men who lived through that battle out of 390 men who survived. He was a lovely man.
Watched this in a full cinema when released. Was the best film I had seen at the time. Very moving & a tribute to those who served at Gallipoli. Thanks for reviewing Chrissie.
I first watched this great movie when i was 10 years old. I never forgot that last gut wrenching scene. it still brings tears every time i see it. It's one of the best Aussie films ever made. I watch the movie every year around ANZAC Day. Hey Chrissie, you will love Master & Commander. It's another Peter Weir classic.
I put this in my watch list about a week ago. I seen it at our Australian Drive-In when I was a kid. In one of my many ventures to find out who I am in life and where I fit in, I spent 12 years in the Infantry. You can grow up and grow old and still not know where you belong. Watching this gave me more tears than I've probably shed in a lifetime. Today was the day I must have needed that release. Thank you. I know exactly who I am now...
I thought the ending was the most creative and meaningful end to a movie ive ever seen. It made this movie like a true work of art. The last scene was identical to the opening scene of his running. Notice in the closing scene, he chose to run without his gun. When he was shot he falls like he did crossing the finish line in opening scene when he first achieved his record setting time. It is a reminder that the men who died had the potential to be great, but instead died under the command of the brittish who used his life to protect brittish soldiers. It shows the Australian spirit which is optimistic and noble. You thought his attitude would change by the end of the movie but his spirit was strong til the end. He was no coward and his attitude refects the Australian spirit and what we aspire to be. He represented the best of us. In life and death he was true to himself and to his country and even though he died for no tactical reason, if our country didnt produce free spirits like him I don't believe Australia would be worth fighting for. The lack of fear in the in the middle of the war in contrast to the intense fear at the end was to represent the Aussie spirit with and without hope. If there is hope, the spirit is strong even when we are getting shot and dying. But when there is no hope, it is the end of life, the end of the Aussie spirit.
The way Archie says "Then let's see ya do it!" as he looks up to the parapet to run for the final time is truly heartbreaking. Then Mel spinning & screaming in the trench as they charge again shivered my spine and made me bawl.
I worked mustering up north, once a year we'd have a camel round up, Arab guys would fly in and over a few days take their pick... the rest went to dog food. Always a big party... (kept the grog on the quiet).
“I’ll see you when I see you.” “Yeah. Not if I see you first.” Brilliant film, loved it since I was a kid. It’s stayed with me and the soundtrack. Music is haunting throughout.
I grew up in West Australia. When the film came out many surviving vets reflected that this depiction was fairly sound. Australia had 300 000 troops in WW1. 60 000 died, about 1 third more injured, and about another 50 000 did not survive the next 20 years, due to wounds, the depression, PTSD. Regarding running bare foot. Until I was 11 I did not wear shoes unless it was soccer boots.
Yep. Balled my eyes out many times watching this. Brilliant movie. Really makes you hate those people that make the decisions from above and then never get their hands dirty.
What a great Australian movie... The laughing and horseplay you see is true "aussie mateship", an armour against almost anything.... Also the soundtrack is brilliant, Jean Michelle Jarre "Oxygen" lit up a love of music in me as a 12yr old kid.... 👍👍
The man who signed Frank in for the race was also the station master in Mad Max (which was Gibson’s breakthrough role). His name was Reg Evans and he had a truly impressive career in Australian radio, television and film. He sadly perished at the age of 80 in the 2009 Victorian bushfires, along with his partner, Angela Brunton. A very sad loss indeed.
This was the Battle of the Nek - it was a part of the August offensive designed to once and for all, break through and capture the dardanelles so the British troops could sail through and shell Istanbul and hopefully knock Turkey out of the war - and open a supply route to Russia. The Kiwis in this offensive attacked Chunuk Bair, the Aussies attacked Lone Pine and the Nek. Lone Pine was the battle in this film where Mel Gibsons 3 friends fought.
THIS is one of my favourite Aussie movies.. Peter Weir, possibly the best Australian director.. Music by Jean Michel Jarre.. Australia was explored by camels in the late 1800s. They brought Afghan cameleers and their best camels here to explore Australia. We now have the best camels bred and exported to the World (for racing). From a 14 year old Nation, with fewer than five million population, 416,809 men enlisted, of which over 60,000 were killed and 156,000 wounded, gassed, or taken prisoner. Australia lost a generation of fine young men. The whole Gallipoli operation, however, cost 26,111 Australian casualties, including 8,141 deaths. Despite this, it has been said that Gallipoli had no influence on the course of the war, and the Allies retreated/evacuated from Gallipoli, after total defeat.
My great x3 uncle was Colonel William Malone, who was the commander of the Wellington infantry battalion at Gallipoli and was killed at Chunik Bair. My highschool history teacher was really excited when i told her and dragged me to the principal so i could tell him.. I havent watched this movie in over 2 decades, I'm going to watch it with my 15 year old son.
Thank you Chrissie. Gallipoli is a mostly overlooked movie outside of Australia and New Zealand. I notice there are lots of comments about Master and Commander and I can also heartily recommend it. It has a very boys own adventure vibe to it but there's also a lot of heart. Peter Weir absolutely crushes the cinematography and Russell Crowe's performance is probably one of his best, only a little behind Gladiator and LA Confidential. Crowe's directorial debut, The Water Diviner, is also an overlooked gem.
Not going to make a long cimment, we watched this movie in high school history class in 2006 nation wide. Not the best peter weir movie by far but probably the most australian historically relevant film about ww1 that started his career and im all for it.
As an Aussie, it's still one of my absolute favourite Australian movies of all time. It's a tough watch, but such a powerful movie. I watched it at school, and the whole thing, and especially the final frame, left me utterly devastated.
My great grandfather survived Gallipoli, just as well or I wouldn't be here. Tragically he lost his son (my Great uncle) in WWII. That generation went thru so much suffering.
Australia and NZ held that damn shoreline longer than expected for next to no result. It helped create the brotherhood that we have with NZ especially and the stories of fellas sticking together, helped inform the mateship culture that is a part of our society. It brought the whole country together for the first time and hence why it is seen as one of if not the most important campaign in Australian history. On the flip side, the Turkish honoured our dead and said "you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country, therefore rest in peace"
The wikipedia article on the Gallipoli Campaign gives an excellent overview of the whole campaign. Essentially the British wanted to gain access to the warm water Black Sea ports for supplies and food and take some pressure away from the Russians on the eastern front. As you saw, it was a disaster and was a defining moment for Turkey and ultimately led to their independence. Although the film is about the ANZACs, there were soldiers from all over the allied powers in the campaign. The French lost nearly as many troops as the ANZACs and the British troops twice as many as the ANZACs and French combined. For a sort of local aspect for you, 5 months after the landings, the Newfoundland Regiment landed at Suvla Bay and were amongst the ANZACs until the end of the campaign and the Newfies fought rearguard actions and were one of the last troops to leave. They also trained in Cairo BTW. 🙂 And for others, yes, Newfoundland was a seperate British Dominion and not part of Canada yet.
My maternal great-grandfather, her father's da, died in a prisoner of war camp in the Dardenelles shortly before the war ended. One of his sons emigrated to Australia, where he married my nan, & he ended up as a leading seaman, a cook responsible for the baking of bread on a number of the ships he served on. he was also on the crew that went to the UK & brought back the HMAS Sydney, which he went down on. His brother was evacuated from Dunkirk. On my father's side, his uncle survived the Gallipoli campaign & spent some time on the Western Front before being invalided back to Sydney; he died not long afterwards, before the 2nd World War. The parents of my great-grandfather died in the opening stages of the Influenze epidemic that closwed the Great War. As for Cairo, there were a number of riots by Australian soldiers, largely fueled by racism and rumours. So parts of the city were burnt down as a result. Also, the Banjo was for a while stationed out of Cairo. Elsewhere in Australia, the Great war resulted in the formation of the R.S.L., as a coalition of veterans whose aim was to protect them from legal action after the Red Flag Riots of 1918 to 1919. Those arose after the conscription referenda of 1916 & 1917 (which also resulted in the formation of the Plastics, aka the Australian Federal Police, after a Queenslander egged the Billywug--just goes to show that despite their reputation in some areas as being backwards, Queenslanders are also not backwards in going forwards), & it also saw the forced deportation of Australian citizens to places like Chile (where they usually couldn't speak the local language, much like the British did to its own citizens of the Chagos Islanders*). One of those deported passed every language test thrown at him until he ended up being deported due to some obscure language barely anyone in the world spoke at the time. And then there's the whole thing about blackfullahs going off to war & being denied any form of compensation or support afterwards, as well as the collapse of the farming initiatives that destroyed families & lives, & the complete silence on the riots on the Western front involving Dominion troops who were expected to spend the post-war period occupying Germany (but then the British forces were refitted as the Black-and-tans and sent off to kill the Irish in the Civil War there**). MORAL OF THE ABOVE--: Anyone who thinks war is peachy keen is a pathetic Rex Hunt. ----- * --HRH Elizabeth II personally vetoing the court action that saw the whole exercise as unlawful, prolly because she rented the main island to the States for a military base, with the rent monies going straight to the crown, but then she was in splendid company with Phil the Greek, Sweatless Andy and King Big-Ears, I mean, if you run with donkeys people are gonna start thinking of you as a donkey, right? **--But then how many of us remember the German civil War of 1918-1919, & how the Kaiser was essentially protected because he was part of the rabble known largely as the crowned heads of Europe, whilst it was the people who tossed him on the streets who were treated as the warmongers they weren't.
Also there would have been some individual Canadians in the Australian units shown. Canada was automatically at war when the Empire declared war but the Canadians didn't send troops early on. Some individuals already down under signed up there. Even some Canadians in the western provinces that were keen to serve sailed to Australia to sign up.
Final scene was one of the most impactful ever made. That young man we had come to know through the film, was struck down and we see the moment it happened. And that was the end for so many … thousands … and for why?
The moment Archie starts saying his pre-race routine my eyes start tearing up. Every single time. The novel adaption says that Frank survived the war and opened up a bicycle shop in Perth.
One of the greatest War films made by the one of the greats in Cinema Director Peter Weir... The ironic moment? When Archie recommends Franks take his place as a runner. Archie was faster and had he not done that? Then maybe he gets back to the general in time...
My grandfather fought at Gallipoli. This charge was completely pointless and the Australian and New Zealand (ANZAC) troops were sacrificed for nothing. The British landing this charge was supposed to help was also a complete debacle. The Gallipoli invasion was a pointless idea of Winston Churchill’s and the troops were evacuated after 12 months in the middle of the night without a single casualty.
My grandfather was 16 when he signed up. Turned 17 training in Egypt, 18th and 19th birthdays in the trenches of France with the 2nd Pioneer Battalion.
I have been waiting so long to see someone react to this movie - and for someone who isn't a Kiwi or an Aussie I was impressed at how much of the ANZAC 'insider' references you picked up on. I've hit the subscribe button, thank you.
Interesting philosophical question following your comments around 9.20 One of my dad's mates was a conscientious objector and refused the draft for the Vietnam war. He was convicted and imprisoned. Does it take greater moral courage to stand by your beliefs regardless of consequences than to join the war because all your mates are going? I leave aside questions of physical courage in the heat of battle, but I sincerely believe that his stance took a lot of courage. And in the movie the purpose of the Gallipolli assault was a feint so the British could land at Suvla Bay. You might have missed it but Mel Gibson's character was relaying a message that because the British were already ashore at Suvla Bay, the attack was to be called off while the General Staff reassessed the situation. He was a few seconds too late.
If you want more on the Gallipoli campaign (fighting and politics) the 2part miniseries Deadline Gallipoli is great. There's also The Water Diviner with Russel Crowe (more of a Turkish viewpoint) and Anzac Girls, a medical series that follows the entire war.
Yep I watched this when I was about 13….made me start running everywhere all the time no matter how far..thanks to all of my early childhood teachers,they were runners as well. I cried so much at the end….Mel became my favorite actor after this.
An iconic film for sure, Peter weir directed some amazing Australian films early in his career The Cars That Ate Paris ( Which was filmed outside my uncles business in Wattle Flat), Picnic At Hanging Rock, The Last Wave which was recently restored by Peter Weir and The Year Of Living Dangerously with Mel Gibson just before he broke Hollywood also with Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hunt ( No not terminator ) who plays a man and won an Oscar a controversial semi war pic that is so underrated, But one war film which i consider the best ever is the 1984 THE KILLING FIELDS due to it's brutal honesty they made a film too real about the civil war in Cambodia it is so hard to take it took me 30 years before i could watch it a second time and i still broke down directed by Roland Joffe
Thank you so much for reacting to Gallipoli! First time I have seen somebody react to this movie. I wish channels that react to Aussie stuff would watch this movie to get an idea of what the Anzacs went through.
Great content as always, thanks for the channel. I have to say, at 5.23 you said Farkin 'ell like an absolute aussie legend. I'd even go as far as to say it was a balltearer. Top work champion, keep it up !!! 😆
I think you raised the point of the units that fought in WW1 being mixed. In Australia 15 Infantry Brigades served on the Western Front in France and Belgium between 1916- 1918, after the initial 8 months at Gallipoli in 1915, which was the Australian baptism of fire in WW1. The men that came through Gallipoli were shipped to France first arriving at Marseilles in March of 1916 and being transported by train from there to north of Paris. In that time when at full strength an Australian infantry brigade was 4 Battalions plus HQ, support and logistics. Each infantry battalion at full strength was about 1,000 men. Therefore a full strength Australian WW1 Brigade could be between 4,500 to 5,000 men. For practical reasons of ship transportation from Australia to Europe (via the Suez Canal, Egypt) Brigades were formed in the individual states of Australia and might ship as a full unit together. Therefore the 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Battalions of the 1st Brigade were all formed in the state of New South Wales and shipped from Sydney. The 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th Battalions formed the 2nd Brigade in the state of Victoria and shipped from Melbourne. The 6th Brigade and 10th Brigade were also Victorian and the 5th and 9th Brigades were NSW. Some brigades were composite states that might have included Tasmania and South Australia which had smaller populations. I’m pretty sure Queensland had its own brigade. When it came to the Australian Light Horse, which comprised 15 Regiments of horse mounted infantry (men who rode their horses to the location of battle but then usually dismounted and fought on foot with rifle and bayonet as infantry) the Regiments were formed by state. The 10th Light Horse was a famous Australian Light Horse Regiment formed in Western Australia. Each ALH regiment was 600 troopers and officers. The 10th ALH Regiment was also famous for being the first British Commonwealth unit to enter Damascus in Syria in 1918, beating Lawrence of Arabia by hours but he received the credit for political reasons. There was a hate/ hate relationship between TE Lawrence and the ALH throughout the Sinai-Palestine Campaign of WW1. He hated them and they thought he was fully up himself and a typical English poser.
These 2 battles of Lone Pine and the Nek were diversions for British landings at Suvla Bay just to the North of ANZAC Cove, look up just how small the Nek battlefield is. At ANZAC Cove the Australians and New Zealanders were pinned into a very small area, so I suppose their fear of danger was all relative to their surroundings. The entire battle of Gallipoli included the British and the French plus other French and British Dominion troops. This battle has come to define us..Aussies and Kiwis who fought and died together for the first time as nations on this soil and I live in Melbourne with a large Turkiyre population we have learned to love and enfold people who are no longer our enemy...as the 11th approaches ......We will remember (all of) them....Lest we forget
This is factually inaccurate- Lieutenant General William Birdwood The commander of the ANZACS actually thought an attack at lone pine would be a distraction for a main assault by British, New Zealand and Indian troops around Sari and Chunuk bay. A British officer was put in charge of the attack named Walker. (After Australian leader killed) He actually pushed back and didn't think it was a wise idea but was made to push through and Nek was to support NZ troops.
This depiction of the battle of the Nek is terribly inaccurate. In fact the disaster there was down to two factors - the new zealanders failure to enfilade the turks at the Nek from johnson Jolly, a position overlooking the Nek (not the new zealanders fault, because they had been engaged in absolutely brutal fighting for Chunuk Bair) and the unbelievably stupid and incompetent behaviour of the 3rd light horse brigade’s commander and 2ic - especially the 2ic, general Antill. The version of events in this movie was because back then ww1 vets were still alive and there was still a lot of bitterness over gallipoli and the events at the Nek. So peter weir pandered to the - inaccurate - view at the time that the british were responsible for the slaughter at the Nek when, in fact it was Antill’s appalling conduct. Australia was a completely different place back then. Antill, by the way, watched the attacks from a safe machine gun position next to the Nek and saw everything. But he was deeply despised by his subordinates and men and returned that in spades - especially with regard to the men of the 10th who he hated with a passion, mostly because they didnt consider him a real horseman and they werent shy about letting him know. The commander of the 8th light horse went over with his men in the second wave and was killed and Antill then ridiculed every message he received from the 10th’s officers as being cowardice, despite having a good view of what was happening. Antill should have been cashiered after that but instead he was quietly shunted to different commands until he was sent back to Australia. 25 April 1915 was the major landings, which were a bloodbath. Its too complicated to explain in a comment but the Australians were meant to cross the peninsula and cut of the turk forces facing the french and british to the south. But the maps were all wrong, the Australians were landed in the wrong spot and it became impossible, although after the war, Australian bodies were found over the ridgeline in small groups, where they were cut off and killed to a man - a feature of the fighting until the May Armistice. After the campaign bogged down into brutal trench warfare, especially at anzac cove where the trenches were literally intertwined and bomb fights raged 24/7 in some positions, the british landed another force at suvla bay to the north. A large scale breakout was planned from the Anzac positions at the same time. This was the ‘august offensive’ - depicted in thus movie - and while it achieved many local successes, especially at the position known as Lone Pine (where Frank’s friends attacked), it ended in another stalemate with the turks still holding the high ground. A much better depiction of events at gallipoli can be found in the tv series, gallipoli. Released in 2015 to honour the centennial of the campaign it was made in co-operation with the australian war memorial (which is also a museum) and its 100% accurate. Its also brilliant, and very moving, viewing. It depicts events at Anzac cove and the politics going on behind the scenes among the generals and war correspondents, which culminated in keith murdoch’s ‘London mission’ (yep - uncle rupert’s dad). In 1919, over 300 bodies of lighthorsemen were recovered from the Nek and buried. All killed in that one attack in August 1915. To give you some idea of the carnage, the area of no man’s land there was the size of a tennis court. The only survivors of the charge of the 3rd light horse brigade were the men who were hit immediately and fell back into the trench and those on the ends if the line who jumped into the steep gullies and ravines on both sides of the ridgeline which the Nek sat on. Charles Bean wrote of the 10th light horse: ‘with that regiment went the flower of the youth of western australia’. As a sandgroper myself i can confirm he was right. Ps the 10th light horse regiment and the 16th (cameron) infantry battalion continue on today as reserve units of the Australian Army. The 16th battalion played a key role in stopping the Japanese on the Kokoda track in new guinea in ww2. Pps after ww1, kemal ataturk - who commanded the turks at Anzac cove and founded the republic of turkey - officially renamed the cove ANZAC Cove, in honour of his enemies who fought there. If you want to know why, watch the tv series. Ppps the hidden turkish gun that fired randomly at the beach was known as ‘Beachey Bill’ by everyone at ANZAC cove. It caused over 2,000 casualties during the campaign, including a lot of swimmers. It was largely ignored because there was absolutely no way to avoid going through the beach and no way to avoid Beachey Bill’s shells. Beachey Bill did not fire regularly because if it did it would have been spotted by the ships and easily destroyed. So it just fired randomly and without warning. Beachy Bill’s positions at “the olive grove’ were regularly shelled by the ships but it was never hit.
You said fellow Aussie, Russell Crowe. But you have to remember, we only claim him as Australian when a great movie comes out, when he rages and causes trouble/damage, then he is from New Zealand. 😁
My grandfather's brother died at Gallipoli. He didn't even make it ashore - his landing boat was hit by a shell. My middle name is for him. Anzac Day and Remembrance Day are poignant for me, as is this film. Thank you for this empathetic reaction to an iconic Australian movie.
My Great Grandfather followed much the same course as those in this film. He was 1st Div 1st Field Artillery Brigade spent 4 months in Gallipoli and landed on the 1st day. He too trained in Cairo ... survived Gallipoli and served the rest of the war in France with the A.I.F 1st Division until 1918.
My grandfather was 13th ALH. Then 1st field Brigade artillery he was 3rd DIV. C H W Knowles. MM. His citation is on the net. Awarded the Military Medal for. Conspicuous gallantry under extremely heavy machine gun and cannon fire'. Fixing the telephone wires throughout the night. Proyart Belgium.
I enjoyed your reactions, its quite possibly one of the best Australian War movies. I once said to my Romanian lady, if you want to understand me watch Gallipoli... At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month we remember them. Lest we forget.
Thanks Chrissie, I haven't seen this in years! The tall bloke in the footy game, "The bloody Vic", was David Williamson, one of Australia's greatest playwright, and script writer on this film.
I think there are hundreds of thousands of camels these days in the Aussie outback. They were introduced by the Afgahns in the 1800's. Another Aussie one is Picnic at hanging rock . An oldie but a goodie . Good to see you enjoying the Aussie stuff .
I'm so proud that you're reacting to this, and there are few reactions on YT. I was only talking to a veteran yesterday, and I bought a poppy or two, remembrance day coming up on the 11th. I was telling him of my father's uncle that was a runner in the Great War, and about my Pop who landed in France all that time ago.
inedibly? as in not palatable to eat..You couldn't stomach the film? or did you mean to write indelibly meaning it affected you in a way that cannot be removed or forgotten. By the way inedibly isn't a word
I know ANZAC Day isn’t until April, but with Remembrance Day around the corner here in Canada and the UK, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on films that honour the bravery and sacrifices of those who served. Between the locations and character building, this was a BEAUTIFUL film. If you want to watch the full length reaction or support the channel: patreon.com/chrissiereacts
5:24 Is it just me, or did Crissie say ,"Farkenell" like a fair dinkum digger?
We have Remembrance Day in Australia as well. It's not a public holiday like ANZAC Day, but we do pause to remember the fallen at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
Hi Crissie,
My folks were 40 when they had me, as was the same with my dad and his parents.
My Grandfather went to Gallipoli as a 16yo.
They were told it was like an adventure novel and will be home by Christmas. They had no idea what a machine-gun was because the british didn't issue them to our troops.( The movie ending reflects the lack of information sent home ) When dad saw this movie he cried. It was one thing to hear the story from his dad, but this movie was a little too accurate.
The Anzacs' mission was to distract the Turks from their Naval Attack on the Dardanelles. The attack was successful and the navy picked up the survivors without detection. The ANZACS were successful in their mission but it cost half a genetation of males in each country.
Now you need to do a reaction for the song "And the band played Waltzing Mtilda "
(Bring your tissues)
You also have to take the 'taboo' topic of politics at the time. Canada, New Zealand and Australia were the most recent colonies to claim independence. A massive cull would see England returning to 'save their economies. The Gallipoli ANZACS that were able were immediately sent on to the Western Front.
When my Grandfather got back, businesses owned by British Protestants rufused to hire Catholics like my grandfather.
Hands up who watched this in high school
I was in primary school I think but our town videostore had a huge collection of war films.
Watched it in high school and always got weird looks in the classroom…
Being Australian Turkish 😂
@@AK-qy3gp Homie don't assume we all took against you. If you have a sense of humor I got your back.
Watched Breaker Morant as well. Made me distrust the courts from then on
In high school, made me ball tears
The closing scene/image is forever iconic. That's how war ends for many men: Suddenly, and Alone.
Well said. It's the appropriate way to end such a personal story.
The battle of the Nek scene is the only scene in any movie that bring tears to my eyes.
That ending says it all. All his optimism, his speed, all the foolish commander's decisions, all leads to his single merciless death.
@@littleghostfilms3012 It is also, incidentally and deliberately, the very pose a runner strikes as he breaks the ribbon crossing a finish line.
@@LordEriolTolkien Exactly! That's the poetic power of the director's vision, closing the loop of the beginning and end of the film.
When the offical Australian war historian Charles Bean described the final attack at the Nek he mentioned a young Australian soldier who was last seen running “towards the Turkish positions as if breathing the tape in a foot race”… the screenwriter David Williamson took inspiration from that line. And the names of the two young men - Frank and Archie - were inspired by a visit Williamston made to the pyramids while working on the script. In those days you could still climb the Great Pyramid, Williamson did, and at the top was a piece of graffiti- “Frank and Archie, AIF (Australian Force), 1915” … who knows who the real Frank and Archie were, but it’s a lovely touch.
Wow as a 56 year old you have made my day with this bit of trivia. Went to the movies as a kid had a few tears in the end as had lost family in war not actually knowing them as I was a baby. But having cousins and aunts without father/husband. This has made this movie that little bit more special ✨💥 thank you
@@kevinknight1924 oh pleasure Kevin, Thankyou - there are quite a few nuggets of gold in that film. Years ago I worked with Hal McElroy who was, when I met him, a successful TV producer- he made things like Blue Heelers and other prime time shows. His first job as a young intern was as a runner on Gallipoli driving bits and pieces back and forth to location. One of the biggest days on the shoot was the first day on location at the bit of coast they chose for ANZAC cove, the location was in South Australia. McElroy was given all the film stock for the shoot and drove down to the location which was about three hours from the production base. When he got there he opened the boot to find it empty- he’d left it all in Adelaide! He was told to solve the problem and then was sacked from his first job. He said it made him, he realised there was no margin for that kind of error on film - light lost. Hundreds of extras called, etc etc. if you like war film trivia the actor who plays Archie’s coach (Bill Kerr) was in one of the most famous war films of all time - The Dambusters. He plays ‘Mick Martin’ the Australian pilot. But you’re right - gallipoli is a beautifully made film and captures the naïveté, generous and trusting spirit of that first war generation. And it established Peter Weir as a master film maker.
Wow thank you for the info, one of the most stunning photos are when many Aussie diggers are sitting on the pyramid in 1915 stunning photograph
Isn't the saying breasting the tape?. I think your autocorrect kicked in.
For Gods seem, who cares? This aggrandisement of fools who VOLUNTEERED to go to another country to kill its residence on their own land is as offensive as it is deluded. Imagine lionising a German soldier who's running prowess helped his 'mates' vanquish the people of Poland they intended to slaughter in their homes. We may not know who the real. Frank & Archie were, but we do know they were the products of a reprehensible, psychotic, ideology which approved the invasion and killing on other people without consideration - and even purely for adventure, We know the real Frank and Archie volunteered to kill people who were betrayed by the British empire and only because the British empire wanted their land. They werent heroes and the only sense in which they were 'innocents' is in their degree of ignorance, and indifference, of the reason they were there in the first place. Like the nonexistent Simpson and his donkey, Frank and Archie are the products of a national fairy tale desperate to avoid what they really were
One of the best anti-War Movies ever made.
Nah, its not an anti war film at all. Not even close.
@@dragosapina5692Right, thanks to this movie, now I see how much sense it makes when young guys literally throw away their lives for old guys egos! Thanks for straightening me out on that!
@@dragosapina5692 eh? certinaly doesnt make me want to go to war
@@dragosapina5692 This. This is absobloodylutley the point. Sure, the original reasons to sign might have been a bit fuzzy, but ultimately it was to protect the country. Naive, but commendable. The two main characters had MORE than ample opportunities to just keep their heads down and ride it out. They didn't. War is bloody hell. They had a job to do. The lads around them were in it deep, and they had a chance to contribute. So they did.
@@SpidatheSmear If you think it was to protect the country you're obviously very naive. Innocent people will continue to die in wars because too many people like you never learn from history.
To Australians, Gallipoli is much more than a historical event; it's a defining moment that shaped our national identity. When Australian and New Zealand forces landed at Gallipoli in 1915, it was the first major military action for our countries, barely a decade after Australia's federation. The bravery, mateship, and resilience of the ANZAC soldiers in facing impossible odds became known as the 'ANZAC spirit,' a foundational element of who we are as Australians.
Peter Weir’s Gallipoli captures this spirit in a way that few films do, balancing the camaraderie, humor, and heartbreak that Australians hold close in remembering the ANZACs. The film doesn’t just tell the story of a battle; it reflects the youthful idealism and devastating loss that defined a generation and cemented Gallipoli’s place in Australian consciousness. The powerful ending, showing the senseless tragedy and bravery of those young men, brings home the immense cost of war and reminds us why we commemorate ANZAC Day every April 25th.
The movie is essential for understanding Australia’s connection to Gallipoli and why this campaign remains such a poignant symbol of sacrifice, unity, and resilience.
More than the first military action, it was the moment that the States became united as a Nation.
so the myth of "who we are" goes anyway.
reality is a bit more ragged.
Well said 👍🏻🇦🇺
@user-jp6xw7sb4u But they served as South Australians, not Australians. We were not even a Federation of States until 1901, and the Boer was was 1899 - '02. Australia, as a NATION, was blooded at Gallipoli.
@user-jp6xw7sb4u Hardly semantics. The difference between colonies and a Nation is not that slight.
In the 1980s the Turkish government officially renamed the area the Anzacs fought at Gallipoli to Anzac Cove. The Australian Government in turn renamed the channel leading out of the Princess Royal Harbour (the harbour where the Australian troops heading for Gallipoli left Australia) to Ataturk Channel, after the Turkish commander at Gallipoli (and later the first Turkish President).
Turks have turned the battlefield into a clown-show. Very sad.
I think there was some effort to demonize the Turks during that period, and yet decades earlier they were allied with the Brits to fight the Russians. I'm happy to hear that there was some form of detente between the Aussie and Turks....something the rest of us can learn from.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, also known as Mustafa Kemal PashaAtaturk was a fine leader of his countrymen, and as a statesman and leader, implemented compulsory secondary education (highschool) for males and females of Türkiye.
he also made Master and Commander which imo is one of the finest films ever made.
That film is simply a masterpiece.
I'll have to watch that one
It's the lesser of the two weevils.
One of the greatest stories ever, laughter and tears and pride, as an Aussie.
For an Australian, that is a hard hitting movie. This is why ANZAC day is the biggest day in Australia. We will never forget these men.
"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives ... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours ... You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."
Ataturk had some class. World leaders don't seem to be statesmen like that anymore.
Amazing words. Thanks for reminding me .
What a compassionate and brilliant statement.
Midnight Oil sold that quote to my generation in Blossom and Blood.
"You the mothers that lost your sons, wipe away your tears,
For those who fought and those who fell, became our sons as well...
They went on with -
"You the warriors with your words, Throw away your spears
You talk of times of peace for all, And then prepare for war..."
Some things don't change. They are still sending the sons of our nations to fight in stupid wars that matter to noone except the rich and powerful.
One of the most compassionate speeches ever given.
The film ended abruptly like that because every Australian already knows that our boys were massacred at Gallipoli and it was all for nothing. There was no 'Thanks to these men, objectives A, B, and C were achieved.' The diggers died as cannon fodder because of the arrogance of the British command. The story is as simple and as tragic as that. And yet, their bravery and sacrifice became etched in the Australian character and psyche and they are remembered reverently to this day, even by the Turks.
Same with New Zealand, and just to add the Gallipoli campaign and WW1 in general marked a huge shift away from considering ourselves as part of the British empire and more as our own countries on the other side of the world. Such a senseless war
@@haywire4684 So true
And by 1918 the Australian government had demanded that the 5 Australian Divisions be commanded by an Australian General. Sir John Monash. See the Battle of Hamel.
@@ray.shoesmith Who really does not get enough credit for how he commanded.
Although the battle was lost, *it tied up the Turkish army enough to help our allies on other fronts.* _Contributing to the ultimate 'winning' of the war._
I grew up in Canada. I was 15 when I saw Gallipoli in the theatre in 1981. I became an instant fan of Aussie films and Mel Gibson & Peter Weir. Peter Weir is Australia's greatest director. Peter Weir's next movie was "The Year of Living Dangerously" Starring Mel Gibson & Sigourney Weaver. Great movie! Then Weir went to America and made "Witness" Starring Harrison Ford. Ford's best performance and only Oscar nomination. I love Witness!! Then Weir made "Dead Poets Society". A must watch!! Another great Aussie film that came out in 1982 that I've watched 20x since is "The Man From Snowy River". It was Australia's highest grossing film until Crocodile Dundee. I recommend watching every movie Starring Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell or Harrison Ford in the 80s.
She has to watch the man from snowy river. I really think she would love it. Only a few reactions on Utube for it but very positive vibes.
Such an underappreciated director is Peter Weir, goes about his business on the downlow then knocks us all out with a brilliant film.
Yes!
@@anthonymitchell6764 I love Story River so much!
@@kazwilson425 He made Mel Gibson's career. He changed the careers of Harrison Ford, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey.
Many of the Australians who went to war thought it was going to be a great adventure and that they would only be gone for a few months. Many didn't even think they would see action. During the Egypt layover, the Aussies used the pyramids for rifle practice. Something that didn't endear them to the locals. The movie ended this way because we as Australians, the key audience, knew what happened. Too many of us had relatives who died there. We were Winston Churchills expendable soldiers. I remember when Churchill died. Not a lot of my family were cut up about it.
Churchill deservedly gets credit for his leadership during WWII, but he was also partially responsible for such failed campaigns as Gallipoli and the failed expedition to Narvik.
@@Bfdidc He was largely responsible.
@@greypossum1 It was his idea. He was minister of defense. He said it haunted him till the day he died. People hated him for it even in his own party. Kitchener was horrified when he went to the trenches to assess the situation and told them to get out.
@@1fires1 yes. I agree with every bit of that. Especially the part where you said People hated him for it. I don't know what you are disagreeing with me.
I'm sure the British French and Indian troops probably felt the same.
19,000 British troops became casualties on first day alone 4 Victoria Crosses to one British regiment.
58,000 British troops became casualties by the end of the 8-month campaign.
As to why the film ended so abruptly, I've always thought it was meant as a metaphor. The film is Archie's story, which, like so many others, ended abruptly in a senseless moment. It's only fitting that the film would likewise end abruptly without pretending to make it make sense.
And every Australian already knows all the details and how this campaign ended.
Ending image is a homage to a famous photo of a soldier KIA.
The last image is similar to a famous photo by Frank Capra from the Spanish Civil War
The reason it ended like that is because not long after that we packed up our shit and left .we lost and many brave me died nothing was gained at this piont ..
My grandfather was at Gallipoli - landed 25 April 1915 with the 16th Battalion AIF. He was wounded (shot through the lung) on 1 May 1915 while carrying a despatch at the "Chessboard" which is maybe 50m from the "Nek" - essentially what Mel Gibson's character was doing. Messengers were targeted to disrupt communications. Returned to Australia via England minus one lung. Lived until 1968. His son, my Dad, was at Gallipoli on the beach 100 years after his father landed there in 1915.
We watched this in high school. It is simultaneously Glorious and Tragic. Lest We Forget
My great Uncle was from this area in western Australia in the 10th Aust. Lighthorse and went to Gallipoli just like this and died there. He was 25yrs old.
My great uncle Charles Banks also died at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915.
@@windyhillbomber My Great Uncle was john Brown and died on the 1st of June 1915
My Great Grandfather and two Great Uncles were also part of this campaign.
Luckily only one uncle was lost at Gallipoli, but unfortunately the other uncle and grandfather succumbed to "shellshock" on their return to Western Australia and died only a few years after returning home 😢
RIP Bill Hunter: a legend of Aussie TV and movie screen. He was in countless movies and TV shows and played many different parts.
Camels were introduced to Australia in the 1840’s and with the introduction of motorised vehicles that replaced them as a means of transportation were left to roam wild and go feral. The current populations is estimated in the millions. Australia actually exports camels to the Middle East as both a source of food, and as breeding stock for camel race stables.
Also, you mentioned 2 Peter Weir movies that are really must see, “Master and Commander” & “The Dead Poets Society”.
Australia’s the only place where camels run wild. They’re domesticated everywhere else.
@@vinsgraphics I believe that's true of the Arabian Camel, but there's also a small population (~1 000) of Bactrian Camels (two-humped) that remain wild in Central Asia. They range from Afghanistan to China, but the majority of their numbers inhabit the northern China/southern Mongolian region of the Gobi Desert and the Steppes of Mongolia.
The wild camels in central Australia which were originally herded by Afghanistanis gave name to one of the greatest train routes in the Southern Hemisphere known as "The Ghan". It runs from Adelaide in South Australia to Darwin at the tip of the Northern Territory. It is practically a rite of Passage to experience the 4 day and night journey on the Ghan with its classic sleeper and Cafe and Restaurant carriages. It's a magnificent trip for enthusiasts showing the diversity of the Australian Environment.
When he's running, i could barely breathe. Just heartbreaking.
Hi Chrissie, excellent watch, thanks for giving Gallipoli a go. It's very dear to Aussies. It is a stern comment on the Aussie temperament and good hearted nature of our people and how it can be used against its own interest. The experience made us grow up as a nation.
If I can suggest another Aussie war film "Beneath Hill 60" should serve well and is a tribute to Aussie grit and ingenuity.
For a deeper look at the Aussie involvement in WW1, try the miniseries Anzacs
Great series, never bettered
The first band of brothers series! There's a weird American 2 hrs version
For me the part of this film that hits hardest is seeing the names of the soldiers hometowns scrawled upon the bands of their hats. Obscure places only a West Australian would recognize such as Narrogin and the tiny mining town of Coolgardie where my grandmother and great grandparents came from.
Rob Grubb - one of Mel's mates in this appears with him in "Mad Max 3" as the 'pig killer'
Bill Hunter the grandfather is in a lot of Aussie films
There was a criticism of using modern - Oxygène by Jean-Michael Jarre which was not a period piece of music
The Lighthorse were mounted infantry. They rode to the battlefield and then dismounted and fought as infantry... except at Beersheba in 1917 - the subject of another movie "The Lighthorsemen"
I highly recommend anyone to watch The Lighthorsemen. Beersheba doesn't get enough recognition and it was an outstanding Australian victory!
Bill Kerr played the uncle. Bill Hunter was in command of the Lighthorse in this.
The guy who played Johnny the boy in mad max is also in lethal weapon with Mel ! He is the guy who Mel handcuffs himself to and jumps off the roof with !
The fighting at the end depicts the Battle of the Nek (7th August 1915). 600 men from the 3rd Light Horse Brigade, the 8th and 10th regiments, attacked the Turkish positions in 4 waves of 150 men. There were 372 casualties, split between the 8th regiment (234, with 154 dead) and the 10th (138, with 80 dead).
Although the movie is from the point of view of the 10th Rgt, it was the 8th Rgt who made up the first and second waves and suffered the greatest casualties.
And the battlefield was the size of a tennis court, my great grandfather was there and went on to charge beersheba
The sad part is that this is just one of many, many examples of poor Allied planning and command during the Gallipoli Campaign.
Many young men were killed over missed opportunities or foolish gambles which ultimately amounted to nothing. In the end all it did was deplete Ottoman manpower in the long term.
@@paullaws4965 This - that was what blew me away when visiting the site, it was such a tiny area for so many people to die in...
Peter Weir is in my top ten best directors of all time, consistently good.
There's no happy endings in war...and for many soldiers, their end was just this abrupt.....lights out. Amazing movie.
Thank you for this reaction video, this film is so important for us. We grew up watching this knowing full well that we live in such an incredible country because men like the ones depicted in this film sacrificed their lives. Forever grateful to their sacrifice of the past, present & future
My grand father was in the battle for chunnuk bear at Gallipoli. He was in the NZ Auckland horse battalion. He was one of 60 men who lived through that battle out of 390 men who survived. He was a lovely man.
Read a book about that battle. Most brutal fight at gallipoli
Sudden death is just that. RIP to all our and their blokes who died.
Watched this in a full cinema when released. Was the best film I had seen at the time. Very moving & a tribute to those who served at Gallipoli. Thanks for reviewing Chrissie.
This campaign was the formative myth of Australia. Courage. Mateship. Duty. It forged the character of the nation.
And since it came so soon after Federation it was the new nation’s “baptism by fire.”
@@mohammedbinladen4619 No, it was not forgotten. but you have to remember that Australians are descended from Convicts AND Gaolers
@@mohammedbinladen4619 You mean things like quarantine camps which the Australian soldiers of WW1 were forced into?
Myth is not the right word. It implies that it is a fictional story. Legend is probably more appropriate.
@@UmpireStrikesBack It is referred to, in Australian parlance, as a Myth... and has been for decades
I first watched this great movie when i was 10 years old. I never forgot that last gut wrenching scene. it still brings tears every time i see it. It's one of the best Aussie films ever made. I watch the movie every year around ANZAC Day. Hey Chrissie, you will love Master & Commander. It's another Peter Weir classic.
Thank you for a very intelligent and moving reaction. 🙏 🇦🇺
I put this in my watch list about a week ago. I seen it at our Australian Drive-In when I was a kid. In one of my many ventures to find out who I am in life and where I fit in, I spent 12 years in the Infantry. You can grow up and grow old and still not know where you belong. Watching this gave me more tears than I've probably shed in a lifetime. Today was the day I must have needed that release. Thank you. I know exactly who I am now...
Chrissie, you'd love Picnic At Hanging Rock by Peter Weir. Wistful, mysterious, romantic, beautiful iconic period drama. Cinema classic.
I thought the ending was the most creative and meaningful end to a movie ive ever seen. It made this movie like a true work of art. The last scene was identical to the opening scene of his running. Notice in the closing scene, he chose to run without his gun. When he was shot he falls like he did crossing the finish line in opening scene when he first achieved his record setting time. It is a reminder that the men who died had the potential to be great, but instead died under the command of the brittish who used his life to protect brittish soldiers. It shows the Australian spirit which is optimistic and noble. You thought his attitude would change by the end of the movie but his spirit was strong til the end. He was no coward and his attitude refects the Australian spirit and what we aspire to be. He represented the best of us. In life and death he was true to himself and to his country and even though he died for no tactical reason, if our country didnt produce free spirits like him I don't believe Australia would be worth fighting for. The lack of fear in the in the middle of the war in contrast to the intense fear at the end was to represent the Aussie spirit with and without hope. If there is hope, the spirit is strong even when we are getting shot and dying. But when there is no hope, it is the end of life, the end of the Aussie spirit.
The way Archie says "Then let's see ya do it!"
as he looks up to the parapet to run for the final time
is truly heartbreaking.
Then Mel spinning & screaming in the trench
as they charge again
shivered my spine
and made me bawl.
Those Australian boys were canon fodder. May they Rest in Peace. Lest We Forget.
Hi Chrissie, You are doing a wonderful job. Thank you for the review for this movie. I can't believe I never saw this movie before.
When I deployed to Iraq in 2005 the main thing Iraqi's knew about Australia was we had some of the best camels in the world especially for racing.
I worked mustering up north, once a year we'd have a camel round up, Arab guys would fly in and over a few days take their pick... the rest went to dog food.
Always a big party... (kept the grog on the quiet).
Which is far more than the average American knows.
“I’ll see you when I see you.”
“Yeah. Not if I see you first.” Brilliant film, loved it since I was a kid. It’s stayed with me and the soundtrack. Music is haunting throughout.
I grew up in West Australia. When the film came out many surviving vets reflected that this depiction was fairly sound. Australia had 300 000 troops in WW1. 60 000 died, about 1 third more injured, and about another 50 000 did not survive the next 20 years, due to wounds, the depression, PTSD. Regarding running bare foot. Until I was 11 I did not wear shoes unless it was soccer boots.
Yep. Balled my eyes out many times watching this. Brilliant movie. Really makes you hate those people that make the decisions from above and then never get their hands dirty.
What a great Australian movie...
The laughing and horseplay you see is true "aussie mateship", an armour against almost anything....
Also the soundtrack is brilliant, Jean Michelle Jarre "Oxygen" lit up a love of music in me as a 12yr old kid.... 👍👍
Picnic at Hanging Rock is Weir's best movie - an early film of his and it is mesmerising
I rate both Mosquito Coast and The year of living dangerously better,imo
Tim is a brilliantly piece of Mel Gibson film acting from 1979 extremly underated
The man who signed Frank in for the race was also the station master in Mad Max (which was Gibson’s breakthrough role). His name was Reg Evans and he had a truly impressive career in Australian radio, television and film. He sadly perished at the age of 80 in the 2009 Victorian bushfires, along with his partner, Angela Brunton. A very sad loss indeed.
This was the Battle of the Nek - it was a part of the August offensive designed to once and for all, break through and capture the dardanelles so the British troops could sail through and shell Istanbul and hopefully knock Turkey out of the war - and open a supply route to Russia. The Kiwis in this offensive attacked Chunuk Bair, the Aussies attacked Lone Pine and the Nek. Lone Pine was the battle in this film where Mel Gibsons 3 friends fought.
THIS is one of my favourite Aussie movies..
Peter Weir, possibly the best Australian director.. Music by Jean Michel Jarre..
Australia was explored by camels in the late 1800s. They brought Afghan cameleers and their best camels here to explore Australia. We now have the best camels bred and exported to the World (for racing).
From a 14 year old Nation, with fewer than five million population, 416,809 men enlisted, of which over 60,000 were killed and 156,000 wounded, gassed, or taken prisoner. Australia lost a generation of fine young men.
The whole Gallipoli operation, however, cost 26,111 Australian casualties, including 8,141 deaths. Despite this, it has been said that Gallipoli had no influence on the course of the war, and the Allies retreated/evacuated from Gallipoli, after total defeat.
Only Oxygene by Jean Michel jarre,there's lots of other composers on the soundtrack too,Maurice Jarre did quite a few Peter Weir movies too
Beneath Hill 60 is a bloody good story too. Definitely worth a gander.
My great x3 uncle was Colonel William Malone, who was the commander of the Wellington infantry battalion at Gallipoli and was killed at Chunik Bair. My highschool history teacher was really excited when i told her and dragged me to the principal so i could tell him..
I havent watched this movie in over 2 decades, I'm going to watch it with my 15 year old son.
Thank you Chrissie. Gallipoli is a mostly overlooked movie outside of Australia and New Zealand. I notice there are lots of comments about Master and Commander and I can also heartily recommend it. It has a very boys own adventure vibe to it but there's also a lot of heart. Peter Weir absolutely crushes the cinematography and Russell Crowe's performance is probably one of his best, only a little behind Gladiator and LA Confidential. Crowe's directorial debut, The Water Diviner, is also an overlooked gem.
Oh wow, I never expected a reaction to this. Fabulous film and that end.....heartbreaking.
Not going to make a long cimment, we watched this movie in high school history class in 2006 nation wide. Not the best peter weir movie by far but probably the most australian historically relevant film about ww1 that started his career and im all for it.
As an Aussie, it's still one of my absolute favourite Australian movies of all time. It's a tough watch, but such a powerful movie. I watched it at school, and the whole thing, and especially the final frame, left me utterly devastated.
You should check out The Anzacs Mini Series with Paul Hogan
Had forgotten about that!
@@Womberto The whole series is on UA-cam
@@ray.shoesmith Thanks! Think I might start watching them tonight.
This movie bought me to tears when I first saw it, and it did again just now. This was a great story and was brilliantly shot.
🙏🏿🇬🇧🇦🇬
My great grandfather survived Gallipoli, just as well or I wouldn't be here. Tragically he lost his son (my Great uncle) in WWII. That generation went thru so much suffering.
Australia and NZ held that damn shoreline longer than expected for next to no result. It helped create the brotherhood that we have with NZ especially and the stories of fellas sticking together, helped inform the mateship culture that is a part of our society. It brought the whole country together for the first time and hence why it is seen as one of if not the most important campaign in Australian history. On the flip side, the Turkish honoured our dead and said "you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country, therefore rest in peace"
At the rising of the sun and its going down, we will remember them.
Lest we forget.
Lest we forget.
Brilliant film! And that ending is positively tragic and haunting. Mel Gibson is one of the greats as an actor and director.
Peter Weir directed this one but Gibson is great, too.
The wikipedia article on the Gallipoli Campaign gives an excellent overview of the whole campaign. Essentially the British wanted to gain access to the warm water Black Sea ports for supplies and food and take some pressure away from the Russians on the eastern front.
As you saw, it was a disaster and was a defining moment for Turkey and ultimately led to their independence. Although the film is about the ANZACs, there were soldiers from all over the allied powers in the campaign. The French lost nearly as many troops as the ANZACs and the British troops twice as many as the ANZACs and French combined.
For a sort of local aspect for you, 5 months after the landings, the Newfoundland Regiment landed at Suvla Bay and were amongst the ANZACs until the end of the campaign and the Newfies fought rearguard actions and were one of the last troops to leave. They also trained in Cairo BTW. 🙂
And for others, yes, Newfoundland was a seperate British Dominion and not part of Canada yet.
My maternal great-grandfather, her father's da, died in a prisoner of war camp in the Dardenelles shortly before the war ended. One of his sons emigrated to Australia, where he married my nan, & he ended up as a leading seaman, a cook responsible for the baking of bread on a number of the ships he served on. he was also on the crew that went to the UK & brought back the HMAS Sydney, which he went down on. His brother was evacuated from Dunkirk.
On my father's side, his uncle survived the Gallipoli campaign & spent some time on the Western Front before being invalided back to Sydney; he died not long afterwards, before the 2nd World War.
The parents of my great-grandfather died in the opening stages of the Influenze epidemic that closwed the Great War.
As for Cairo, there were a number of riots by Australian soldiers, largely fueled by racism and rumours. So parts of the city were burnt down as a result. Also, the Banjo was for a while stationed out of Cairo.
Elsewhere in Australia, the Great war resulted in the formation of the R.S.L., as a coalition of veterans whose aim was to protect them from legal action after the Red Flag Riots of 1918 to 1919. Those arose after the conscription referenda of 1916 & 1917 (which also resulted in the formation of the Plastics, aka the Australian Federal Police, after a Queenslander egged the Billywug--just goes to show that despite their reputation in some areas as being backwards, Queenslanders are also not backwards in going forwards), & it also saw the forced deportation of Australian citizens to places like Chile (where they usually couldn't speak the local language, much like the British did to its own citizens of the Chagos Islanders*).
One of those deported passed every language test thrown at him until he ended up being deported due to some obscure language barely anyone in the world spoke at the time.
And then there's the whole thing about blackfullahs going off to war & being denied any form of compensation or support afterwards, as well as the collapse of the farming initiatives that destroyed families & lives, & the complete silence on the riots on the Western front involving Dominion troops who were expected to spend the post-war period occupying Germany (but then the British forces were refitted as the Black-and-tans and sent off to kill the Irish in the Civil War there**).
MORAL OF THE ABOVE--: Anyone who thinks war is peachy keen is a pathetic Rex Hunt.
-----
* --HRH Elizabeth II personally vetoing the court action that saw the whole exercise as unlawful, prolly because she rented the main island to the States for a military base, with the rent monies going straight to the crown, but then she was in splendid company with Phil the Greek, Sweatless Andy and King Big-Ears, I mean, if you run with donkeys people are gonna start thinking of you as a donkey, right?
**--But then how many of us remember the German civil War of 1918-1919, & how the Kaiser was essentially protected because he was part of the rabble known largely as the crowned heads of Europe, whilst it was the people who tossed him on the streets who were treated as the warmongers they weren't.
Also there would have been some individual Canadians in the Australian units shown. Canada was automatically at war when the Empire declared war but the Canadians didn't send troops early on. Some individuals already down under signed up there. Even some Canadians in the western provinces that were keen to serve sailed to Australia to sign up.
Final scene was one of the most impactful ever made. That young man we had come to know through the film, was struck down and we see the moment it happened. And that was the end for so many … thousands … and for why?
if you like Peter weir you should check out Picnic at Hanging rock
Brilliant film.
The moment Archie starts saying his pre-race routine my eyes start tearing up. Every single time.
The novel adaption says that Frank survived the war and opened up a bicycle shop in Perth.
One of the greatest War films made by the one of the greats in Cinema Director Peter Weir... The ironic moment? When Archie recommends Franks take his place as a runner. Archie was faster and had he not done that? Then maybe he gets back to the general in time...
Australia is the only country with wild camels now. Brought here in the 1800s and used by explorers in the outback - they've thrived and multiplied.
My grandfather fought at Gallipoli. This charge was completely pointless and the Australian and New Zealand (ANZAC) troops were sacrificed for nothing. The British landing this charge was supposed to help was also a complete debacle. The Gallipoli invasion was a pointless idea of Winston Churchill’s and the troops were evacuated after 12 months in the middle of the night without a single casualty.
My grandfather was 16 when he signed up. Turned 17 training in Egypt, 18th and 19th birthdays in the trenches of France with the 2nd Pioneer Battalion.
Always loved the classic 'Oxygene' from the soundtrack
I have been waiting so long to see someone react to this movie - and for someone who isn't a Kiwi or an Aussie I was impressed at how much of the ANZAC 'insider' references you picked up on. I've hit the subscribe button, thank you.
Interesting philosophical question following your comments around 9.20
One of my dad's mates was a conscientious objector and refused the draft for the Vietnam war. He was convicted and imprisoned. Does it take greater moral courage to stand by your beliefs regardless of consequences than to join the war because all your mates are going?
I leave aside questions of physical courage in the heat of battle, but I sincerely believe that his stance took a lot of courage.
And in the movie the purpose of the Gallipolli assault was a feint so the British could land at Suvla Bay. You might have missed it but Mel Gibson's character was relaying a message that because the British were already ashore at Suvla Bay, the attack was to be called off while the General Staff reassessed the situation. He was a few seconds too late.
Gràcies!
Thank you! 🤗🤗
@@chrissiereactsAngel of mercy, Dire Straits
If you want more on the Gallipoli campaign (fighting and politics) the 2part miniseries Deadline Gallipoli is great. There's also The Water Diviner with Russel Crowe (more of a Turkish viewpoint) and Anzac Girls, a medical series that follows the entire war.
Yep I watched this when I was about 13….made me start running everywhere all the time no matter how far..thanks to all of my early childhood teachers,they were runners as well. I cried so much at the end….Mel became my favorite actor after this.
Witness with Harrison Ford is also a great Peter Weir movie.
An iconic film for sure, Peter weir directed some amazing Australian films early in his career The Cars That Ate Paris ( Which was filmed outside my uncles business in Wattle Flat), Picnic At Hanging Rock, The Last Wave which was recently restored by Peter Weir and The Year Of Living Dangerously with Mel Gibson just before he broke Hollywood also with Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hunt ( No not terminator ) who plays a man and won an Oscar a controversial semi war pic that is so underrated, But one war film which i consider the best ever is the 1984 THE KILLING FIELDS due to it's brutal honesty they made a film too real about the civil war in Cambodia it is so hard to take it took me 30 years before i could watch it a second time and i still broke down directed by Roland Joffe
Thank you so much for reacting to Gallipoli! First time I have seen somebody react to this movie. I wish channels that react to Aussie stuff would watch this movie to get an idea of what the Anzacs went through.
That opening music. Just hearing it at the opening Gallipoli title.. tears already.
Great content as always, thanks for the channel. I have to say, at 5.23 you said Farkin 'ell like an absolute aussie legend. I'd even go as far as to say it was a balltearer. Top work champion, keep it up !!! 😆
I cried when it first came out & again just now ,ended abruptly like thier young lives ,🇦🇺🌷.
I think you raised the point of the units that fought in WW1 being mixed. In Australia 15 Infantry Brigades served on the Western Front in France and Belgium between 1916- 1918, after the initial 8 months at Gallipoli in 1915, which was the Australian baptism of fire in WW1. The men that came through Gallipoli were shipped to France first arriving at Marseilles in March of 1916 and being transported by train from there to north of Paris. In that time when at full strength an Australian infantry brigade was 4 Battalions plus HQ, support and logistics. Each infantry battalion at full strength was about 1,000 men. Therefore a full strength Australian WW1 Brigade could be between 4,500 to 5,000 men.
For practical reasons of ship transportation from Australia to Europe (via the Suez Canal, Egypt) Brigades were formed in the individual states of Australia and might ship as a full unit together. Therefore the 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Battalions of the 1st Brigade were all formed in the state of New South Wales and shipped from Sydney. The 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th Battalions formed the 2nd Brigade in the state of Victoria and shipped from Melbourne. The 6th Brigade and 10th Brigade were also Victorian and the 5th and 9th Brigades were NSW.
Some brigades were composite states that might have included Tasmania and South Australia which had smaller populations. I’m pretty sure Queensland had its own brigade.
When it came to the Australian Light Horse, which comprised 15 Regiments of horse mounted infantry (men who rode their horses to the location of battle but then usually dismounted and fought on foot with rifle and bayonet as infantry) the Regiments were formed by state. The 10th Light Horse was a famous Australian Light Horse Regiment formed in Western Australia. Each ALH regiment was 600 troopers and officers. The 10th ALH Regiment was also famous for being the first British Commonwealth unit to enter Damascus in Syria in 1918, beating Lawrence of Arabia by hours but he received the credit for political reasons. There was a hate/ hate relationship between TE Lawrence and the ALH throughout the Sinai-Palestine Campaign of WW1. He hated them and they thought he was fully up himself and a typical English poser.
These 2 battles of Lone Pine and the Nek were diversions for British landings at Suvla Bay just to the North of ANZAC Cove, look up just how small the Nek battlefield is. At ANZAC Cove the Australians and New Zealanders were pinned into a very small area, so I suppose their fear of danger was all relative to their surroundings. The entire battle of Gallipoli included the British and the French plus other French and British Dominion troops. This battle has come to define us..Aussies and Kiwis who fought and died together for the first time as nations on this soil and I live in Melbourne with a large Turkiyre population we have learned to love and enfold people who are no longer our enemy...as the 11th approaches ......We will remember (all of) them....Lest we forget
This is factually inaccurate- Lieutenant General William Birdwood The commander of the ANZACS actually thought an attack at lone pine would be a distraction for a main assault by British, New Zealand and Indian troops around Sari and Chunuk bay. A British officer was put in charge of the attack named Walker. (After Australian leader killed) He actually pushed back and didn't think it was a wise idea but was made to push through and Nek was to support NZ troops.
@@welshygemss I was paraphrasing and blaming no one mate...just a general overall for the uninitiated
Peter Weir is a true genius of film
This depiction of the battle of the Nek is terribly inaccurate. In fact the disaster there was down to two factors - the new zealanders failure to enfilade the turks at the Nek from johnson Jolly, a position overlooking the Nek (not the new zealanders fault, because they had been engaged in absolutely brutal fighting for Chunuk Bair) and the unbelievably stupid and incompetent behaviour of the 3rd light horse brigade’s commander and 2ic - especially the 2ic, general Antill.
The version of events in this movie was because back then ww1 vets were still alive and there was still a lot of bitterness over gallipoli and the events at the Nek. So peter weir pandered to the - inaccurate - view at the time that the british were responsible for the slaughter at the Nek when, in fact it was Antill’s appalling conduct. Australia was a completely different place back then. Antill, by the way, watched the attacks from a safe machine gun position next to the Nek and saw everything. But he was deeply despised by his subordinates and men and returned that in spades - especially with regard to the men of the 10th who he hated with a passion, mostly because they didnt consider him a real horseman and they werent shy about letting him know. The commander of the 8th light horse went over with his men in the second wave and was killed and Antill then ridiculed every message he received from the 10th’s officers as being cowardice, despite having a good view of what was happening. Antill should have been cashiered after that but instead he was quietly shunted to different commands until he was sent back to Australia.
25 April 1915 was the major landings, which were a bloodbath. Its too complicated to explain in a comment but the Australians were meant to cross the peninsula and cut of the turk forces facing the french and british to the south. But the maps were all wrong, the Australians were landed in the wrong spot and it became impossible, although after the war, Australian bodies were found over the ridgeline in small groups, where they were cut off and killed to a man - a feature of the fighting until the May Armistice.
After the campaign bogged down into brutal trench warfare, especially at anzac cove where the trenches were literally intertwined and bomb fights raged 24/7 in some positions, the british landed another force at suvla bay to the north. A large scale breakout was planned from the Anzac positions at the same time. This was the ‘august offensive’ - depicted in thus movie - and while it achieved many local successes, especially at the position known as Lone Pine (where Frank’s friends attacked), it ended in another stalemate with the turks still holding the high ground.
A much better depiction of events at gallipoli can be found in the tv series, gallipoli. Released in 2015 to honour the centennial of the campaign it was made in co-operation with the australian war memorial (which is also a museum) and its 100% accurate. Its also brilliant, and very moving, viewing. It depicts events at Anzac cove and the politics going on behind the scenes among the generals and war correspondents, which culminated in keith murdoch’s ‘London mission’ (yep - uncle rupert’s dad).
In 1919, over 300 bodies of lighthorsemen were recovered from the Nek and buried. All killed in that one attack in August 1915. To give you some idea of the carnage, the area of no man’s land there was the size of a tennis court. The only survivors of the charge of the 3rd light horse brigade were the men who were hit immediately and fell back into the trench and those on the ends if the line who jumped into the steep gullies and ravines on both sides of the ridgeline which the Nek sat on. Charles Bean wrote of the 10th light horse: ‘with that regiment went the flower of the youth of western australia’. As a sandgroper myself i can confirm he was right.
Ps the 10th light horse regiment and the 16th (cameron) infantry battalion continue on today as reserve units of the Australian Army. The 16th battalion played a key role in stopping the Japanese on the Kokoda track in new guinea in ww2.
Pps after ww1, kemal ataturk - who commanded the turks at Anzac cove and founded the republic of turkey - officially renamed the cove ANZAC Cove, in honour of his enemies who fought there. If you want to know why, watch the tv series.
Ppps the hidden turkish gun that fired randomly at the beach was known as ‘Beachey Bill’ by everyone at ANZAC cove. It caused over 2,000 casualties during the campaign, including a lot of swimmers. It was largely ignored because there was absolutely no way to avoid going through the beach and no way to avoid Beachey Bill’s shells. Beachey Bill did not fire regularly because if it did it would have been spotted by the ships and easily destroyed. So it just fired randomly and without warning. Beachy Bill’s positions at “the olive grove’ were regularly shelled by the ships but it was never hit.
That final scene - that I saw in 8th grade social studies - will be stuck in my head forever.
You said fellow Aussie, Russell Crowe. But you have to remember, we only claim him as Australian when a great movie comes out, when he rages and causes trouble/damage, then he is from New Zealand. 😁
Russell Crowe calls himself Australian
@@ray.shoesmith I call him a New Zealander :)
@@ray.shoesmith It's a joke Ray, have a dimmy
😂
Yeah nah, he sees himself as an Aussie and you can keep him 😂
My grandfather's brother died at Gallipoli. He didn't even make it ashore - his landing boat was hit by a shell. My middle name is for him. Anzac Day and Remembrance Day are poignant for me, as is this film.
Thank you for this empathetic reaction to an iconic Australian movie.
OMG...reacting...such an awesome life skill that you deemed it important enought to publicly share.
My Great Grandfather followed much the same course as those in this film. He was 1st Div 1st Field Artillery Brigade spent 4 months in Gallipoli and landed on the 1st day. He too trained in Cairo ... survived Gallipoli and served the rest of the war in France with the A.I.F 1st Division until 1918.
My grandfather was 13th ALH. Then 1st field Brigade artillery he was 3rd DIV. C H W Knowles. MM. His citation is on the net. Awarded the Military Medal for. Conspicuous gallantry under extremely heavy machine gun and cannon fire'. Fixing the telephone wires throughout the night. Proyart Belgium.
I enjoyed your reactions, its quite possibly one of the best Australian War movies. I once said to my Romanian lady, if you want to understand me watch Gallipoli... At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month we remember them. Lest we forget.
The story of the 10th Light Horse going over the top is completely true & totally heartbreaking.
That far canal, sounded like an Aussie. 🤣🤣👏👏👏
Thanks Chrissie, I haven't seen this in years! The tall bloke in the footy game, "The bloody Vic", was David Williamson, one of Australia's greatest playwright, and script writer on this film.
One my favourite films, my great great uncle was there. He was the signalman, waving two flags, very lucky to come home.
I think there are hundreds of thousands of camels these days in the Aussie outback.
They were introduced by the Afgahns in the 1800's.
Another Aussie one is Picnic at hanging rock . An oldie but a goodie .
Good to see you enjoying the Aussie stuff .
I'm so proud that you're reacting to this, and there are few reactions on YT.
I was only talking to a veteran yesterday, and I bought a poppy or two, remembrance day coming up on the 11th.
I was telling him of my father's uncle that was a runner in the Great War, and about my Pop who landed in France all that time ago.
loved this movie - lest we forget
I watched this as a child in Australia.. impacted me inedibly. It’s part of our psyche. I cried with you. We all know the history 😻
inedibly? as in not palatable to eat..You couldn't stomach the film? or did you mean to write indelibly meaning it affected you in a way that cannot be removed or forgotten. By the way inedibly isn't a word
@@GrantUrquhart-iy2jg lol indelibly