The Hill

19651965
PGPG
2h 3m

7.9/10

In a North African military prison during World War II, five new prisoners struggle to survive in the face of brutal punishment and sadistic guards.In a North African military prison during World War II, five new prisoners struggle to survive in the face of brutal punishment and sadistic guards.In a North African military prison during World War II, five new prisoners struggle to survive in the face of brutal punishment and sadistic guards.

7.9/10

14K

Director
- Sidney Lumet
Writers
- Ray Rigby(screenplay)
- R.S. Allen(play)
Stars

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Won 1 BAFTA Film Award
- 4 wins & 6 nominations total

Videos1

Trailer 2:49

The Hill

Sean Connery and Harry Andrews in The Hill (1965)

Sean Connery and Ian Hendry in The Hill (1965)

Sean Connery, Ossie Davis, Harry Andrews, Roy Kinnear, Alfred Lynch, and Jack Watson in The Hill (1965)

World War II, in a British disciplinary camp located in the Libyan desert, prisoners are persecuted by Staff Sergeant Williams (Ian Hendry), who made them climb again and again, under the heavy sun, an artificial hill built right in the middle of the camp. Harris (Ian Bannen) is a more human and compassionate guard, but the chief, R.S.M. Wilson (Harry Andrews), refuses to disown his subordinate Williams. One day, five new prisoners arrive. Each of them will deal in a different way with the authority and Williams' ferocity. —Yepok

shorts sweaty cloth bullying sweat stain harrassment 66 more

Taglines
- They went up like men! They came down like animals!
Genres
- Drama
- War
Certificate
- PG
Parents guide

Trivia
Sidney Lumet used three wide-angle lenses: a 24mm, a 21mm, and an 18mm. He deliberately wanted distortion in the faces, even the close-ups.

Goofs
When Ossie Davis strips to his shorts, the style of shorts changes from the time he leaves the cell block to the time he gets to the commandant's office.

Quotes
Trooper Joe Roberts: We're all doing time. Even the screws.

Connections
Featured in The Sun... the Sand... the Hill. (1965)

Top review

9/10

Telling it like it is...

I had all but forgotten just how good this movie really is..I just got the chance to see it again.. Wow... It's gritty, well written and directed and, particularly, well acted. Those tight camera angles, that put you on edge and dialog that is, at times, mind numbing. While it is sometimes hard to sympathize with the prisoners plight, it is not too difficult to despise the way the prison officers carry out their "duties". I doubt this film would have had the same impact if it had been shot in color. The stark black and white strengthens the movie no end. The Hill is by no means a family movie, but if dramatic movies like.. "12 Angry Men", "To kill a Mockingbird" or "Inherit the Wind" are your kind of movies, then this is a must see... lot's of thought provoking dialog and well developed characters. It is not a war movie,as such, but it is definitely is a battle of wills.

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