The Hill (1965)

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.

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers:

Ray Rigby (screenplay), Ray Rigby (play)

Stars:

Sean Connery, Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen

Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sean Connery	...	Joe Roberts
Harry Andrews	...	R.S.M. Wilson
Ian Bannen	...	Harris
Alfred Lynch	...	George Stevens
Ossie Davis	...	Jacko King
Roy Kinnear	...	Monty Bartlett
Jack Watson	...	Jock McGrath
Ian Hendry	...	Staff Sergeant Williams
Michael Redgrave	...	The Medical Officer (as Sir Michael Redgrave)
Norman Bird	...	Commandant
Neil McCarthy	...	Burton
Howard Goorney	...	Walters
Tony Caunter	...	Martin

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

punishment | british military | military prison | heat | humiliation | 

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Taglines:

They went up like men! They came down like animals!

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 June 1965 (UK)

Also Known As:

La colina de la deshonra

Filming Locations:

Málaga, Andalucía, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Seventh Art Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ian Hendry received glowing notices for his performance as Sergeant Williams.

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Goofs

As Wilson confronts Roberts and King (at about the 90-minute mark), a camera shadow passes over a guard's back.

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Quotes

M.O.: Any serious illnesses?
Trooper Joe Roberts: Do you mean recently, sir?
M.O.: Anytime.
Trooper Joe Roberts: Smoker's cough.
M.O.: Drop your trousers.
[after giving him a visual examination]
M.O.: Anything else?
Trooper Joe Roberts: Like what?
M.O.: Any recent incapacities?
Trooper Joe Roberts: Well, I wouldn't brag about it if I had, sir.
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Making 'Murder on the Orient Express' (2004)

User Reviews

Breathtaking - no-nonsense Lumet goes to desert prison.

Stark images, powerful script and performances, and rapid, sharp editing make this film difficult to forget. Director Sidney Lumet stamps his authority on the movie with a style that is gritty, almost documentary -like. The quick cuts are precise, like the snap of the salutes and the bark of the NCO's. Beyond Lumet's towering presence, there is a likeable performance from a young Ossie Davis, an excellent early non-Bond performance from Sean Connery, and Harry Andrews' Sargeant-Major is a remarkable creation - a little man whose job is to destroy these misfits on behalf of a system that will not tolerate individuals.

This remarkable film stays in the mind long after viewing for me, mainly because it announces early on that it is not an easy picture, and like early Frankenheimer, it's aggressive style stands out from the norm. It is a quintessential sixties picture - a time when experiments in style could be taken seriously - not just a smirky in-jokes or cartoonish roller -coaster rides. Exhilarating nonetheless.