Beneath Hill 60 (2010)

In 1916, the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company is tunneling beneath German fortifications and bunkers to detonate massive explosive charges.

Director:

Jeremy Sims (as Jeremy Hartley Sims)

Writer:

David Roach

Stars:

Brendan Cowell, Harrison Gilbertson, Steve Le Marquand

6 wins & 23 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brendan Cowell	...	Oliver Woodward
Alan Dukes	...	Jim Sneddon
Alex Thompson	...	Walter Sneddon
Harrison Gilbertson	...	Frank Tiffin
Duncan Young	...	Tom Dwyer
Steve Le Marquand	...	Bill Fraser
Gyton Grantley	...	Norman Morris
Warwick Young	...	Percy Marsden
Mark Coles Smith	...	Billy Bacon
Martin Thomas	...	Ginger O'Donnell
Oliver Leimbach	...	Screaming Soldier
Anthony Hayes	...	William McBride
Leon Ford	...	Lt. Robert Clayton
Fletcher Illidge	...	Colin Waddell
Morgan Illidge	...	Gordon Waddell

Storyline

The extraordinary true story of Oliver Woodward. It's 1916 and Woodward must tear himself from his new young love to go to the mud and carnage of the Western Front. Deep beneath the German lines. Woodward and his secret platoon of Australian tunnelers fight to defend a leaking, labyrinthine tunnel system packed with enough high explosives to change the course of the War.

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Plot Keywords:

trench warfare | british military | world war one | year 1916 | 1910s | 

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Taglines:

The silent war

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some war and violence and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie character of William McBride shares a name with the subject of a famous song by Eric Bogle entitled "Green Fields of France" or "Willie McBride", written in 1976 as Bogle visited a WWI gravesite and reflected on the war. The first line of the song is "oh how do you do, young Willie McBride". The song has been covered by multiple artists, notably Dropkick Murphys.

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Goofs

When Oliver Woodward arrives on the Western Front in 1916, it is a sea of mud with continual rain. In reality, his unit arrived in May - springtime - and the weather was sunny and bright. When Woodward leads the raid to blow up a German machine-gun nest, it is a sea of mud the whole way. But in reality, the raid took place on June 11, just before the start of summer.

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Connections

Referenced in Top Gear Australia: Episode #2.8 (2009)

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Soundtracks

Mademoiselle from Armentieres
(uncredited)
Tune - traditional; source of English lyrics unknown
Sung by Australian soldiers with modified bawdy lyrics

User Reviews

diamonds and opals

This is a movie that every Australian must watch. It's a story about the unforgotten heroes, who went and did their bit for the Great War. Amazingly it's based on a true story of miners who, went to the Western Front and dug a network of tunnels deep beneath the Germans. Implanted within the labyrinth of tunnels, is millions of explosives waiting to be set off.

What makes this film is the human side of emotion. There is mate ship and bonds which can never be set aside; experiences that only the men can relate to. There is the love story between Oliver Woodward (Brendan Cowell) and young Marjorie Waddell (Bella Heathcote). And you see the youthful innocence of young men, in particular Frank Tiffin, played by Harrison Gilbertson and Walter Sneddon (Alex Thompson).

The contrast between the Queensland and the war is reflected in the use of colour and lighting. Queensland is bathed in sunlight, warm clean colours and in the costumes. While the Western Front is portrayed in constant bleak colours where bright colours don't exist. It's cold, wet and rain(for some reason, it's not a war movie until is has the element of rain and coldness).

The English accent of the British troops are not great, they sound more like upper crust Australians. But apart from that comment, this is a gem of a movie. It will have you hooked until the very last second.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Australia

Language:

English German

Release Date:

15 April 2010 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Beneath Hill 60

Filming Locations:

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

AUD8,140,500 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,440,939

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lucky Country Productions, New South Wales Film & Television Office, Pacific Film and Television Commission

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1