Beneath Hill 60

There are few WWI movies made in recent years, even fewer good ones, but the 100th Anniversary of WWI spurred a few that are worth your time. While WWI and the fractured vengeful peace that followed set the stage for the rest of the 20th century, it is virtually overlooked in the US. Luckily The Commonwealth countries Canada, Australia, and Great Britain, remember, and honor the sacrifice of WWI soldiers. Beneath Hill 60 is the (true) story of an Australian mining detachment that dug under the German lines at Messines ridge packed 1 million pounds of explosives in it and detonated the largest man made explosion in the world up to that date. The concussion was felt as far away as London, on the other side of the English channel. It was from this and other similar operations the modern term of a Land Mine came. This Australian movie is high quality, with outstanding attention to detail, using accurate arms, uniforms, as well as appropriate hair cuts and language for the time. The majority of modern period war movies really fail in this department, with haircuts that would not have been allowed by the military, modern slang, and weapons that didn't exist at the time. Beneath Hill 60 does not suffer from any of these common failings. Although I am unfamiliar with any of the actors in this movie, it is very well acted, I enjoyed everything about this movie. Like the movie Regeneration this movie delivers on quality and accuracy.

When I was an 8 year old Cub Scout, I had relatives who were still alive and served in WW I. Their stories were really horrifying. At last, here is a World War I DVD movie that is true in every detail. Canada, Great Britain and Australia provide movies about the real horrors of WW I with true events, while other nations miss the mark. The uniforms, language, and bearing of the Australian Miners are real and superb. My Great Grand-Father spoke of underground networks in Belgium. The most noteworthy was Messines Ridge where an underground labyrinth was packed with explosives. The Ridge was literally blown into fragments and the shock waves were heard or felt as far away as London and Ireland?! I was an Officer in the USAF, trained with Australian Officers and viewed documentaries about WW I that included the explosion at Messines Ridge. I have another WW I Class DVD, titled Gallipoli and now a second one titled Beneath Hill 60 that indeed is a Gold 5 Star Rating which portrays the real true events and horrors of the Great War.

Not many films portray the horror and futility that was the first world war. This one does a fairly good job in at least portraying an element of the "war to end all wars": those men who served, almost exclusively, under ground. From what I've read the real conditions of the trenches and tunnel were far worse than what you'll see here, but at least you get a bit of the feel and the story is decent enough to keep your interest.

World War I was a horrible war of attrition and when you tour the battlefields in Belgium and France and read of the years of shelling and slaughter over a short span of land, you come away with a better understanding of the hardships and sacrifice the soldiers there endured and the terrible price they paid. Beneath Hill 60 offers up a closer and gritty look at the role that some Aussie Miners played in the war of the trenches and offers up a very realistic and frightening view of a little known segment of the war. Afraid of tight spaces or the dark, are you? If not, then this movie will make you afraid. It is a well done movie that will have you wondering how these soldiers fought this underground war and manage to do what they did. It also offers up a look at a quiet man (maybe a few at that and maybe a rowdy one or two as well) who reluctantly went to the fight and returned battle scarred as genuine heroes. It is a very good movie; well acted, well directed, and with battle scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I doubt if I will ever look at an old War monument the same again without offering up a quiet, respectful nod.

Was hard to get through

I really enjoyed this movie. It kept me engaged from beginning to end telling a story about the war beneath the trenches in WWI. The movie does an excellent job in telling the audience about the soldiers -- their backgrounds, expectations, etc., I found myself totally wrapped up in the action and plot of the movie. I really felt, in the end, I had an appreciation for the characters in this movie and a feeling of empathy for what soldiers who experienced this type of action went through. This movie is well worth purchasing. All in all, this flick is right up there in the top 5% of my collection of war-related videos/movies.

I enjoyed this film. Acted well, interesting plot.

This movie is thought provoking and takes one through an experience, which is mind-boggling; it is an experience unheard of in today's world of warfare. This movie places one in the very private & isolated environment of the individuals beneath hill 90; it not only exposes one to the experiences miners have to tackle underground, but combines everything with a once in a lifetime experience of underground combat. This sort of combat is something we may never every see again in history; it is something I am sure many are not aware-of, and it is something we should never forget! I know I will never forget this movie, and I'll never forget these civilian warriors! It is a must see movie!

Ottimo film di guerra, senza la solita melensa retorica e realizzato con una particolare attenzione per le cose militari. E' la storia di un'unità di genieri australiani, impiegati per scavare gallerie di mina sotto le posizioni tedesche in Francia e poi in Belgio. I nemici ovviamente non staranno con le mani in mano e, come nella miglior tradizione (neanche fossero le Fiandre XVII e XVIII secolo...), realizzeranno a loro volta gallerie di contromina, in un gioco claustrofobico per la sopravvivenza. Fosse stata una sceneggiatura originale, sarebbe sembrata una situazione assurda, invece i fatti sono ispirati ad una storia vera (ispirati per davvero, non come in certi lavori cinematografici "liberamente interpretati"). Non ci sono grandi battaglie ed il film è stato realizzato in Australia con attori locali, che in certi casi se la cavano molto meglio di certe famose e strapagate star di Hollywood... Se nel complesso è un film da avere nella propria collezione, è da notare come i film di guerra raccontino ormai delle storie personali e/o piccole vicende; nonostante i progressi in campo tecnologico, la computer grafica e le possibilità offerte dall'alta risoluzione, i grandi eventi vengono quasi sempre ignorati dai registi, come se realizzare una vera grande battaglia rappresenti ancora un'ostacolo insormontabile. Difficile parlare di Prima Guerra Mondiale senza le grandi offensive, non esistono solo i plotoni ma anche i corpi d'armata...

great

In many ways this is the best First World War film from the allied side to come out in decades, putting many of the other western ones to shame. It’s a great story, not just life in the muddy trenches and the usual things you think of when Flanders fields comes to mind. The deep small tunnels are a great setting, and this movie does a great job showing the hardships of these men. It’s not a perfect movie no, I think something as small as music to add to many scenes instead became the complete opposite. The loud orchestra music that accompanies many scenes to add suspense or intensity instead takes away from it all, being for one too loud, and to upbeat and misplaced feeling. The first scene in the movie where we follow the main character through the tunnels in the dark with candle light and the whispers and eerie quiet should be this movies biggest player, because when done correctly it works great in adding suspense and atmosphere, the music should be gone altogether in my mind. However otherwise it’s very good, the sets, characters and acting, and even the effects all the way from special effects and explosions to great sound design for guns and bullet impacts are all impressive. It’s always dirty, wet, and faithful to what it’s portraying.

I received and watched this film yesterday, and I think it ranks as one of the best World War 1 films of recent years. It tells the true story of Australian miners preparing to set off a huge explosion beneath Hill 60, a German held strongpoint under Messines Ridge in Belgium. This happens and the resulting blast was the greatest man-made explosion ever recorded in history until that day, so powerful that its vibrations and tremors travelled across two seas (North Sea and Irish Sea) and two countries (England and Wales) to be felt as far away as London and Dublin. This film satisfies on all levels and tells a good story well. It leaves out all the artificial pathos, anti-war messages, neurosis, mournful music and nostalgia that so spoil other war films (Journey's End being a example for me) and it gets on with its authentic presentation. You so feel for the poor guys working in the cramped and soaking dark beneath, and for the German miners opposing them: all are human and doing their best in what really used to be a medieval form of siege warfare to bring down walls and towers. Occasionally the scene changes to green and pleasant Queensland in Australia in short romantic flashbacks, but these are also very well done with great characters you are glad to see again - and you do need these to break up the palpable claustrophobia and merciless action that comes across with increasing strength both above and below ground. The pleasing and memorable cast, the beautifully told story, the music, the action, the overall feel of it as it pulls you in; these are all hallmarks of a really good production which I thoroughly recommend.

Ce film de guerre, qui s'inspire de faits réels, est une franche réussite ! A tel point que je me demande comment on a pu en faire un DTV (Direct To Video) !! C'est pas possible, ils n'ont pas du le voir !! Il raconte l'histoire de soldats Australiens, pour la plupart mineurs, qui mirent à profit leur savoir faire afin de percer les lignes ennemies... Je n'en dirai pas plus, mais la réalisation, le jeu des acteurs, le suspens usant et l'ambiance qu'on ne peut qualifier que de claustrophobique en font un spectacle saisissant et un vrai excellent moment de cinéma de guerre ! Quel dommage qu'il ne soit pas en BluRay, car le DVD est déjà de fort bonne qualité et le son digne d'un U571 ! Ambiance claustro incluse !! A voir !