To me, this movie is perfection.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

GALLIPOLLI is an Australian coming-of-age drama with one of the darkest outcomes I can remember seeing in a film. Part CHARIOTS OF FIRE, part harrowing war flick, it follows the fortunes of a couple of gauche young men as they enlist in the ANZAC forces and head over to Turkey to fight, with the expected outcome. For the most part this is a slow and beautifully shot human drama, featuring a youthful Mel Gibson acting well alongside the unknown Mark Lee. The performances are naturalistic and there's a lot of Aussie humour to make things flow along endlessly. Inevitably it becomes an anti-war film towards the end of the running time, ending on one of the most poignant climaxes you'll ever see.

How much of Mel Gibson's success as a director does he owe to Peter Weir? He must have had a wonderful experience working with him on this movie. Perfect depiction of innocents at war - the young soldiers who didn't know how cruel the world (and their officers) could be. Has a better depiction of the Australian character ever been put on a screen? Screenplay by David Williamson is spot-on. (He is the "long streak of pelican s**t" who has to be "sorted out" while playing football near the Sphinx!) (viewed 10/16)

Despite its subject matter, "Gallipoli" is a stunningly beautiful film, even viewed a third of a century after its production. Many films from the eighties now seem quite dated, with poor color saturation, static shots and clumsy editing, but this one has aged quite well. However, it does seem a bit slow by contemporary standards. At 110 minutes it is overly long and it takes a full 75 minutes before they actually arrive at Gallipoli and another fifteen before the battle begins. We spend a lot of time getting to know the half dozen young recruits. We see their pride, patriotism, fear, hopes, camaraderie, petty jealousies and other aspects of their lives. By the time the battle begins, we know them quite well and care about them. At 25, Mel Gibson is already displaying star potential. Mark Lee, the protagonist, does equally well, although his career has been eclipsed by Mel's. Sets, costumes, props and other production elements are also top notch. Some films are quite heavy-handed in trying to make a political statement. Films like "The Life of David Gale" and "The Star Chamber" employed hopelessly convoluted plots and characters with nonsensical motivations to make sophomoric statements. "Supersize Me" distorted and controverted journalistic principles. Other films attempt to present multiple perspectives of complex issues in a reasonably objective fashion, although one perspective may be presented more sympathetically. "Lions for Lambs," "Lone Star" and "JFK" come to mind. "Gallipoli" deals with politically charged issues and seems to want to make a statement of some sort, but seems muddled in its execution. Okay, there's the obvious. War is hell. Many young men are killed in their primes. But the film seems to lose focus regarding the why. There are quite a few elements. Australia is fighting to support Britain, not its own agenda. There are mistakes. Poor communications. Misguided acts of patriotism. Blind determination to follow orders despite changing circumstances. But in the end, the film doesn't offer an answer to the question of why or a set of possible answers to debate or consider. Considerable attention is devoted to an early scene involving a foot race and a horse race. One expects this to be some sort of allegory to Australia's involvement in the war. There are some parallels. The protagonist is cowered by a more imposing character. Both are handicapped. Pride impels the characters to foolish choices. The outcome doesn't seem to have any consequence, but does impact future events. But the allegory isn't as clear or relevant as one might hope or expect. Overall, it's a beautifully photographed, produced and performed film that could have been trimmed to about eighty minutes and seems to want to convey something profound, but can't quite condense its ideas into a simple declarative statement.

"Gallipoli" is a film that has been part of my teaching life. I saw it and was thrilled by it the day before I went into my first class as a student teacher. Over the next 30 years it is probably the films I have shown most often to students studying Australian history.There are so many scenes that have stayed with me such as the attack on The Nek and the final freeze frame but I want to point out three others that live on in my mind. Geoff Parry's speech to the troops prior to them being allowed to explore Cairo was a gem. Great writing and the delivery had a deliciously sarcastic tone.The cameo from Diane Chamberlain as Major Barton's wife was heartbreaking. The look on her face as she turns away after imploring her husband to, "Please come home" tells all about what wives and mothers went through.Lastly, Bill Hunter as he drinks a toast on his wedding anniversary as he listens to an aria from an opera and attempts to whistle along with it. He is aware of what is to come the next day but the young troops who look in on him are not. They smile almost patronisingly. Awareness and unawareness has never been more brilliantly portrayed. There are many more great scenes and moments in what is a brilliant film.