Gallipoli

Two young runners in Western Australia, Archy Hamilton and Frank Dunne, enlist in the First World War. The film carries them from the salt lake where they train to a camp in Egypt and on to Gallipoli. At the end comes the attack at the Nek: the order to leave the trench into machine-gun fire. Peter Weir directed, from a screenplay by David Williamson. Mel Gibson plays Frank and Mark Lee, then a newcomer, plays Archy. The budget was 2.8 million Australian dollars, the highest for an Australian film at the time. It took 11.7 million Australian dollars at home, while the international gross stopped at 5.7 million US dollars. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 91 percent, with critics calling it a devastating anti-war film and praising Gibson's restraint. Historians have objected. Writers including Les Carlyon argued that the British officers are unfairly blamed, that the disaster came chiefly from decisions made by Australian commanders, and that the film misrepresents the strategic purpose of the attack. Who it is for: viewers who like war films that spend time on everything before the front. Who it is not for: anyone looking for historical accuracy. Where the film places responsibility is seriously disputed.