Beneath Hill 60

I was invited to see a preview of this on Wednesday night and was very excited to see it.  Brendan Cowell is one of my favourite actors.  The series Love My Way did it for me.  I have never seen a more expressive face.  He's just fantastic.  

We've been waiting for this movie for a while.  I remember driving Cas to school in the mornings last year while the JJJ brekkie show was trying to get an interview with him for weeks.  We heard all about the horror of the trenches and steamy life in Townsville then.  

I love this movie because it is a different story and yet reminds us of the things that never change about war.  

I know I am obsessed with knitting but one of the more poignant moments for me....even though I laughed out loud....was when one of the soldiers wryly commented that his wife would probably have knitted herself a husband by the time he came back.  So while women are not very much in evidence in this movie...as in most war movies I've seen...at least they are acknowledged very much in the evidence of mittens and socks.  Sounds trite but it was one of the ways the girls could stay close to the boys in these awful times.  That and the all important letters.  

Another scene that stayed with me was when the contingent finally arrives in Belgium at Hill 60.  It's chaos.  Bombs and bullets are dropping and flying.  The truck dumps the men and then rushes off.  Where do they go?    The officer in charge gets directions and waves his men forward.  It's raining - real rain and real bullets - it's night-time.  Madness.  One of the younger soldiers slips and falls in the rain...his two mates help him up and they stumble forward dodging bullets.  After a while they realise they've lost the rest of the troops....where are they?  On the wrong side of the line...that's where....It made me realise it's a miracle anyone came home alive at all.

So many little stories in this movie help make the big story great.  That and a fantastic ensemble cast.  I won't spoil it for you.  Do go and see it.  And this week stop and have a chat to the guys selling Anzac Day badges and buy a badge.  No greater gift and all that.....