1001 Movies #2: Gallipoli
You know? Sometimes you just have to run in Australia in 1915, and Gallipoli shows this. So here is how it goes. In Australia, 1915, an unnamed actor and Mel Gibson run in Australia in 1915. But then, they start riding horses in Australia in 1915, but it is directed by the guy who directed Truman Show, so I need to see some sort of artistic value right?
So, running has been around for a long time. For those of you who do not know, running is like walking, but fast. I imagine in 1915, it was a similar feat as it is today, but in 1981, people apparently REALLY wanted to see films about running, cause Chariots of Fire (my next film in this 1001 movie watch) was also released in 1981, but from the British perspective.
So this is how it goes. This actor and Mel Gibson run, a lot, but it is in the lead up to World War I. World War I was the prequel to World War II One of them is too young to join the war, and it is the one who is not Mel Gibson. Mel Gibson was an acclaimed actor who was world-renowned until we all found out that he was SUPER racist. Now he’s just an Oscar Nominated director who got a redemption arc because he made a movie starring the second or third worst Spider-Man about someone who didn’t want to shoot people during World War II while also still most likely being SUPER racist. In this movie he has an Australian accent like he did in the Mad Max and its sequels. Why? You ask. Well, because he moved there at an early age, and apparently started acting. I liked him back in the day, but do you know what? Fuck him and his racism.
Anyways, this movie is about World War I or something. It’s the sort of movie that makes you think it is good cause it is boring, thus you think it is intellectually stimulating. I am honestly writing this piece before it is even half way, because I don’t know what else to do. Maybe it will get good? I don’t know.
But here is an update thanks to my good friend @smxshlvrd on Twitter. He provided context/synopsis for me because I was complaining about how boring this movie was on Twitter.
Also, just so we get a better picture of Australian cinema, he wanted to make sure that we all knew that there was a better example, which I am providing here both as a reminder (I love the Mad Max movies but am admittedly less literate in other Australian movies/franchises), and a comforting look at other Australian films that are less comparable to a John Wayne military/cowboy/American film. Because, aren’t we all less-than-excited about the most jingoistic of our country’s cinema? (I know we aren’t all less-than-excited, but if you are reading this, I hope you are.)
Everyone watch The Castle, please…
And now, on to the final act of this review/rant/does it really matter? Just keep reading…
There’s a dance scene, cause every pro-military movie needs a dance scene. This would be a good time to tell you all that this movie is not in widescreen. Yes, it was 1981, seven years before I was born, three years before Orwell’s vision, and many years after The Godfather, but nonetheless, it is not in widescreen.
Do I know why? No
Am I willing to look up why? No.
Do I expect you all to care? No.
Gibson and the other guy are, at this point, naked and running across the beaches of wherever this movie takes place. This sounds problematic, but judging off of the dated representation, I honestly think it is more meaningful not to state where it takes place (and also because I don’t remember). Nonetheless, they are all naked and being fired at, and now Mel Gibson knows that shit is real. Yes, the star of The Patriot is fighting FOR British troops.
This seems like it was from a different time, but it was also closer to The Truman Show than it was to today, so who really knows?
Now would be a good time to speak about a theme that I touched on in my review of Marnie. Did everyone before like 20 years ago look either 40 or 13? Cause Mel Gibson, by my math, would have been in his mid-twenties, but looks old enough to be my (30-years-old) dad. Come on. I don’t know how this is important, but it has 100% accuracy so far in the 1001 films I will theoretically explore.
Anyways, the film ends with a catastrophic decision, but I honestly cannot tell whether or not this is supposed to be the point or not. But the running returns. In Turkey, not Australia, in 1915–16. The last shot of the film is the not Mel Gibson guy getting shot after the Mel Gibson guy gets shot. I assume they both died. This movie confused me. I did not like it.
999 films to go.
