I first watched this film back in the mid 1980's when it was shown on UK television and although being just a young boy had a certain knowledge of WWI and particularly the ill fated Gallipoli campaign. This film moved me to tears back then and in truth, still does now all these years later. The pacing is excellent, at no point does the film stay still. We feel a connection with the characters, an empathy, they practically become our friends through the telling of the story, and what a story it is. We see our two protagonists meet by chance and witness their friendship blossom before our eyes. The contrast in the pair is stark. Young Archy is full of adventure, desperate to do his part in the great war. Frank, the elder of the pair is far more cynical and far less keen to join what he refers to as an 'English war'. Soon enough, they both find their way to the Turkish peninsula and events quickly lead to a tragic end. This is a must for fans of war films and particularly those with an interest in WWI, and absolute masterpiece which has aged incredibly well ( as all great films do).

This is movie making at its finest. Splendidly acted and Directed, this is a magnificent movie. Mel Gibson is tremendous and no wonder why Gibson became a great Star, and later on a recognized talent for film making. I am a combat veteran of the great U S Army and the finale of this stunning film made me weep.

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.