Film in Context: Gallipoli
Matthew Stewart discusses Peter Weir's 1981 cinematic tour de force, and what it tells us about the ANZAC myth.
Peter Weir’s Gallipoli (1981) was the jewel in the crown of Australian cinema’s New Wave, which began around 1970. The film’s narrative can best be described as a boy’s adventure story turned tragic. Encouraged by the title and advertising to suppose that this is a war film, viewers are often surprised at how long the film takes to get the men enlisted in the army, let alone to the front.
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