johnpelaro This is an absolutely superb war movie, on a par with the best. The flow of events is woven smoothly into the film, with scrupulous attention to historical accuracy. It does for World War One films what the series "Band of Brothers" did for WW2, raising the bar on the entire genre. There are flashbacks throughout the film, the dreariness and terror of trench warfare being contrasted with the lush beauty of eastern Australia. By avoiding huge battle scenes, accuracy is preserved and the intensity of individual experiences given greater strength. Why this film has not gained greater popularity in the US is a mystery to me.

Donald Buehler An outstanding portrayal of the Messines Ridge battles - a part of the overall series of battles in WWI around Ypres in Belgium. Anyone who knows anything about WWI will recognize the incredible fighting and human misery surrounding the 3 major Ypres battles. For a great depiction of these battles - read A Storm in Flanders - by Winston Groom -one of the best histories of the Great War.The movie works on all levels - some of the other reviews state that Aussies should see this - I disagree - everyone who is interested in how the free world defended against German aggression need to see this. I am a WWI junkie, but I believe this movie will appeal to a very wide audience.A few of the good points: Realism - this movie focuses on many small details which give it great credibility: clipping canaries nails; covering your coffee cup when there is an explosion (to keep dirt from falling in); continual rain and mud (can you say Passchendaele?) ; unbelievable living conditions; the cat and mouse game being played under ground where both sides were trying to discover the others mines; prejudice against the miners/sappers as not being real soldiers; and the death of the father (you'll see what I mean).This is one of the finest war movies I have seen (and I've seen a lot.) I really hope you will take this one in. Then, the next time you are in London - go to the Imperial War Museum for an in depth look at WWI & II. Cheers DonB

davidlaurie-238-839772 I first became aware of this story - including the real life inclusion of a couple of real-life distant relatives in that unit - when the local newspaper here reported on the making of the movie a couple of years back.Like some of the other reviewers here, I also found this movie to be better in some way than the likes of Gallipoli, Anzacs and Breaker Morant.I would recommend this film to anyone either wanting to simply see a good war movie, and to those wanting to know more about Australia's war history - even "fictionalised" and "dramatised" versions..Comparing this movie to "Hurt Locker" was surely a joke, on those reviewers part: Not only do the two have little in common, this movie is more realistic, and it IS based on real events (and not the twisted stories that end up in many American movies..). ~ and real people, several of whom came from around this region.. And they cover two entirely different eras...Calling "Hurt Locker" a superior movie was a ridiculous and pathetic comparison on a couple of people's parts ~ in reality, they are two completely different movies ~ and I consider "Beneath Hill 60" to be a much better and more worthwhile than that average American offering."Beneath Hill 60" earns Ten Stars from me..

MrGoodMovie Here is a movie that recounts a quite mind-boggling true story about a plan that, whilst successful in itself, nevertheless confirmed the futility of the "Great War", and the lack of an overall strategy.There are, of course, many films that one could argue achieve the same end. In fact it would be hard, if not impossible, to make a film about the First World War that confirmed anything else.So I can't really say that there is anything different about "Beneath Hill 60", but I would recommend it to anyone looking to learn a little more about the history of this war, the decisions that must be taken in the heat of battle, and the incredible contribution made by Australia's "Diggers".Quite why the Generals became so obsessed about the significance of "Hill 60" is beyond me, and was probably beyond the soldiers who fought, and died, to take it. Obsessed though they were, to the point of burying enough explosives underneath it to dwarf Guy Fawkes' planned fireworks show three centuries earlier. This was to be the biggest explosion ever created by mankind.Whilst there are some "blood & guts" scenes reminiscent of "Hamburger Hill" or "Saving Private Ryan" the overall feel of this movie is of a group of Aussie mates just "getting on with the job", with a leader who prefers to bed down with his troops rather than hang out in the "officers quarters".This to me is the essence of the Aussie Digger, and indeed Australian society today. None of the airs and graces of the British officers, or the social divides rampant in Britain, just ordinary blokes doing a dirty job with consummate professionalism, and with a weather eye on their mates.And I guess that is the heart of the film. When called upon to make a life or death decision about executing the plan or saving a mate's life Woodward didn't flinch. The plan had to be executed with military precision, and that is exactly what he did. Earlier in the film we'd seen acts of great comradeship, with soldiers putting themselves in danger, and in some cases dying, to give their mates a better chance of survival. Yet when the chips were down Woodward had to make a decision about the hundreds of troops who may have died had he not stayed on plan, and the few Aussie Diggers who may die if he did. Perhaps if he had realised that his men were going to die for nothing (Hill 60, or the ground that remained after it was blown to smithereens, was retaken by the Germans a few days later) he might not have pushed the plunger. But of course he didn't know that, so he did what any professional soldier would have done in those circumstances, he stuck to the plan with its precision timing. As a military leader he did what he had to do.We can all look back and see the futility of this war, its horror and its appalling waste of young life.But there is one truth that must burn on down the ages.Those that died did so with honour.And we shall never forget them.