torstensonjohn For many, Kokoda is an unknown battle between The Australian infantry/bushman and the Japanese regime. This is a relatively unknown part of WWII. The first fighting occurred between elements of the Papuan Infantry Battalion and the 39th Australian Infantry Battalion at Awala. Although steadily reinforced by the battalions of 30th and 21st Brigades, the Australian force was unable to hold back the Japanese. It was poorly equipped, had not yet developed effective jungle warfare tactics, and was fighting at the end of a very long and difficult supply line. A number of desperate delaying actions were fought as the Australians withdrew along the Trail. They finally stopped on 17 September at Imita Ridge, the last natural obstacle along the Trail, a mere 8 km from the junction with the road to Port Moresby.The film depicts a gritty, realistic approach to the front lines of these battles and what the men had endured traversing through the jungle and bush. The editing at times is a bit choppy but within the story you feel as if you are there. Cinematography is amazing, scenery uncanny to many other war films as camera placement is superb.The Kokoda Trail fighting was some of the most desperate and vicious encountered by Australian troops in the Second World War. Although the successful capture of Port Moresby was never going to be precursor to an invasion of Australia, victory on the Kokoda Trail did ensure that Allied bases in northern Australia, vital in the coming counter-offensive against the Japanese, would not be seriously threatened by air attack. Approximately 625 Australians were killed along the Kokoda Trail and over 1,600 were wounded. Casualties due to sickness exceeded 4,000.If you are a war film buff and enjoy the actual placement of cinematography and telling of a story then KOKODA is one for the books. I applaud the style and efforts of this film all the way around. I give it a solid 8/10

davidfurlotte I honestly cannot believe some of the reviews I have read here about this movie and most of them are by Australians! When it comes to downplaying our history and not giving thanks to the men and women whose sacrifices actually have allowed us the benefit of being able to give an opinion without being dragged from our beds and executed, I honestly used to think Canada held the distinction for being number one, but you guys take the cake.People wanting this to be more like "Saving Private Ryan" or calling it a Propagandist movie? REALLY? The person who said that we should not be bringing up some of the war atrocities by the Japanese really needs to buy a reality check. World War II was not pleasant, it was not what Hollywood made it out to be in the 50's and 60's and the most brutal examples of inhumanity happened in the Pacific Theater, including brutality to the Winnipeg Rifles (Canadians captured while defending Hong Kong) I knew nothing about this engagement before seeing this movie and all I can say is if something like this had happened between U.S. troops and the Japanese there would be hundreds of books and movies regaling us all with the magnificent heroics of the men involved.My hat is off to the first-time director who managed to pull this together and tell a story that REALLY needs to be told. Watching a movie like this or reading a book about it is in a way, an opportunity for the viewer or reader to say THANK YOU to the men that served.To those of you, especially those of you from Australia, who had your sensibilities hurt by it and gave it a low rating, SHAME on you! The movie is worthy of watching if for no other reason than learning about some of the history of World War II.

Tony Dummett It's funny that the ending of this film has been criticised here as unrealistic and melodramatic. One commenter even said it was of "Neighbours" (soap opera) quality.In fact the final scene is an exact reconstruction of a parade of members of the 39th battalion before their commander, Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Honner at the village of Menari. Every word spoken by William McInnes (playing Honner) in this scene is taken from the official record of the proceedings on that day.So much for "Neighbours".The film is good without being great. The budget supplies the reason. What it does convey is the hostile terrain over which the Australian soldiers had to lug all their supplies, including heavy artillery pieces... and then they had to fight the Japanese, who heavily outnumbered them, when they reached the top of the ranges.These were part-time soldiers, reservists with inferior training and green troops for the most part. Their job was to hold the line until the professional veterans (back from North Africa) arrived to take over. It was a war fought in platoon and section strength, with few pitched battles. Ever since the survivors of the two reserve battalions have been called "The Ragged Bloody Heroes", and deservedly so.Recently these has been some revisionism among politically biased historians, claiming that Kokoda was a waste of time and effort; that the Japanese had no intention of invading Australia. While they may not have been as serious about Kokoda as they were regarding the developing disaster at Gualalcanal, one thing is certain: if the Japanese had not been held back on the Kokoda Track, taking Port Moresby would have been a prize too easily won to refuse. Taking Moresby, and perhaps then Australia could have changed not only the war in the South West Pacific area, but perhaps the whole course of WW2.The men of the 39th battalion had no opportunity to speculate from afar, and safety, on the political potential of Kokoda as relevant to 2006 politics. They had to fight and die where they stood. That is why their story is worth telling, a story of small groups of men fighting shadows in a jungle nightmare scenario, without the option of surrender.

ifra1616 A totally pathetic attempt at movie about sacrifices of Australian Soldiers during the New Guinea Campaign. Total waste of money even if you only see it on DVD. Thankfully the video store provided a free weekly hire with the DVD else it would have been a complete waste of money. Probably made by arty types and full of the symbolism that today's Chardonay socialists seem so into. Frankly this movie is an insult to the memory of the brave chaps that never came back. Somebody please provide the funding to make a decent movie at least the equal of Saving Private Ryan. Hopefully the RSL will put as much distance between itself and this movie as possible. The story needs to be told from all sides the Australians, the locals & the Japanese - Although getting the latter to tell the truth about anything that happened during the second world war is highly unlikely. Basically its rubbish, don't see it, don't buy it. Walk away