Gallipoli

I just finished watching "Gallipoli".

Wow.

I'm interested in war. Mostly from a historical perspective. As the U.S. joined WWI very late (in fact, near the end), we don't cover it much in high school history classes. WWI is a very vague thing to most Americans, whereas WWII is more familiar and gets a lot more coverage in school. (For a REALLY good book about WWI, pick up "Rites of Spring" by Modris Eksteins. Fascinating take on the war. This guy is gifted.)

Snoopy flying his Sopwith Camel over the skies of Germany in his quest to shoot down the Red Baron was about the extent of the WWI image for me when I was a kid.

"Gallipoli" is about the Battle of Gallipoli. Or at least the last half hour of the film is about the Battle of Gallipoli. It's really a story about two young Australian friends who go off to war. It moves slowly, developing the two main characters and moving the story along. But it never feels like it's moving TOO slow. It's an easy pace which deceptively leads you on to a devastating finale.

Good movie, but tough to watch. And you don't like the British much by the end of the film.

Bang.

Wow.