Review of Gallipoli

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).