DEADLINE GALLIPOLI

Australia, 2015, 197 minutes, Colour.
Hugh Dancy, Joel Jackson, Sam Worthington, Charles Dance, Rachel Griffiths, Anna Torv, Jessica de Gouw, Luke Ford, Simon Maiden, Marco Chiappi, Genevieve Mooy, Bryan Brown Ewan Leslie,John Bell.

Directed by Michael Rymer.

Deadline Gallipoli was one of the many programmes made to celebrate the centenary of World War I, the Anzac invasion, the role of the British, the battles against the Turks.

This is a miniseries which can be viewed as a film, directed by Michael Rymer who, after winning AFI awards with Angel Baby, had success in America, directing films and episodes of the series, Hannibal, and made several Australian films, including Queen of the Damned and the restorative Justice film, Face to Face.

Deadline Gallipoli was filmed in South Australia, standing in again, as it did for films such as Gallipoli, for Turkey. The locations look quite authentic, on land, and sea, on the hills. Within the limited budget, there are very vivid sequences of the warfare, the landing itself and the bombardment, the digging in, life in the trenches, over the long months, scenes of the soldiers going over the top and being massacred, the role of the Turks, as adversaries, as prisoners of war.

The film focuses on the war careers of three reporters, the most significant was C.W.Bean, who later wrote the history of the war. He is played by newcomer, Joel Jackson. The photographer, Philip Schuller, whose father was a newspaper proprietor, is played by Sam Worthington who also helped produce the film. British actor Hugh Dancy has the plum role of British reporter Ellis Ashmead Bartlett. Amongst the supporting cast are stalwarts like Charles Dance as Lord Hamilton, Rachel Griffiths as his wife, John Bell as Lord Kitchener and Bryan Brown as a general in action. Ewan Leslie appears as Keith Murdoch.

The story is well told, veering between Britain and Turkey, showing the life of the soldiers and their hardship, showing the ineptitude of the British commanders and the discussions back in London.

This is a story for any time, not just for the centenary.

1. A television film for the centenary of Gallipoli? The atmosphere of 2015? The context of memory, tribute, realism, critique?

2. Made for television audience, quality, the strong cast, international collaboration?

3. Cairo, the city, the streets? The contrast with London, the social atmosphere, the houses and parties? Whitehall? The musical score?

4. The flashbacks to Cairo, the men, acting as louts, the general and his wanting discipline, his discussions with Bean? Bean, journalist, trying to cover the war, the Australian readership? His assistant? Bean and his personality, no humour, writing the article about Australian soldiers and their behaviour, the negative reactions?

5. Philip, the background of his father, coming to the war, his camera, more of a holiday atmosphere? His friendship with Hamilton, their discussions? Meeting the nurse, the examination for venereal diseases, the lineup of men, their reluctance, the men being sent home because of having the diseases? The interactions with the nurse, character, disdain for Philip, later meeting him in action? Phillip, photos, the poses in the street? His encounter with Bean, with Bartlett? The plan, being advised to go by boat, his arrival, the experiences of the war, meeting the nurse, his going into the water to swim?

6. Bartlett, British, first seen in the hotel with the woman, his friend and their discussions about going, his character, in Britain and his visits with Winston Churchill, the family, his views on the war? Going to Turkey, the plans? The invasion, observing, on the sunken ship? Discussions with Bean, reading his notes, stealing the information, the publication? Bean and his anger?

7. Bean, his assistant, typing, the articles? Going on the invasion, on the hill, running with the troops, the dead and wounded? His meeting with Turkish prisoners?

8. Hamilton, his authority, his personality? British and authoritarian? With Philip, with Bartlett, Bartlett giving him advice?

9. The journalists, the press, the officials, reading the articles, censorship?

10. Bartlett, the sinking of the ship, getting to London, the scene of his talking with General Kitchener, the corridor, the car, trying to make suggestions? Hamilton and his negative reaction?

11. The soldiers, the different characters, going for the swim, the dead body, in the boats, talking with the journalists, men suddenly dead?

12. The details of the campaign, the action, the amount of intelligence, those making the decisions, the failure of the Anzac landing, beginning, Lone Pine?

13. The months after the landing? Digging in? The Turkish prisoners – and the soldiers hostile, bossing them about, the irony of the translations?

14. The preparation for the August attack, Bartlett and his criticisms, the issue of water, the issue of further troops, from India and Ireland? The confidence in the strategy?

15. The graphic presentation of the war, in the trenches, the men going over the top, immediately slaughtered, the Turks calling out for them to stop, the rigid official and his keeping to the plan despite the deaths, Bean and his presence, the officer going over the top and dying? Philip, in the trenches, the photos of the men, their being dead within minutes, Phillip running through the fields, the continued firing, his getting into the trench? His showing his photos to the military authority who asked who would see them – and Phillip saying that he had?

16. Life in the trenches, the illness, nowhere to bury the bodies, limbs? Bean and sharing the suffering? The diarrhoea, illnesses?

17. The arrival of Keith Murdoch, reviewing the trench life, comments about the reports from the front, from Bean, from Bartlett? His meeting Bartlett and challenging him?

18. Murdoch, the letter, being detained in Marseille, going to the Australian Embassy, dictating Bartlett’s letter by heart, defiance of the authorities, Australian independence?

19. Hearing with the officials, with Lord Kitchener, attentive to Bartlett, but dismissing him?

20. The character of Bartlett, his defiance, the letter, relationship with Keith Murdoch, his being ordered back to England, his return, working with Murdoch, the hearings? His close friend, the journalist, being upset at Bartlett returning?

21. The visits to his friends, the woman coming to plead with him to keep quiet?

22. The sequences of Philip, serving in France, the ambulance work, the explosion and his death?

23. Bean, the evacuation, talking with General Munroe? Leaving the small defence squad behind? Their ability in deceiving the Turks? Bean and the records,
the letters of the soldiers, wanting to have a record, his assistant keeping them, their being saved? The visuals of the evacuation, everybody safe?

24. The role of Winston Churchill, not looked on favourably? His discussions with Bartlett?

25. Hamilton, his recall, Lady Hamilton meeting Bartlett and her spurning him? Hamilton, meeting Bartlett at the party, commenting on the massacre of the evacuation?

26. The information on each of the journalists, their perspective on the war, British, Australian? Their records and this story 100 years later?