The Hill (1965)
Genre: War / Drama
Duration: 121 minuten
Country:
United Kingdom
Directed by: Sidney Lumet
Stars: Sean Connery, Harry Andrews and Ian Bannen
IMDb score:
7,8 (16.409)
Releasedate: 17 June 1965
The Hill plot
"They went up like men! They came down like animals!"
In a camp stationed in the desert of Libya, inmates are sentenced by British Staff Sergeant Williams, who has them walk up and down a hill and make them a mound of their own making. One day, 5 new inmates arrive, each trying their own way to deal with Williams' tyranny.
Actors and actresses
Joe Roberts
R.S.M. Wilson
Harris
George Stevens
Jacko King
Monty Bartlett
Jock McGrath
Staff Sergeant Williams
The Medical Officer
Commandant
Reviews & comments
Shadowed
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- 11421 messages
- 6719 votes
Good.
Much better than I thought beforehand and I'm happy with that because I find older films a bit more difficult to swallow. The fact that Connery was in this did not exactly raise the most positive expectations. Fortunately, The Hill was not too bad in a lot of ways.
The raw directing style in particular surprised me positively. The first hour is a bit slow and therefore not always interesting. The second hour is much better again and the raw direction comes into its own much better. Furthermore, this film is also more unique in terms of directing style than its peers and that struck me positively.
There are enough tricks used to keep it interesting as a whole. The close-ups and the sticky camera work well. The location is completely in black and white, so it doesn't really come to life, but it certainly works. The prison itself is a bit bare unfortunately, but perhaps it should be that way.
Acting is quite okay. It often tends towards the theatrical and Connery didn't really stand out to me, but it's otherwise quite neat. Some members seem to enjoy their roles and that is sometimes clear. This is especially noticeable in the second hour where everything gets a bit of a boost.
Furthermore, the second hour is a bit more intense and above all better than the somewhat slower first hour. The first hour also offers enough to keep it from becoming boring as a whole, but the second hour is a bit more overwhelming. The film just lacks good characters and perhaps a slightly better ending could have been achieved. Other than that there isn't too much to complain about, except that it takes a bit too long. Good movie yes.
Translated from Dutch · View original
T.O.
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- 2428 messages
- 2806 votes
Such a film that was released at a time when authorities and associated hierarchical structures came under increasing criticism, especially the army. Almost fifty years later, many films with this theme have been released, so the content was not very unique or special for me.
What remains is a beautifully shot film, which actually takes things up a notch in the last half hour.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Collins
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- 7352 messages
- 4348 votes
It is 1942. The Second World War is at its height. In the middle of a British prison camp in Egypt, the titular hill towers above the barracks. The sun shines mercilessly on the heads of punished soldiers from the British army, who have misbehaved with matters such as desertion, theft and insubordination and are being disciplined in the camp. The hill is used to make the lives of recalcitrant prisoners even more hellish. They are chased up and down the hill several times in the blazing sun until they collapse completely exhausted.
The story has a tight and consistent development. Despite the hellish setting and the despicable view of humanity that are pervasive throughout the film and exhibit an atmosphere of bitterness, the five prisoners that the film revolves around basically succeed in making the atmosphere more bearable with sarcastic humor. In this way, the absurdity of the camp and the inhuman methods of the guards are provided with a cheerful satirical note. Over the course of the film, the humorous resistance turns into a flaming and chilling appeal against the madness of an outdated military hierarchy in which abuse of power, arbitrariness and blind obedience rule. The humor then disappears. The mild satire has degenerated into a painful indictment.
Director Sidney Lumet makes an impressive film with The Hill. With confrontational camera work, a hellish setting, a compelling story and a strong cast (including Sean Connery as a rebellious prisoner and Harry Andrews as an exponent of an outdated structure), the film provides a terrifying picture of the human condition fighting for the preservation of a culture. which has actually already been done away with.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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