Produced from the diary of an Australian miner Captain Oliver Woodward, with liberties taken by the screenwriter and co-producer, David Roach (who offered a post-screening Q & A), Beneath Hill 60 tells the story of a underground, secret war that was fought beneath no man’s land during World War I. This film offered an objective story, never posing either side as the enemy, and stuck to the necessities to tell Woodward’s story. Director Jeremy Sims leads this Australian production into a deeply enjoyable portrayal of this lesser-known aspect of a brutal war.
Oliver Woodward (Brendan Cowell) leaves Australia to during World War I due to their need for miners with underground explosive expertise. His team, the Australian Tunneling Company, is instructed to blow up the strategic Hill 60 knowing full well that the Germans were also listening and collecting intelligence during the underground tunneling. The plot is simple, but the film offers a new understanding of the battles that took place in the trenches. Beneath the muddy and vicious no-man’s land, was a maze of tunnels that were dug up to 30 feet deep. In these tunnels only vibrations and muffled explosions remind the viewer of the war up above, and for these miners, working and living in these tunnels is a second nature.
The subplot featuring the main character Woodward and his love that he left in Australia, Marjorie, had a certain necessity. However, its execution was laid in clichés and halted much of the plot’s progression forward, but this subplot only exists in the earlier half of the film. Among additional clichés were found in the other characters in the film, similar to what you would see in any war flick. Regardless of their typical clichés, these characters do indeed assist the protagonist’s mission faithfully.
Several scenes were entirely ruined by melodramatic, epic compositions; particularly a scene with Woodward’s last embrace and kiss with the sweetheart he left behind for war. Instead of allowing this tender moment to be revealed naturally, a sweeping score arises and ruins one of the most heartfelt scenes. Silence would have been the best auditory representation. There are far more examples of the score getting in the way of the visuals, easily the most dragging aspect of the film. Luckily, most of this score is only present in flashbacks, and not in the present narrative.
In terms of sound design, the film makes use of surround sound by effectively placing the viewer in the eyes and ears of the tunnelers. The viewer might have well felt the ground shake during the above ground bombings, and one could have certainly felt the bombastic sonic wave at the climax. When combined with the claustrophobic sets, Beneath Hill 60’s sound effects assist in the storytelling and the pressing urgency of the mission.
The camera work was adequate, hand-held when necessary and secured when necessary. If anything, the cinematography appropriately revealed the story, never attempting to be risky or distract the viewer from the natural suspense. Certain scenes earlier in the film on the front lines, prior to the main mission, were well presented with suspenseful moments that were assisted by silence, compared to the above mentioned ruinations of the score.
It is unfortunate that Beneath Hill 60 may never see a wider release in America (as it already finished theatrical distribution in Australia and the UK), but this film is certainly a rental for America. While with a few distracting elements, the film is well done and offers an interesting insight for a war below the battleground. Aside from the overzealous score, the sound effects are stellar, so much that I recommend turning the volume knob up towards the end of the film. Seriously, turn it up.
