Movies to watch this Anzac Day

The legend of the Anzacs is one of Australia’s most celebrated days, a day to remember those who fought and died defending our way of life. Out of the futility of war came the creation of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, which spawned many of the qualities that Australians still hold dear: courage, ingenuity, endurance, good humour and mateship. These qualities were the foundation to many of the stories that included the Anzacs, both fictional and non-fictional, so this Anzac Day, we’ve compiled a selection of stories that reflect that spirit - ready to watch on your favourite subscriptions via Optus.

 Binge

The most famous and well-regarded film on the Anzacs, Gallipoli is a 1981 film directed by Peter Weir, starring Mark Lee and Mel Gibson. The film follows the story of two young Australians runners enlisting in the Australian Army during WW1, set to deployed to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey. Most of the action centres around the relationship between Lee’s character Archy Hamilton and Gibson’s Frank Dunne, with the former being a patriotic grazier who’s idealism clashes with the latter’s diminished drifter mentality.

The film explores the hardships of what trench life would’ve felt like as well as going through horrific battles like the Battle of Lone Pine and the tragic charge at the Nek, where poor communication brings about a deadly assault on a well-fortified Ottoman position. The story crescendos with a haunting depiction of the charge, with Lee’s character Archy running across no-man’s land before being fatally shot, ending on a freeze-frame of the moment to capture the futility of war.

Netflix, Prime Video

Although set during the Second Boer War, also known as the South African war (11 October 1899 – 31 May 1901), the 1980 Bruce Beresford directed film captures many of the central themes of the Anzac spirit.

The film follows the story of three Australian soldiers who are charged with the execution of Boer prisoners and a German missionary during the Second Boer War, culminating in a trial as a demonstration for any other soldiers who wish to disobey the rules. The bulk of the action explores the events leading up to the trial, how the execution of the Boer prisoners was in retaliation for the mutilation and death of the friend of the film’s titular character, Harry “Breaker” Morant. Morant claims there were unwritten orders to execute the Boer prisoners which were relayed to him via a commanding officer.

The exploration of mateship and pride in a lawless environment is nuanced by Beresford’s ability to capture how what is right can often be lost within the battle to end a war.

Prime Video, Binge

This 1987 film directed by Simon Wincer dramatises the events that unfolded in the 1917 Battle of Beersheba in Palestine, highlights the Anzac spirit of bravery and mateship and showcases the pivotal role that Australian forces played in the engagement between Gaza and Beersheba.

The action centres around four Australian cavalrymen who serve in the 4^th Light Horse Brigade, employed to help the British forces as they face a stalemate against the Turkish defences. With the stalemate not being able to be budged, one of the commanding officers devise a plan to create misinformation about an impending attack, trying to strategically catch their enemy off guard. The Australians of the 4^th Light Horsemen Brigade set out on a daring charge across open ground, launching their attack on 31 October 1917.

The charge of the infantry and the ensuing battle marks a surprising victory for the Australians, reaching and capturing key Turkish positions as well as breaching Turkish trenches. The theme of endurance and courage resonates the Anzac spirit.

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