“The Hill”
A soldier struggles up a man-made mound of dirt and rock, he collapses. Others run to his aid. He is removed. More men trudge up it. How long will they last? We are introduced to “The Hill” immediately. A single camera shot pulls back as the opening credits roll and we see a bird eyes’ view of the British North African military stockade that is the focus of the film. No score, just the sound of marching. It’s got the sound of a cliché, but, well, I just cannot resist, because it’s true; they just don’t make films like Sidney Lumet’s 1965 chamber drama “The Hill” anymore. The setting is a British World War 2 Military Prison in North Africa. Sean Connery’s Colonel Joe Roberts and Ossie Davis’ Jacko King highlight five new prisoners. The de facto warden R.S.M. Bert Wilson, and his brand new officer, the sadistic Williams (Ian Henry) have it out for Roberts from the start. The chief Medical Officer (Michael Redgrave) and C.O. Bartlett chafe under the fascist treatment of the prisoners but go along with it.
Like other early Lumet, the film plays out like something from the stage. Long takes. And I mean long takes-allow our entire cast, particularly Davis, to shine. We feel the oppressive heat, the one hundred and twenty degree heat, the solitude and hopelessness and ridiculousness of the situation. What did the men do to get here? Jacko King drank three bottles of whiskey. One of the men went awol. Colonel Roberts refused to send a group of men to sure-fire death and assaulted a superior officer who insisted upon it. The first forty minutes of the film play out in almost real time. We are thrust into the ordeal of arriving for the first time in this hell just as the men are. Wilson believes in what he is doing. He believes the men sent to him are faulty, and must be broken and repaired. He fiercely believes that his staff are a reflection of him. Williams is, as I have said, sadistic. Some break sooner than others. They all face the hill.
“The Hill” is a hard film about far off justice. It is about principles, about following orders and knowing when not too. It is about military justice, and the absurdity of it. It is not a film the average modern viewer will enjoy, but its pace is expertly tightened at appropriate moments. It is the kind of film that Director Sidney Lumet would churn out and improve on throughout his storied career. It is a wonderful chance to see Sean Connery do something serious, and it is not a film that lets you get away with a cheap Hollywood ending. I couldn’t imagine this kind of film being made in the mainstream today.
A word now on older films. A different style of filmmaking is no less legitimate and, often enough, more refreshing and literate. Longer takes were certainly key for this docudrama to create the feeling of reality that the location shoot deserved. Then, there are the stylistic flourishes; cuts punctuated on sound, a sharper angle, so overused today that become so much stronger when they are held back and then released with reason. Perhaps the 60’s and the 70’s were a particularly exciting time for filmmaking both abroad and here in the US. However, good was old and is new; between world and independent cinema there are at least 5-10 startlingly good films released a year. Always has been, always will be. It is just a shame that the average film viewer- now bred on a quickened response times – would never think to give a black and white character drama like “The Hill” a real chance.
Story: A- A military stockade in North Africa during world war two. A battle of wills, injustice, perseverance, and reality.
Acting: B + Ossie Davis leads an excellent cast.
Visuals: B + Long beautiful shots. Black and white can be refreshing some times. Won a cinematography award in ’65.
Originality/Innovation: B + This is a hard character drama that stays true to itself. A film that considers our roles in society, the right thing to do, and real consequences.
Enjoyability Grade: B If you like intensity, then yeah.
Overall Grade: B + A real good drama from ’65.
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