The Hill

How is it possible that such a brilliant, remarkable film won only a handful of awards and has passed into relative obscurity over the years? It includes some of the finest, most committed and powerful acting you will ever see from superb British stalwarts such as Harry Andrews (truly powerful), Sean Connery, Ian Bannen, Michael Redgrave, Ian Hendry (genuinely vicious), Alfred Lynch, et al. Everyone involved is outstanding and it is brilliantly directed. It simply never ceases to amaze me that so few people know of this film. It is deemed so minor that it fails even to get a mention on the page of the IMDb biography for the great Sidney Lumet (http://www.imdb.com/news/ni9436556/) which says it all really yet accurately mirrors the movie's strange obscurity. You won't see many better, more coruscating and more believable films than The Hill. Unquestionably 5-stars.

Sidney Lumet is one of my favorite directors. His films sometimes have weak plots or poor dialogue, but he always elicits superb performances from his cast, and seems to encourage them to really dig into the characters. This film is no exception. "The Hill" features top-notch performances from the entire cast in a gritty anti-war film with a unique perspective - it's filmed in a British Army prison camp. It raises the issues of racism, indolence, sadistic camp guards, a failed bureaucracy, and ultimately, the actions of true non-conformists and their treatment by a class-driven society. Connery took a 180-degree turn from James Bond at just the right time in his career, and proves he's a great actor without the babes and the gadgets. Lumet makes one of his tightest films, from the script and camera work through to the final editing. Although not always pleasant to watch, a definite 10...one of the finest anti-war films made.

Sidney Lumet directed this stark military drama set in a North African military prison, where five new prisoners arrive to face the harsh conditions imposed on them by the authorities(played with varying sympathy by Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, & Ian Hendry) Sean Connery plays Trooper Joe Roberts,the leader of this group of prisoners, whose crimes run the range from theft to insubordination. All prisoners are forced to repeatedly climb an artificial hill in the middle of camp under the fierce desert sun, which of course will lead to some heatstroke and death. Joe does what can to retain his self-respect, and fight back against any abuse... Powerful film isn't that easy to sit through at times, and its quick editing style is certainly different, leading to an abrupt and bleak ending. Still, the performances are superb, and film memorable, if little-known.