DIRECTED BY: Peter Weir

WRITTEN BY: Peter Weir, David Williamson

MEL GIBSON AS: Frank Dunne

GENRE: Drama, History, War

TAGLINES:

- Peter Weir’s film of … Gallipoli

- From a place you never heard of, comes story you’ll never forget.

- 75 years after the landing at Gallipoli, a major motion picture returns to the big screen.

- From a place you’ve never heard of, comes a story you’ll never forget.

PLOT SUMMARY:

Gallipoli is Australian director Peter Weir’s (The Truman Show, Witness) story of how the irresistible lure of adventure and the unknown, combined with national pride, bring two young men (Mel Gibson and Mark Lee) together in the Australian army in 1915. They cross continents and great oceans, climb pyramids and walk through the ancient sands of Egypt to join their regiment at the fateful battle of Gallipoli. The echoes of history blend with the friends’ compelling destiny as they become part of a legendary World War 1 confrontation between Australia and the German allied Turks- a battle that is to Australians what the Alamo is to Americans. –Amazon

RELEASE DATES:

1981 August 7 (Australia)
1981 August 28 (USA)
1981 December 10 (UK)
1982 January 14 (Argentina)
1982 March 2 (West Germany)
1982 April 9 (Sweden)
1982 May 14 (Finland)
1983 March 4 (Philippines)

TRIVIA:

- The movie was initially to be made by the South Australian Film Corporation who were the original team behind the production. However, they withdrew support for the film over creative differences over the script. However, the movie was still partially filmed in South Australia: the Gallipoli Peninsula was filmed at Port Lincoln whilst the market sequence was also filmed in South Australia at a fish market.

- Producers advertised for 400 skilled male horse riders for the movie, yet only 200 turned up for shooting. The remaining 200 horse riders in the movie were women, dressed to look as men.

- Cameo: David Williamson, the writer, is the tall dark haired football player who gets tackled hard when the soldiers play football in Egypt.

- Carries the disclaimer: “Although based on events which took place on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915, the characters portrayed in this film are entirely fictitious.”

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