The Hill

Ray Rigby’s “The Hill" isn’t anti-war agitation. And nor is the film adaptation by Sidney Lumet. Thank god. It is “just" probably the best indictment of how antiquated the British Army was/is. The adaptation was outstandingly successful. Apart perhaps from Jacko King’s madness which is presented somehow weirdly hurriedly. Lumet’s directing excels even in the limited room of one sandy parade ground and one cell. The excellent experience is enhanced by the acting performances. The atmosphere of the heat, the hopeless situation and the humidity is so perfectly portrayed that not just the characters but the viewer finds himself sweating too. The Hill is simply unforgettable. I’m still amazed that they didn’t film the direct sequel, Hill of Sand, where the stories of the separate characters were wrapped up. On the other hand, this way the ending in the movie is somehow more disturbing. (01/07/2008)

The worldwide success of the film was not caused as much by Sidney Lumet's direction and the screenplay as by the cult literary source written by Ray Rigby, which sparked great discussions in Britain and became a bestseller. It is exceptional dramatic material that is not inherently anti-war, although there are many attacks on the military system and the film's protagonist ends up in cell number 8 ultimately because he refuses to carry out a senseless order to attack, which would mean the massacre of his unit. Rather, it is a film about the nature and abuse of any power that is not corrected by public control, and the film is thus more similar to the better classic prison dramas. The film is excellently cast and decently directed. It was a great acting opportunity for Sean Connery to break free from the Bond box. The psychological profile of each character and the resulting conflicts are interesting. Overall impression: 90%. (01/07/2008)

A gem polished by time and the furnace of hell. Sidney Lumet is good at this type of movie and this exhaustive and exhausting depiction of a military prison somewhere in the Libyan desert is one of his best. I’ve seen lots of prison movies, but this one goes one step further than the others. The Hill doesn’t show a prison, but a nightmare. If prisons today were like this, the homeless would think twice about stealing rolls from the supermarket and would choose to eat rats instead. Sean Connery excels, but so do all of the actors. No shortage of dry, British one-liners. A really powerful ending that stays with you even after the end. ...but the army is good for nothing if you don’t follow orders! (01/08/2013)

You'd prop up dead men and inspect them if you was ordered to! The Hill is an absolutely extraordinary film that (not only because of the ending) I will never forget. Sidney Lumet handled Rigby's premise brilliantly, and for my part, I have to say that he advanced the disturbing critical novel, which I read in one sitting, up another rung on the "riveting" scale. He succeeded, of course, thanks to the actors. Sean Connery delivers one of the best, if not the best, performance of his career here, and Harry "Major Wilson" Andrews is not the least bit flawed either, playing the principled psychopath in an admirable way that thankfully doesn't slip into cheap caricature. (02/03/2012)

A really powerful experience, enhanced mainly by the gloomy minimalist design and the popular environment of a prison, where roles automatically change and the prisoners become great heroes. And even though I was convinced that this equation had already been worked out in every possible way and could therefore surprise me with nothing, Lumet created a film so appealing and distinctive that I couldn't stop watching. A depressing and thought-provoking narrative, which, given its age, does not allow itself to go as far as it might have needed to, but still manages to immerse the viewer in its unflinching depiction of human cruelty even today. If Lumet had opted for colour and shortened the runtime by 15 minutes or so, it would have been a clear five-star affair. (07/23/2013)