The Hill (B+ or 3/4 stars)
Sidney Lumet directs a vivid (in black & white cinematography), uncompromising look at the inside of a British military prison in North Africa during WWII. The titular "Hill" is literally a sand mound built by prisoners to be used as a means of cruel punishment in the 100+ degree heat. A sadistic, racist Sergeant Major Wilson (Harry Andrews) runs the regiment; whose aim is to break the prisoners down & then build them up to return as soldiers. He only sees himself as a no-nonsense disciplinarian who is doing the right thing to turn these soldiers "into men!" again.
His method of discipline is to have the soldier/prisoners run with full kit in the heat up & down the hill even if they are drop-dead exhausted. There's also stunning verbal abuse, which does more to break a man's spirit than to treat as rehabilitation. Wilson's 2nd man in line is Sergeant Williams (Ian Hendry), a sadistic new guard who relishes watching them suffer as they march up & down the hill.
Among the newest prisoners are the following 5 men: Roberts (Sean Connery), who punched out his Commanding Officer rather than obey an order to lead his men on a suicide mission; black soldier, King (Ossie Davis), who drank whiskey from the officers' mess; Bartlett (Roy Kinnear), a marketeer who sold stolen army goods to civilians; Stevens (Alfred Lynch), who went AWOL to see his wife; & McGrath (Jack Watson), who was arrested for being drunk/fighting while on duty.
Looking for a promotion, Sgt. Williams callously & inadvertently causes the death of Stevens due to heat stroke. Enraged, Roberts leads a rebellion against the camp authorities that has awful consequences for everyone concerned. And we watch as the 5 prisoners gain the courage to fight back, while the Regiment's Medical Officer (Michael Redgrave) & the humane Staff Sergeant Harris (Ian Bannen) find themselves sympathizing with these prisoners.
The movie's highlights include: 1) the eye-opening way Ossie Davis's character reacts against the racism he's subjected to. 2) How Major Wilson stares down the prisoners attempting to riot after Stevens' death. 3) How he bellows his orders at both his staff & prisoners. 4) How the embittered Connery character displays verbal insolence in his stance as the voice of reason to expose the corrupt prison system.
I was just bowled over by Sidney Lumet's astute direction, the script's biting dialogue, the visceral plot, & especially the ensemble acting. Everyone wows. Sean Connery shows a restrained, yet intense side of him that you don't see with him as James Bond. Harry Andrews nearly blew me out of my seat with his verbal blows. Ian Hendry is wonderfully loathsome as Williams. Ian Bannen endeared me to the character of Harris. The aforementioned Ossie Davis, Alfred Lynch, et al ... they all impress. For a film lacking action, 'The Hill' is one riveting motion picture.
His method of discipline is to have the soldier/prisoners run with full kit in the heat up & down the hill even if they are drop-dead exhausted. There's also stunning verbal abuse, which does more to break a man's spirit than to treat as rehabilitation. Wilson's 2nd man in line is Sergeant Williams (Ian Hendry), a sadistic new guard who relishes watching them suffer as they march up & down the hill.
Among the newest prisoners are the following 5 men: Roberts (Sean Connery), who punched out his Commanding Officer rather than obey an order to lead his men on a suicide mission; black soldier, King (Ossie Davis), who drank whiskey from the officers' mess; Bartlett (Roy Kinnear), a marketeer who sold stolen army goods to civilians; Stevens (Alfred Lynch), who went AWOL to see his wife; & McGrath (Jack Watson), who was arrested for being drunk/fighting while on duty.
Looking for a promotion, Sgt. Williams callously & inadvertently causes the death of Stevens due to heat stroke. Enraged, Roberts leads a rebellion against the camp authorities that has awful consequences for everyone concerned. And we watch as the 5 prisoners gain the courage to fight back, while the Regiment's Medical Officer (Michael Redgrave) & the humane Staff Sergeant Harris (Ian Bannen) find themselves sympathizing with these prisoners.
The movie's highlights include: 1) the eye-opening way Ossie Davis's character reacts against the racism he's subjected to. 2) How Major Wilson stares down the prisoners attempting to riot after Stevens' death. 3) How he bellows his orders at both his staff & prisoners. 4) How the embittered Connery character displays verbal insolence in his stance as the voice of reason to expose the corrupt prison system.
I was just bowled over by Sidney Lumet's astute direction, the script's biting dialogue, the visceral plot, & especially the ensemble acting. Everyone wows. Sean Connery shows a restrained, yet intense side of him that you don't see with him as James Bond. Harry Andrews nearly blew me out of my seat with his verbal blows. Ian Hendry is wonderfully loathsome as Williams. Ian Bannen endeared me to the character of Harris. The aforementioned Ossie Davis, Alfred Lynch, et al ... they all impress. For a film lacking action, 'The Hill' is one riveting motion picture.