The good stuff is good. The photography is beautiful - gorgeous in the way so many Aussie films are. The sets are terrific - the production design, costume, etc. Looks a treat.
I liked the acting. Grant Taylor, Peter Finch and Chips Rafferty are a fine trio - Finch much better than Pat Twohill. Full of culturally interesting touches.
A lot of the film's flaws were understandable. Such as:
* Opening scene at the homestead. You've got visuals, sheep, horses, etc. Set up Taylor and Pauline Garrick's history. Quite adult. Taylor a walking red flag. But... you could cut it out. Doesn't impact story. Betty Bryant was integral. Not Garrick. I'm sure Chauvel discussed maybe having an Italian woman character in the siege. That would've possibly been too melodramatic for how he wanted to do it. They should've just focused on the nurse romance. I would've kept Garrick stuff but had her die. Have Taylor coming home or going to visit and she carks it. So he's got a death wish. Would've given it some point.
* No progressive story. A scene of vignettes. You need a relationship to tie it together. Love story would've been fine. Kill Garrick and have the love story between the nurse... Taylor doesn't want to love again. Finch loves the nurse. Triangle. Problem though: they evacuated the nurses.
*Could have a rival within the camp. A Pole or Brit. They learn to respect each other. Maybe too late.
*I get desire to have comedy. But it clunks. Joe Valli alright. George Wallace not he looks so old.
*Make it clearer why the siege was important. Maybe this wasn't an issue in 1944. But surely it could have been dramatised? People preparing to evacuate Cairo or something? They could've dramatised a scene or two with the Germans, surely?
*The ending PNG sequence feels very tacked on, as it was. But apart from the photography it is memorable for one thing - when Taylor kills the Japanes soldier. They fight, he shoves the guy's head under water. Holds it there til the guy drowns. Brutal. Tough, Depicted uncompromisingly.
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