The Hill (1965) User Reviews

Not really a war film, but...

[dfranzen70 · 8/10 · 23 June 2014]

The Hill is a brutal film to watch. It stars a (relatively) young Sean Connery as he attempts to avoid being typecast as James Bond and features recognizable British actors in support. It's a psychological thriller set in a prison camp for court-martialed British soldiers, a rugged, terrifying camp run by a ruthless sergeant-major, played by Harry Andrews.

Connery is Joe Roberts, in the klink for slugging a superior officer after refusing to (re)enter the field of battle (his squad was hopelessly outnumbered and outflanked; see also Paths of Glory). Roberts is tossed in a cell with fellow cons George Stevens (Alfred Lynch), Jacko King (Ossie Davis), Monty Bartlett (Roy Kinnear), and Jock McGrath (Jack Watson), who alternately resent and respect Roberts' actions.

The hill of the title is a steep, sandy incline in the middle of the Sahara, where the camp's located. Convicts are tasked with double-timing it up one side and down the other, carrying a loaded backpack and their kit, or duffel bag. And then back again. The hill is used as a way for RSM Wilson (Andrews) to break them, to make them into real soldiers again.

Trouble arises when Wilson's second in command, Staff Sergeant Williams (Ian Hendry) badgers one of the convicts so relentlessly that the man dies, thus kicking the battle of wits between prisoner and gatekeeper to an entirely new level. And this is where we really begin to see the unvarnished war of man versus man, as Wilson and Williams strain to break not only Roberts but also his cellmates.

Connery is really fantastic as the strong-willed Roberts, and Wilson – who played plenty of authoritarian, stiff-backed British characters, is his equal. It's good to see Connery in a movie that transcends his sex appeal and his association with a certain superspy. Filmed in stark black and white (as black and white tends to be), The Hill is near the apex of psychological war films.

A Mound For Punishment

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 22 May 2009]

One of Sean Connery's personal favorites among his movies is The Hill. He had high hopes for its success and that it would break him out of the James Bond mold. Unfortunately the movie going public wanted more James Bond and less Sean Connery at this point.

The Hill is close to a perfect masterpiece of characterization and cinematography. Director Sidney Lumet opted for black and white in making The Hill and I think it enhances the stark surroundings of the British military stockade in North Africa. These are really the forgotten people of World War II.

If Sean Connery could have gotten a chance for a Dirty Dozen type mission from the British army he would have taken it. His character is very similar to Charles Bronson's from that film. Bronson was an officer, Connery a sergeant major, Bronson shot, Connery struck a superior with extremely good cause, but their respective armies didn't see it that way.

So now Sean is in a cell with four other prisoners all of varying character, Roy Kinnear, Ossie Davis, Jack Watson, and Alfred Lynch. Norman Bird is the commandant, but the camp is really run as in all armies by the Sergeant-Major Harry Andrews. Andrews has a special punishment for the prisoners, called The Hill; a specially constructed mound of sand about 200 feet high where they have to run up and down it with field pack in the desert heat.

Andrews has the assistance of Staff Sergeant Ian Hendry who has his own sadistic bent quite apart from military punishment. When one of Connery's cell-mates dies from punishment, all hell threatens to break loose.

One of the things that attracted Sean Connery to this film according to the Citadel Film series book on his work was the fact that it was unlike James Bond, no glamorous locations, no fancy wardrobe and absolutely no romance. This would give him the chance to show he could be something other than James Bond.

Connery got rave reviews for playing former Sergeant Major Joe Roberts in The Hill and the rest of the cast Sidney Lumet assembled did likewise. Unfortunately the film failed at the box office. Connery remarked that without his name on it, this would have been an art house special limited release type of work. But the public only wanted to see James Bond and it wasn't until The Anderson Tapes that Sean Connery finally got great reviews in a film that did well at the box office as well as the critics.

Over 40 years after it was released The Hill now is considered a cinema masterpiece. Besides Connery my favorite performances are from Michael Redgrave as the medical officer who's not a strong man, but steps to the plate when his duty is clear and from Ossie Davis as a cynical black soldier who finally grows tired of the institutional racism he finds and 'leaves' the army. You won't forget them, Connery or The Hill once you see it.

"I am going to report this entire incident!"

[thinker1691 · 8/10 · 28 June 2007]

It isn't often Sean Connery makes a film which becomes more memorable than his efforts to make it. Such is the way with a few he decided not mention in his filmography, such as "Safu." You must see it to realize that despite Connery, the film must have a true message. Such is the case with "The Hill." This film does have a message and it is harsh, brutal and to the point. The setting is a British military prison located in the desert and stocked with ex-soldiers who've been court martialed and now must be repatriated by backbreaking discipline, and grim punishment. With inmates coming and going at the prison, it is not too difficult to imagine a new lot which includes Joe Roberts (Sean Connery) a broken Sgt. Major. Pvt. Jacko King (Ossie Davis, who is superb in this role) Pvt. Alfred Lynch, (George Stevens) Pvt. Monty Bartlett (Roy Kinnear) and Pvt. Jock McGrath (Jack Watson). These men and others are new inmates and are pitted against the ruling officers who, will receive as much as they give. This includes the governing Non-commission staff like, Royal Sgt. Major Bert Wilson (Harry Andrews, superb acting) and Sgt. Harris (Ian Bannen) who despite their station are set to collide with each other as well as with the prisoners. Upon entering the prison, the audience is allowed to see how the men will be affected as they are introduced to the punishing ordeal of . . . The Hill. ****

Breathtaking - no-nonsense Lumet goes to desert prison.

[Dewey-5 · 8 September 1998]

Stark images, powerful script and performances, and rapid, sharp editing make this film difficult to forget. Director Sidney Lumet stamps his authority on the movie with a style that is gritty, almost documentary -like. The quick cuts are precise, like the snap of the salutes and the bark of the NCO's. Beyond Lumet's towering presence, there is a likeable performance from a young Ossie Davis, an excellent early non-Bond performance from Sean Connery, and Harry Andrews' Sargeant-Major is a remarkable creation - a little man whose job is to destroy these misfits on behalf of a system that will not tolerate individuals.

This remarkable film stays in the mind long after viewing for me, mainly because it announces early on that it is not an easy picture, and like early Frankenheimer, it's aggressive style stands out from the norm. It is a quintessential sixties picture - a time when experiments in style could be taken seriously - not just a smirky in-jokes or cartoonish roller -coaster rides. Exhilarating nonetheless.

AN UNKNOWN CLASSIC

[DD-931 · 10/10 · 8 December 2001]

I can't think of a film less appreciated than this one. The tragedy of THE HILL began with its horribly botched release in 1965 - a textbook example of studio stupidity. On the other side of the equation, film purists who were worshipping at the alter of goofs like Godard's "Alphaville" turned up their noses at this movie because it starred the "lightweight" commercial actor Sean Connery. Jesus wept.

It is absolutely amazing that this movie is so uncompromisingly British while being directed by the so-called "New York" director Sidney Lumet. The man's a genius. And less you wonder, I lived for three years in England (1966-69) and am a World War II buff, so I have reason to testify to its authenticity. And for Sean Connery, at the height of his popularity (He was the Number One box office draw the year this movie came out), to play the character of SGT. Joe Roberts, sans toupee, and without the typical "movie star out" for his character - see the movie and compare it to THE LAST CASTLE, and you'll know what I mean - is nothing short of stunning.

Can you tell I love this movie? There's not a false moment in it. And the acting! Besides Connery, there are great performances by Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, Ian Hendry, Ossie Davis...and oh yeah, every other person in the cast. Is it hard to understand the accents sometimes? Sure. But it's nothing that can't be overcome by simply paying attention when you watch this film.

And what does this movie say about the military mindset, the lust for power, racism, the duality of heroism and cowardice, the dangers of unquestioning loyalty, and more? A whole helluva lot more than 99% of the other movies - and theatrical plays - that you'll ever see.

I'll just finish by saying you are missing so much if you don't see this movie. You'll come out of it seeing things a little differently than you ever did before. And that's all you can possibly ask from a movie.

Come on, people. Let's get in the votes on THE HILL to get it into the IMDB Top 250 movie list. My vote: a 10.

Gritty prison drama, superbly acted by all.

[tully-2 · 10/10 · 9 January 1999]

"The Hill" is the first of five films Sean Connery made with Sidney Lumet, and is one of the best, largely because it focuses on ensemble acting, and because each of the actors are up to the task.

The film is set in a North African prison camp during World War II, where a group of five inmates (Connery, Ossie Davis, Roy Kinnear, Alfred Lynch and Jack Watson) have just been assigned. The Sergeant-Major who runs things at the camp (Harry Andrews) has a novel theory about rehabilitation -- break down the wills of the inmates by repeatedly running them up and down a sandy hill built in the middle of the compound, then rebuild them as model soldiers. Despite the martinet-type attitude, Connery and each of his fellow inmates begins to rebel against Andrews and his new, sadistic assistant (Ian Hendry), culminating in the death of one of the inmates and the consequent attempt to cover up the incident.

In black-and-white, Lumet has done a remarkable job of giving the location the feel of hell-on-earth, and his noted ability to work with actors is visible here. Connery is excellent in the second-best performance of his career (the best was his 1973 performance in "The Offence", also with Lumet directing) as a career soldier whose not all that certain that the Army's outdated discipline is worth anything. Equally good performances are turned in by Davis as a West Indian soldier who takes the racist barbs of his jailers and rebels in his own, unique way; Watson as a brutish inmate who begins to develop a conscience; Ian Bannen as a sympathetic guard; Lynch as a sensitive man not meant for the army or jail; Andrews; and Michael Redgrave as the ineffectual doctor who finds courage at the crucial moment.

Probably the best performance, however, is turned in by Hendry as the deeply insecure, sadistic loose cannon of a guard who truly sets events in motion. At once, his performance is villanous, but with an edge of immaturity that makes it almost difficult to hate him -- until the end when the other characters really begin to appreciate just how dangerous he is.

Unfortunately, this film was ignored by the Oscars -- a tragedy especially from some actors who have/had generally been ignored by the Academy and other awards groups (i.e., Connery, Hendry, Andrews, Davis). It did, however, win an award at the Cannes Film Festival for Ray Rigby's superb screenplay.

You may need to listen close to pick up some of the dialogue, but by all means, see it if you get the chance.

Lumet's Brutal Masterpiece

[Ziglet_mir · 10/10 · 16 March 2011]

Just a few short moments ago, my life was changed. There is something to be said of plays brought to the silver screen because when they are done well they bring an aura and energy that regular films just don't have. Lumet was someone who understood this, and it is very clear how he cherishes the energy of the stage. Not only does Lumet transfer this energy to the silver screen, but he does it without losing any of it. The two mediums of film and theater are very different in that one is quite literally alive and has actions that are never repeated the exact same way twice while the other medium perhaps has the comfort of monotony and repetitious energy. Take a moment to consider this.

Sidney Lumet's "The Hill" is absolutely riveting and I'm finding it very hard to type. Quite honestly, I am still shaking from the stunning and sheer horrifying matter that I have just laid eyes upon. "The Hill" is a gritty war/prison film that'll have you invested in no time. Some scenes will have you frustrated, others will have your heart pumping. You will feel trapped like the characters. Heck! Take it from Connery who says "Even the screws are doing time."

Sidney Lumet has created one of the greatest climactic sequences between the morality of man and the amazing struggle for one's freedom against all odds. Harry Andrews and Ian Hendry are the epitome of terrifying brutality while Ian Bannen is fantastic as the sympathetic other. It is a shame as to why this film is not better known because it really should be. "The Hill" deserved and still deserves so much more recognition.

Mr. Lumet, who many filmgoers never seem to talk about beyond his 4-5 "classics and seem to always have under the shadow of Scorsese, has given the world another masterpiece. "The Hill," without a doubt, belongs in the category of 'best films ever made' along with his most well known classic, "12 Angry Men." Everything down to the acting and intense claustrophobia of the setting, makes this an unforgettable experience.

EDIT: Just watched it again...

Holy moly. The entire ensemble deserves a standing ovation. I am still dumbfounded as to why this diamond of diamonds was never recognized by the awards. But who needs the awards? This film is a masterpiece. Hands down.

Head for 'The Hill'!

[sandnair87 · 9/10 · 27 August 2015]

Sidney Lumet's The Hill is a stark, uncompromising look at the inside of a British military prison in North Africa during WW II. The all-male film, based on Ray Rigby's autobiographical play, is about the brutal mistreatment of prisoners by the screws at a stockade for court-martialed British soldiers.

The titular 'hill' is a monstrous man-made pile of sand seared by the blazing sun, to be used as a means of punishment in the blistering heat. A sadistic martinet Major Bert Wilson (Harry Andrews) runs the show here with an aim to break the soldier-prisoners down and then build them up to return as soldiers. His fascist method of discipline is to have the inmates clambering with full kit in the heat up and down the dreaded hill even if they are exhausted, as part of a punishment designed more to break a man's spirit rather than provide corrective treatment. The screenplay puts the spotlight on a new bunch of five new prisoners, one of whom is the hard-mouthed tank-man Roberts (Sean Connery). Together, they form an eclectic mix but all have one thing in common: they are terrorized by Sergeant Williams (Ian Hendry), a particularly sadistic new guard chosen by Major Wilson, who relishes the task of marching the men up and down the hill and watching them suffer. When Williams goes too far and causes the death of on the five men due to heat stroke, it sparks off a mutiny and Roberts decides to lodge a charge of murder against Williams. The stage is thus set for a dramatic and riveting confrontation, thrusting the drama to its bruising, ironic end.

In this long and unrelenting documentation of life in a military stockade, Sidney Lumet comes up with the sobering revelation that inhumanity is not unique with the enemy, in his own inimitable style. The cinematography is superlative as Oswald Morris shoots the film in monochromatic hues, making you feel parched from minute one. The acting is also top-notch. Harry Andrews is devastating as the sergeant major that runs the camp - a taut, controlled administrator who is a professional military man and Ian Hendry is brilliantly sinister as the evil sergeant who precipitates the crisis. Connery tears up the screen as the rebellious inmate, giving an intelligently restrained performance, carefully avoiding forced histrionics. Ossie Davis gets some of the best scenes and plays them superbly.

'The Hill' is a harsh, sadistic and brutal entertainment, made without any concessions to officialdom - among the best of the sub-genre has to offer.

A Hard Climb.

[AaronCapenBanner · 7/10 · 10 November 2013]

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.

Maybe Connery's Best

[ewarn-1 · 8/10 · 25 June 2006]

Gritty emotional story of men being subjected to ill treatment at a British Army disciplinary camp in the desert. Human drama is of interest to anyone who has been a cog in a corporate machine, not just a veteran. Symbolic of human defiance in the face of rigid rules and inconsiderate authority.

Excellent cast takes every opportunity of limited time frame to give their characters amazing depth. Every character is fully realized and recognizable by anyone who has a few tough life experiences.

Naturally as good as the other actors are, the focus will always be on Connery's screen presence. Here he seems to be portraying his true personality, his face never suited Bond as much. Tough, self respecting and self disciplined sergeant who resolves not to lose his dignity in the face of harsh cruelty. This is an amazing performance, and it's too bad we don't use men like this as role models in modern American society.

As good as the performances are, the best thing about this film is the photography---check out the 360 degree camera movement during the opening sequence. It's a masterpiece which is rare to see even today.

Enthralling Psychological Drama But Everything Collapses At The End

[Theo Robertson · 7/10 · 8 December 2010]

I remembered seeing THE HILL a couple of times since childhood and have enjoyed it immensely . It is quiet rightly regarded as Connery's best ever performance as Joe Roberts . There is a train of thought that Connery's star status begins and ends with Bond . This is slightly unfair . One can imagine Connery wanting to do everything he can to escape the Bond mantle which unfortunately led to him appearing in some bizarre film choices over the years . But if anyone thinks Connery is not worth watching in anything apart from a Bond movie this film along with THE OFFENCE also directed by Sidney Lumet and featuring Ian Bannen in a supporting role might change their minds

It's certainly a product of its time . Set in a military prison in North Africa during the war it would have struck a cord with its contemporary audience . National service was abolished in Britain in 1960 which meant any male older than their mid 20s would have recognised the strict military discipline on show . Likewise a middle aged man in his mid 40s would have been a participant in the war . This doesn't necessarily date the film but it does have a rather 1960s zeitgeist to it where social and political barriers were being broken down in Western civilisation . This was after all the decade where people became more and more questioning about every institution on Earth

Where the film does succeed is as an acting tour de force for the entire cast . Everyone is good but the two stand out performances are by Harry Andrews as RSM Wilson who spends the entire film barking out orders which is not a criticism and is to British cinema what Gunnery Sgt Hartman is to American cinema , and yes I know FULL METAL JACKET is often classed as a " British Film " but you know what I mean . The other stand out is Ian Bannen as Sgt Harris a firm but fair NCO who some people on this page would consider being a latent homosexual but this probably reading too much in to his character . It is certainly a multi layered performance

After seeing THE HILL again recently I have noticed where the film doesn't succeed - and it is a very big fault - is that the characterisation often trips itself up especially when it leads to the climax . There's very little incitement for Jock McGrath to side with Roberts especially with the consequences involved . The climax itself becomes over wrought with melodrama where Roberts may or may not be transferred to hospital but everything is written , directed and acted as if the fate of the entire universe is at stake which makes for an implausible and disappointing ending

You're a clever bag of tricks, you are, Roberts.

[hitchcockthelegend · 9/10 · 15 November 2015]

Hot and sweaty, bold and brutal, Sidney Lumet's The Hill is a tour de force of incarceration based cinema. Story has five new inmates sent to a North African based British Army Prison, the centre piece of which is a manufactured hill that is used as a punishment tool. The new recruits, headed by Joe Roberts (Sean Connery), quickly fall foul of the superiors, especially the venomous Staff Sergeant Williams (Ian Hendry), but these boys wont take it lying down...

With no music and Oswald Morris' monochrome photography ensuring atmosphere is perpetually claustrophobic, the harsh edges of the story strike hard. Be it overt bullying by those in charge - pushing men evidently too far - or racism, Lumet melds everything together superbly for harsh viewing experience, tightening the screws every quarter of film. Come the shattering conclusion it's a merciful release for the viewers, a chance to start breathing properly again, even if your mind is ablaze with a number of thoughts.

This is very much an actors picture, which seems a given since it's adapted by Ray Rigby from his own play, but a mightily strong cast do sterling work with the tinderbox screenplay. Ossie Davis, Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, Roy Kinnear, Alfred Lynch and Michael Redgrave fill out the other key roles, each giving their characters vivid depth without resorting to histrionics and scenery chewing. Which of course is a testament to Lumet's skills as a director of actors.

Slow burning intensity bristles with the corrosive nature of machismo fuelled authority, an unforgettable film and highly recommended to those who have not sampled it yet. 9/10

Stunning photography and acting, and great humanist intentions

[secondtake · 7/10 · 4 November 2020]

The Hill (1965)

I watched this mostly because I was curious about movies made with Sean Connery in his early years. And I was surprised at how vigorous this movie was. It's a very male movie (the only woman who vaguely appears seems to be for the pleasure of one of the men's pleasure) and it has a lot of sweat and exhaustion and shouting. This isn't bad-rather, it's defining. The movie is about a very physical survival mode required in a military prison camp made for rehabilitation of "bad" soldiers.

And one of these soldiers is Connery, who comes with some kind of heroic history that makes the camp commanders determined to break him soon. Another is played by Ossie Davis, a Black actor with an acting lineage going back to Sidney Portier. This group of soldiers is made to climb "the hill," a fabricated mound in the middle of the camp where the heat and effort wear the men down.

So it becomes a battle of right and wrong (the soldiers being right, whatever their mistakes in the past). And a fight of personalities-not only between the camp officers and the prisoners, but between prisoners and even between the camp officers, who vary from malicious and sadistic to good hearted with a torn conscience.

The movie works. It partly succeeds from how its acted (with intensity) and filmed (with lots of gritty close-ups and hard lighting). The director, Sidney Lumet, has an interest in being "serious" and yet still attract a large audience. There were a few directors like him in this period (like John Frankenheimer) and their movies are always interesting. I think "The Hill" is far too much of a contrivance, however. It starts on its path of conflict and simply escalates and intensifies. There is a moral guidance all along that makes you get involved, emotionally, but you know that you're in a set up, a kind of modernist playright's trap.

I have to put a plug in for Oswald Morris in charge of cinematography. He has other great credits, like "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" and "Sleuth" which are gorgeously filmed, and here he almost makes the film. Imagine (if you see it) that this was done in a more factual manner, with more distance from the faces, and maybe a sense of editing that made the facts clear but not emphatic. Morris makes it impossible to not feel the trauma.

Which brings us back to the acting-Morris again (with Lumet pointing) makes the intensity of the acting take on relevance and conviction. It's all affecting.

If only the whole arc of things wasn't quite so inevitable and unimaginative. I guess sometimes life is exactly as shown.

An overbearing, nasty little film, scarcely redeemed by great acting.

[hypercritical · 5/10 · 3 May 2001]

For those who enjoy or are edified by being shouted at for close to two hours, I can highly recommend this film. In spite of excellent acting and rather artistic, monochrome camera work, the principal characters are all so petty, vile, obnoxious, or pathetic (while nevertheless failing to evoke sympathy), as to make watching it a weary chore, which left this viewer feeling disappointed and soiled by the time it was over. Add to this the fact that much of the dialog is delivered at the top of the actors' lungs, and accompanied by much heel-clicking and similar military flummery, and the whole experience feels like a week in boot camp - enough to exhaust you, but not enough to put any muscle on you.

As I recall, the original release of this film met with high critical acclaim and general public disdain. The public was right.

Brilliantly acted & directed, a searing, 5-star film. Criminally overlooked,

[SirSidneyRuffDiamond · 10/10 · 10 April 2011]

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.

Sean Connery's finest hour?

[rwblah · 10/10 · 12 December 2001]

In which Connery doesn't get to cop off with the customary harem of beach babes, doesn't get to save the world and more importantly gets his butt kicked by Ian Hendry! Sidney Lumet seasons Ray Rigby's claustrophobic screenplay with some stunning black and white cinematography (reminiscent of his earlier masterpiece '12 Angry Men') and then bakes it in about 6 million degrees of scorching desert sun. The story of five squaddies holed up in a military stockade at the tail end of WW11 is as preoccupied with examining political conflict within British society (through the interactions of the microcosmic cell mates) as it is with presenting a taut, compelling psychodrama. The allegorical tone of the movie is never clumsy or heavy handed though and Lumet keeps the narrative on the rails every step of the way. The dialogue crackles with blunt barrack room banter and black humour throughout perfectly offsetting the grim circumstances the prisoners find themselves in. Roy Kinnear, Ossie Davis and Ian Hendry (as a deranged martinet of a prison guard) all deserve special mention but the film surely belongs to Connery who stumbles 'bruised, battered and scarred but hard' through to the bitter climax with an extraordinary kind of dignity as he rails against the brutal injustices of 'the system'! It is a truly unmissable picture if only for Connerys' star turn but don't take my word for it. Check it out now.

Compulsive viewing

[graham-turner · 9/10 · 13 April 2015]

One of the best movies ever made. Compelling story of inmates in a army prison during World War 2. New arrivals have to deal with the heat, a rigid regime and a new Staff guard eager to make a name for himself. A masterclass in character driven drama that makes all action driven, over the top, stunt laden, explosion filled, car-chasing, fight filled flicks pale into insignificance. Sean Connery's best with Ian Bannen, Harry Andrews, Ian Hendry et al all on top notch form. Special mention to Ossie Davis with a sparkling performance. Some people may be put off by the Britishness of it all, but the conflict and the tension is multi-lingual in its hostility of human discord.

'We're all doing time, even the screws'

[Duey · 23 March 2000]

This was one of the most poinant lines of the film, neatly summarising the general mood and feeling of the characters.

A lot of people think that this is an anti-war film, which to some degree it is. More accurately, however, it could be labelled an anti-army film. Interestingly enough both views could be maintained without there being any real warfare displayed on the screen. This is a measure of how powerful the film is.

The fighting which we see is actually between the various prison officers and convicts. The film does not simply divide them into opposing groups, but rather explores the differences and tensions between the people who are in power and those who are subject to it.

Like 'Full Metal Jacket', many years later, this movie is a condemnation of the dehumanising process soldiers are forced to go through in order to survive the army. Military prison, as we learn, is a further step down into the merciless and brutal world of the army.

If 'The Hill' was made today, the violence we see would undoubtedly be more explicit and obvious. However, this does not take away anything from the original , as it is the mental torture more than the physical suffering which is portrayed so well in Lumet's work.

It has aged fairly well, mainly due to the accomplished and original way the film is shot and the script is written. Camera angles to induce feelings of dominance, claustrophobia and pressure are utilised perfectly as are the varying degrees of light and dark contrast which accentuates the blazing sun. Every actor is well cast and gives well judged performances, most career bests. Those that stand out are Bannen, Hendry, Connery and Andrews.

At the core of the film is the struggle between Andrews and Bannen's respective characters for ultimate authority in the prison. The bittersweet ending shows that Andrews' charcter, although shaken, will still reign in the hellhouse of a military prison.

Superb, thought provoking film, that rewards the viewer for staying with it as the powerful ending is reached.

A tremendous film forgotten by time

[A_Roode · 9/10 · 25 February 2006]

One of moviedom's many scandals is that this excellent, excellent film isn't available on DVD (yet). I don't understand what the reasoning is but I hope that 'The Hill' will eventually get the recognition and release that it deserves. Hey, I'll buy a copy! Less a war film and more a prison drama, 'The Hill' of the title is based at a military prison in the deserts of Libya. It is used as a disciplinary tool. Do what you're told or you'll march up and down the hill in full gear until you become more ... pliable to the orders of the guards. I won't give anything away but when the marching becomes too much for a group of new prisoners, the film really picks up and a tragic set of events begin to unfold.

The cast is tremendous with great performances from Sean Connery, Ossie Davis (excellent!), Harry Andrews, Ian Hendry and Ian Bannen. I'm a great fan of Ian Bannen's and he has rarely been better than he is in 'The Hill.' The same could be said for the rest of the actors I've named.

The depth of the film is impressive and it considers the quality and characteristics of leadership among its many themes. What makes a good leader? Is it more effective to yell and then yell louder or to win hearts and minds in order to get what you want? This is a film with great application to everyday life for anyone who is trying to man-manage anything (be you Donald Trump, a small business owner or the head of a household). Not to be missed!

Give Me a Full Mutiny

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 16 December 2019]

Anyone who's ever ran track and field or played football probably knows of a hill they dread. Jerry Rice used to run a certain hill to get in shape for football. Hills all over the world are run and hiked in order to strengthen men and women everywhere. "The Hill" is such a hill.

The Hill is about a military prison in the middle of North Africa. In the middle of this prison is about a fifty-foot man made hill of sand. To punish/break the prisoners the commanding officers would have the prisoners run up and down this hill repeatedly in full uniform, laden with gear in the hot African sun. One particular officer was especially sadistic and drunk with power. He went well overboard in his torture of his charges. Plus, he was backed up by the top ranking officer in the prison, so that made him double secure in acting with impunity with his charges.

Joe Roberts (Sean Connery) was not the lying-down-and-take-a-beating type. He was willing to speak truth to power even if it was the British Army he joined and even if it meant being further tormented.

If you hate loud mouth oppressors then this movie will get a rise out of you. My blood boiled watching the abuse and bigotry coming from the "gentlemen" of the British Army. I was all to glad to see Staff Sergeant Williams (Ian Hendry) get his just desserts at the end. I don't know what kind of prisoners those men were but I doubt they deserved the treatment they got. If only there could've been a full mutiny.

Connery really stretched out in this one...

[dexter-3 · 10/10 · 9 December 1998]

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.

Potent and riveting prison drama

[shakercoola · 7/10 · 13 December 2020]

A British drama; A story about five British soldiers confined to a military prison camp during the Second World War, where a sadistic sergeant subjects the inmates to cruel treatment and they seize an opportunity to challenge the system. It deals with themes such as class, race and the abuse of power which come under rigorous examination, and superbly directed by Sidney Lumet who characteristically stimulates the audience. The script is thought provoking. This is a tour de force, a drama which reaches boiling point in the third act with a brilliant performance from its lead, Sean Connery and great support from Harry Andrews.

"Abu Ghraib and the Stanford experiment collide!"

[dgrahamwatson · 10/10 · 7 June 2006]

The Hill is obviously a movie that would interest former military personal, WWII movie buffs and Sean Connery fans. However, anybody interested to see some fine British character actors would not be disappointed with this too. There is Harry Andrews who is in his element playing a strutting disciplinarian Sergeant-Major in a British Military prison during WWII. Ian Hendry who probably never played a more nasty role, Ian Bannen as Staff Sgt Harris, Ossie Davis, Alfred Lynch, Roy Kinnear, Michael Redgrave and Jack Watson all in support.

We are introduced to Sgt Major Bert Wilson played by Harry Andrews a tough as nails squared jawed career army man who takes pride in straightening out soldiers who have got out of line. A few months in his stockade and he will make new men of you, "fit to be in his majesties army",this is clear from the debriefing he gives to two soldiers about to be discharged from his custody. Also, he does not care for the commandant at the camp who he regards as a desk jockey and nothing but a symbolic position. He is really in charge of what goes on in the camp, he's respected by many of the inmates as tough but fair, this is made clear later in the film.

However, with the intake of trooper Roberts a busted down Sgt Major (disobeyed a direct order and struck a superior officer) and a black soldier he lets his personal feelings and racial prejudice get the better of him. Wilson does things by the book and loathes Roberts also a career soldier who he thinks lets down everybody and undermines everything the army stands for. Jako King is a colored soldier who he thinks is not fit to were the uniform of a British soldier, uncivilized etc. He makes it clear that he plans to break and humiliate Roberts and make him pay, so he passes them over to the supervision of Staff Sgt Williams to drill Roberts, King and the others over a huge man made hill of sand.

Staff Sgt Williams is a sadist who revels in dishing out the indignities to the men now under his supervision. He also takes exception to Roberts who would normally be barking out orders, so Williams takes the opportunity to stick it to a former superior officer. He's a bully and a coward too because he can't deal with people on equal terms but only when the odds are heavily stacked in his favor i.e. the beating he hands out to Roberts while two other staffs are holding him down and his persistent tormenting of Stevens who unlike Roberts is too frightened to stand up to him. Pvt Stevens who perhaps reminds him of his own shortcomings, is weak and totally unsuited to the army. He is way over his head in a military stockade and so Williams singles him out in particular.

There is a scene at night when the conditions are cooler,Staff Williams stripped to the waist can only manage run up the hill 3 times before finding it all too much. Despite his obvious physical inadequacies he still drives the prisoners up and down again and again during the midday heat with them wearing full kit and battle fatigues until they are on the verge of exhaustion and heat stroke.

Also there is Staff Sgt Harris who despises Williams and his methods but can't do anything because he is considered too soft by Sgt-Major Wilson. Lastly, the chief medical officer played by Michael Redgrave. Often in military or prison movies the medical officer either is respected and prepared to confront a superior officer on medical grounds or alternatively they are weak and useless. In this film he leans to the later as his medical is - "turn you head and cough, ------ OK fit for punishment!". He opts for the quiet life and really couldn't be bothered! Things had got well out of control before he started to assert himself and even then he was trying to save his own skin.

In movies such as TAKE THE HIGH GROUND, FULL METAL JACKET and OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN Richard Widmark, J. Lee Emery and Louis Gossett Jr's characters respectively, were mean SOB's who may have singled people out and even crossed the line, but they did what they did for a reason, not because they liked seeing people suffer.

In the famous STANFORD EXPERIMENT in the 1970's after a few days it was called off because the jailers started to enjoy giving orders as well as punishing the prisoners. Jailers need a chain of command and close supervision too, in this movie it's an interesting character study of when things get out of hand. Although there is no doubt that some real hard cases and rotten apples pass through these camps and probably deserve a difficult time, the staff supervising have to be disciplined too. Once they bring in their personal feelings or else start to enjoy their work too much, things start to break down. In addition it raises the spectacle that if personal grudges are held the jailers certainly have the upper hand!

In this case we have sympathy with the inmates who seem to be nothing but malcontents, misfits and chancers and we are led very quickly to have sympathy for Roberts who felt justified in his disobedience as his unit that he refused to lead was massacred. Also, the stress of war time conditions back in WWII on individuals that led to AOL, desertion or cowardice could now be described as post pneumatic stress disorder.

The black and white print gives it a cold harsh WWII feel and a claustrophobic setting as much of the dialog was inside. It's well written, with good directing, great camera angles and close up shots too. I'd certainly recommend this movie!

"We're all doing time. Even the screws."

[elvircorhodzic · 7/10 · 11 October 2017]

THE HILL is a war drama film about the torture in a British army prison in North Africa for soldiers who have been condemned to punishment by their own officers during Second World War. The brutality and sadism are not connected with the enemy, as well as discipline in military ranks. This is a kind of shameful punishment which slowly takes every last bit of humanity.

Five soldiers, of various affiliations, were brought in a British Army military prison in the Libyan Desert. They are convicted of service offenses and subjected to repetitive drill in the blazing desert heat. However, new prisoners come into conflict with the camp authorities. One new NCO guard who has also just arrived employs excessive punishments which further enhances their mutual conflicts...

Mr. Lumet has tried to introduce the audience in this film, through a special kind of torture. The highlight of the film comes together with a boiling point because, the torture takes one life. An ironic and somewhat irritating fight for bare life, which is salted with anything and everything comes after that. The structure of the story and direction are not different than most prison movies, but a realistic picture reinforces impressions. Characterization is not bad and is subordinate to the uncertainty and prison conditions.

Sean Connery as Joe Roberts is a former Squadron Sergeant Major convicted of assaulting his commanding officer. His obstinate look and a strong sense of justice have contributed to his good performance. Harry Andrews as Regimental Sergeant Major Bert Wilson is a cruel warden and irritating loudmouth who slowly loses control of the camp. Ian Hendry as Staff Sergeant Williams a sinister sergeant, who has a very strange attitude to the causes and consequences of his actions. Ossie Davis as Jacko King is perhaps the strongest character in this film, however, his behavior goes beyond issues.

This is certainly a realistic film, but with so much screaming and yelling is far from convincing.

Connery gives it star-power...

[moonspinner55 · 5/10 · 11 June 2005]

All-male cast trudges through intense, Kubrickesque prison camp melodrama filmed in moody black-and-white. Despite some powerful moments, it's an alternately bizarre and yet too-formulaic account of soldiers in a WWII British military prison in Africa. The thin plot is really nothing more than the standard introduction to--and dehumanization of--the new prison arrivals. Despite solid performances, the picture is intentionally repetitious, but nonetheless grueling. Thankfully, Sean Connery is around to give the proceedings some much-needed star-power; a cocky and cool captive, Connery elevates this from just another masochistic roundelay, yet his force as an actor (and as a vital star presence) isn't quite enough to make the movie truly worthwhile. ** from ****