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Good story, Not enough for a whole film

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

So-so WW1 drama.The story of a unit of soldiers in the Australian Light Horse, fighting in the Sinai and Palestine in WW1. Given its historic context, it should be a decent war drama.However, it is rather lacklustre and amateurish. First problem is that this was made in 1940, ie during World War 2, so is first and foremost a propaganda movie. The empty patriotism and manipulation is laid on thick. The Australians are all fantastic, likable, soldiers. The Germans are all evil and inept. (Some respect is shown for the Turks, but this may be because Turkey was neutral in WW2).Then we have the random, out-of-place, lame speeches. Out of the blue some uneducated soldier from a country town starts pontificating on the meaning of life and war, etc.To make things worse, the writers and director manage to throw in an unlikely romance (no, it doesn't involve a horse...), just to make things really silly.Acting is fairly woeful, but that may be due to the script and direction.On the plus side, the battle scenes are good and you do get a good sense of the history and bravery involved.For a much better, more realistic and grittier depiction of the Australian Light Horse's exploits in the Sinai and Palestine in WW1, especially the Battle of Beersheba, watch "The Lighthorsemen" (1987) instead. A great movie.

Of course, since my dad passed away many years ago, I can't verify this. But I do remember him telling us kids that, as a member of the Australian Army Signals Corp, he and many of his fellow soldiers were recruited as horsemen to ride over the Kurnell sand hills as extras in this movie.Since this was filmed in 1941, Australia was already in the war. My Dad's was record shows his service in New Guinea as a Lieutenant in the signals corps. I also remember him telling me about how he was trained to ride a motor bike so, along with the horse riding his story about being an extra was probably something to do with preparing them for service overseas.If anybody that reads this is able to provide some verification that would be greatly appreciated.

Although filmed 60 years ago I cannot think of a more thrilling realisation on film of a massed cavalry assault. The scene, which is sustained for several minutes, recreats the WWI charge of the Australian light horse on the Turkish-held town of Beersheeba, Palestine, in 1917. This is generally accepted as the last successful cavalry charge in military history (typically some eggheads - probably Brits - quibble on whether it was a true cavalry charge because the Australians were armed with bayonets rather than sabres; not that the distinction meant much to the unfortunates who ended up skewered on the end of them.)Also noteworthy for the presence of Chips Rafferty, in a typical role as a gangling Aussie bushmen, and who, in the days before Paul Hogan, represented the Australian male as he liked to imagine himself.

This movie shows the Aussie idea of "mateship" from a 1941 perspective. It is a part of our culture and as an Australian I'm proud to see it portrayed in this movie. Even though it does extend the stereotypical Aussie, you have to understand we may have change and grown a lot we still are a country who value friends and our relationships.