Gallipoli Primary Sources

Peter Weir, the director of the 1981 dramatic film “Gallipoli” clearly makes evident that there are significant contrasts between, the battles and experiences of Gallipoli in the film and in contemporary primary sources. However on the other side the film also does share some similarities to those of primary sources. Events from the film such as, the landing at Anzac Cove, life at Gallipoli and the Battle of the Nek distinctly outline that the film portrays the battles and experiences of Gallipoli in a different way compared to those of contemporary primary sources.

Firstly the landing at Anzac Cove in Turkey in the movie remarkably differs from what primary sources state. Towards the end of the film Archie Hamilton and the rest of the Australian troops reach their destination of Anzac Cove, by boat. They arrive at Anzac Cove during the night and it is extremely dark. However on the other side, a large proportion of primary sources clearly identify that the Australian troops did not land on the Anzac Cove Peninsula during night time. When

the Australian troops landed a vast amount of fatalities were taken. Fatalities were lost for obvious reasons, the main one being that the Turkish troops were planned better. The Turkish troops had a perfect view of the water from above the ground and could shoot at the Australian troops and allied troops when they landed on the peninsula. Overall this demonstrates that the landing at Anzac Cove in the film is different to how it is depicted in primary sources.

Secondly, the life at Gallipoli in the film contrasts from the life at Gallipoli shown in primary sources.

In the film the difficulties of war such as lack of water, starvation and health are not identified like they are in primary sources. This is evident as an Australian solider by the name of “Lieutenant F.H. Semple” stated, “One of the greatest difficulties here is the shortage of water…I had the first shave for a week and my face was coated with dust and grime I had got through all the recent fighting and trench digging. After I had finished the water in my mess tin it was muddy and I washed my face in that and then had my tea out of the same tin”. This daily life in Gallipoli writing by “Lieutenant F.H. Semple” clearly illustrates that in Gallipoli one of the greatest challenges was the lack of water. This shows that the life of Australian troops in Gallipoli is different through the life depicted through primary

sources.

Thirdly, the battle of the Nek outlines various differences portrayed between both the film and in primary sources. The battle of the Nek is possible to be one of the most tragic memories in Australian history due to the vast amount of lives lost. At the end of the film Archie Hamilton along with various other Australian solders walks above the trench where he is viscously shot by Turkish solders. The Turkish solders are positioned just above the trench with machine guns. For this many fatalities of the Australian solders were lost. This film was used to give a similar indication of what actually happened during that specific era. This shows that the film’s (secondary source) purpose was to give a similar indication of what happened during the Battle of the Nek.

Through the film “Gallipoli’’, Peter Weir clearly makes evident that there are significant contrasts through how the film and primary sources depict the battles and experiences of Gallipoli. Through the landing at Anzac Cove, the life at Gallipoli and the battle of the Nek he justifies the differences between the film and primary sources.