Forbidden Ground

Dramatically the movie held my interest and it takes a realism aspect to do this. But then I saw a major goof when a soldier's watch was revealed to have a quartz works. I moves second by second with jerks, not gently. How hard would it be to find a vintage watch? So it lost a star from this anachronism and I found the rest of the movie more difficult to watch as a reality trip.

The acting, however, was very good, although the marriage sub plot seemed a space saver, not an asset. As a genre type, this was an anti war movie that really takes no sides and that is a plus. The best war movies show the reasons not to have them and that really brings out the dramatic effects.

If you can get past the watch thing, then go ahead with my recommendations.

Forbidden Ground is an Australian-made rendition of the plight of British soldiers trapped in no-man's land, and should have been the war epic it was (once) anticipated to be. The unfortunate truth is that it falls short of all expectations, and as a patriotic Australian I take no pleasure in saying it.

From the first moments the small budget is apparent. Close-ups try and disguise the limited scale of the production. The battles in the film are all no more than small skirmishes and never really produced with any flair, impact, or suspense. The constant reliance on CGI for special effects cripples the action, unlike it's predecessor Beneath Hill 60 - which it will surely be compared to - which used mostly practical visual effects and captures gritty violence effectively. As such, when the horror of trench warfare comes along in this film, it is woefully un- engaging, and downright boring in parts. I felt no connection with the men going to their deaths. The obvious computer-generated explosions and squibs left a lot to be desired and had no "punch." It's an anti-war film, as most WWI films are, so you would expect a focus on correctly portraying the shocking waste of war, but Forbidden Ground lacks the budget or know-how to do it properly.

There are some tired clichés including snobby, arrogant officers and the hard-nosed NCO, and while historically accurate in some ways, Forbidden Ground doesn't cast the roles with conviction, simply recycling scenes and minor characters from a dozen better war films. The other problem with authenticity is that most of the cast is Australian, and while our accents may be more or less similar and we often are mistaken for Poms, the actors on show here can't quite make it sound natural and every line feels laborious and forced. If they'd just spoken with their normal accents they would probably have sounded more comfortable with their characters, but alas every Pommy soldier on screen sounds like a caricature of British stereotypes.

Another problem with authenticity is that the unit that is focused on seems to be an amalgamation of British accents. Whether intentional or by accident, units were formed from specific locales (universities, rugby clubs, towns, cities, etc) and would only occasionally be mixed with troops from broadly different locations (casualty replacements).

So the end result is a disappointing straight-to-DVD war drama without any magnetism or flair. I praise the cast and crew for doing what they could to commemorate the war, but I can't recommend Forbidden Ground as good viewing. Better luck next time.

According to Stuart Hall, Cultural Studies' outlook takes for granted the fact that knowledge in all its forms is always, unavoidably, contextually bound. With this in mind, and given that Cultural Studies is the study of an ever-changing culture, I think that spectators should analyze Forbidden Ground not only as a complex contextual intervention or as a representation/dramatization of certain ideologies and mores within the framework of WW1, but also as a film that thanks to its powerful and emotional leading characters, it gives an in-depth exploration of the human conscience that certainly appeals to present-day audiences.

Pierre Mackerey in 'A Theory of Literary Production' (1978) says that 'what is important is what the text does not say'. For this reason, I would like to bring to the fore the symbolic meaning that Forbidden Ground conveys. Actually, silences and close-ups are recurrent throughout the movie to create this dramatic atmosphere. I should first point out that the character of Grace Wilkins (Denai Gracie) is essential to offer an accurate view of women's relegation to the private sphere at the time. From a critical perspective, and as Grace is usually shown in closed spaces, this could be interpreted as a subtle way of underlining the tragic circumstances suffered by some women, especially the ones who due to their impure actions, were considered to threaten patriarchy. In this respect, we should also keep in mind, for example, the long-standing Nature/Culture dichotomy that, according to Sherry Ortner in 'Is Female to Male as Nature is to Culture?' (1982) or Simone De Beauvoir in 'The Second Sex' (1949), relegates women to being the 'Other' of men. And yet, this view is cleverly reversed in the scene where Sergeant Wilkins (Johan Earl) finally returns to England and kneels on the graveyard. However, a description of this particular scene would reveal too much information and I prefer leaving this task for any avid spectator who really wants to take a look 'beyond the canvas', that is, for those who are eager to explore the psychological aspects of the human being.

Thus, human connection is more important than any other issue in Forbidden Ground. In this respect, we should pay attention to the soldiers' uniforms and the lack of distinguishing badges or patches that identify them. Director Johan Earl states that he wanted them to symbolize every soldier on the battlefield and not just one unit. And the battlefield itself could be a metaphor of our daily lives too, for life in itself is a roller-coaster, a story within the story, always a constant struggle.

Forbidden Ground connects with problems that affect most audiences, pointing out the cruel reality and imperfections of those past times but, at the same time, it gives a final message to understand Sergeant Wilkins' physical and mental journey. This said, perhaps it is not coincidental that, in the above mentioned scene, he is shown by a river/lake, for the contact with Nature has always been said to symbolize a new beginning or at least, the chance to be redeemed from past mistakes and start from scratch.

The whole team and cast that made this movie possible should be praised for their dedication and effort (Adrian Powers did a brilliant job co-directing and editing). But above all, I should say that Johan Earl deserves a special mention. Earl's work as a screenwriter, director and actor is absolutely outstanding and all his artistic decisions only enhance the high quality of the movie. With this in mind, I should conclude by asserting that Forbidden Ground is an excellent film to watch and a good exercise to unveil its hidden meanings. For this reason, it could also be taken to the academic field.

This Australien film is about the horrors if the First World War's trench wars. Three British soldiers are lost out in the so called no mans land, between the two forces of war on the West Front. The film starts off with the order of sending the men out on a suicide mission against the enemy front. After the shooting is over, the three find each other, and that one of them is severely injured. What's even worse is that they have to get out, because they know there will be an air raid against the enemy front in a few hours time. Then have to get back.

Director Johan Earl had casted himself in the main role here, in his second feature film. after working more ad an actor and special effects man for years. It's been 14 years since his last film.

Making a good depiction of the horrific trench war is not each, and I think it's well done here, though it's made on a very small budget. I like a good true war story told on film, but it's difficult for actors to bear a drama, especially when if comes to dialog and dramatic feelings on screen. The actors do their very best here, what I'm not too fond of, is the side story back home. Not back acted, but if makes the temperature in the film fail. The film would have been better concentrating on which story is the most important, and what should be the main theme of the film.

The best and most exciting scene comes towards the end of the film, so don't give up too early!

The music is OK, but used badly between the two different scenes of the film, and feels forced and too loud on the "back home-scenes". I solos wonder why the Germans have to be so ugly and scarred. Not necessary if you ask me. The movie is also a bit slow, and is over without getting the satisfaction you really want out of it.

Except if your specially keen on war movies, this isn't the one you should be going out of bonds to get hold of.

Really enjoyed this film and I'm not much of a war person. It was a really refreshing take on a moment in our history, focusing on the very personal intimacy of mate-ship among soldiers, as opposed to the fanfare of explosions, gunfire and whiz bang visual effects.

It was nice to see a war film that peeked into the lives of the women left at home as well. When I think of the world wars and tragic loss of men involved in the conflict, I must admit I've never contemplated the hardships that women endured back on the home front.

This film offers a glimpse into what I've learnt to be an extremely common issue women were faced with whilst their men fought on the front lines. The limited options and primitive medical practices available to women back then are a frightening realisation of how helpless females must have felt living in that era. To have little to no control over their lives, let alone the ability to remedy bad choices is profoundly confronting.

A great take on a very sad era.