Chunuk Bair

A World War One drama about faith, courage and heroism amidst folly and betrayal at Gallipoli in 1915

Chunuk Bair, New Zealand, 1991

Production co: Avalon, NFU Studios, Daybreak Pictures
Director: Dale G. Bradley
Producer: L. Grant Bradley
Executive producers: David Arnell, L Grant Bradley
Director of photography: Warrick Attewell
Screenplay: Grant Hinden-Miller from the play Once on Chunuk Bair by Maurice Shadbolt
Editor: Paul Sutorius

With: Robert Powell (Sgt Major Frank South), Kevin J Wilson (Col Connolly), Jed Brophy (Pte Fred South), John Leigh (Porky), Murray Keane (Smiler), Richard Hanna (Lt Harkness), Stephen Ure (Holy), Peter Kaa (George), Darryl Beattie (Scruffy), Tim Bray (Lofty)

35mm, 100 minutes, PG–Contains violence

A World War One drama about faith, courage and heroism amidst folly and betrayal at Gallipoli in 1915. New Zealand troops find that British promises of support are meaningless. A battalion of New Zealanders, new to warfare, shellshocked and exhausted, are ordered by their British Generals to take Chunuk Bair. For three days they battle their way to the ridge above. Sgt Major Frank South is a wordly-wise loner. His anti-war and empire stance set him apart from other men. Frank's one aim in life is to protect his younger brother, Fred and get them both safely away from the horror of the trenches. Col Connolly commanding the Battalion, falls foul of his superiors by refusing to submit his men to obvious slaughter but, blinded by his vision of glory and devotion to honour, he pushes up the ridge to take the high ground "in his own way and in his own time". Out numbered by the Turks they find themselves cut off and without supplies. Courage, determination and humour keep them fighting until what was to be their salvation becomes their final nightmare.

“... Chunuk Bair centres on the love-hate relationship of two (fictional) characters, the liberal Sergeant-Major Frank South and the fiesty Colonel William Conolly, commander of the Wellington Battalion. Though they have different views on most matters, they respect each other as soldiers and share a deep distrust of their British superiors. South’s position is also complicated by the presence in the company of his weak-willed brother Fred. Frank South’s dream is to return home, and to keep his brother out of trouble long enough to take him back with him. It may seem strange, given the extremely parochial nature of the material, that a British actor should play the lead, but the vagaries of the international film market meant it was probably essential to the film’s financial success. Robert Powell, most famous for the title role in Jesus of Nazereth, delivers a nicely measured performance (and a passable Kiwi accent) in a role that is the conscience of the film. Powell is aided by Kevin J Wilson, in sparkling form, and a cast of younger local actors, who manage to avoid slipping into stereotyped displays of Kiwi mateship. But the star of this film is its story, which debut feature director Dale G Bradley tells simply and effectively. Filmed on the coastal hills of Wellington on a modest budget, Chunuk Bair is more a confined chamber piece than an epic, but Bradley uses this to his advantage to create claustrophobia. It is war in close-up. The Avalon makeup and art departments also deserve a lot of credit, as does Warwick (Waka) Attewell’s khaki-toned cinematography. Chunuk Bair has enough action to satisfy the Terminator crowd, yet still manages to rise above being a simple war movie. It seems remarkable that the production received not a cent of Film Commission or NZ On Air money. Instead, it was largely funded by Wellington’s Avalon/NFU Studios, and they are to be congratulated. The film makes a moving piece of our history more accessible. Like End of the Golden Weather, Angel and My Table and Mauri it is compulsory viewing if we are to being to understand ourselves as a nation.” — Mark Tierney, Listener, 6 April 1992

“Chunuk Bair makes a pretty fair fist of what would seem to be very recalcitrant material… Despite limitations of budget and being conspicuously studio-bound, the film nevertheless manages some eloquent moments. And it doesn’t fudge on attributing blame – to the incompetence of British generals – for the blundering that saw 700 New Zealand lives lost… Fortunately it’s boosted by two very strong lead performances, from Kevin J Wilson and Robert Powell.” — Mark Knowles. Dominion Sunday Times, 5 April 1992

Screenings: Chunuk Bair screened on 6 September 2006 as part of a season selected by the Friends of the Film Archive.