A bunch of great dogs

Movie
German title	A bunch of great dogs
Original title	The Hill
Country of production	United Kingdom
original language	English
Publishing year	1965
length	123 minutes
Age rating	FSK 16
Rod
Director	Sidney Lumet
script	Ray Rigby
production	Kenneth Hyman
camera	Oswald Morris
cut	Thelma Connell
occupation
Harry Andrews : Sergeant Major Bert Wilson. German Voice Actor: Arnold Marquis Sean Connery : Sergeant Major Joe Roberts    DS: Gert-Günther Hoffmann Ian Bannen : Staff Sergeant Charlie Harris    DS: Herbert Stass Ian Hendry : Staff Sergeant Williams    DS: Michael Chevalier Neil McCarthy : Staff Sergeant Burton    DS: Heinz Petruo Ossie Davis : Private Jacko King    DS: Joachim Nottke Jack Watson : Private Jock McGrath    DS: Hans W. Clasen Roy Kinnear : Private Monty Bartlett    DS: Gerd Duwner Alfred Lynch : Private George Stevens    DS: Joachim Ansorge Michael Redgrave : Chief Medical Officer Markham    DS: Friedrich Schoenfelder Norman Bird : Camp Commandant    DS: Otto Czarski Howard Goorney : Walters Tony Caunter : Martin

A Pile of Great Dogs (Original title: The Hill ) is a British anti-war film directed by Sidney Lumet from 1965. The film is about a group of soldiers who meet in a British military prison camp during World War II . In his role as a degraded sergeant, Sean Connery was able to show that, in addition to James Bond in the 007 agent films, he was also able to credibly portray failed characters.

action

In a British Army penal camp in North Africa during World War II , the deputy camp manager, Sergeant-Major Wilson, and his sergeants lead a ruthless regiment. In 1942 he received five new prisoners. Sergeant Major Joe Roberts, demoted for assaulting his superior, attracts Wilson's special attention. After the sadistic Sergeant Williams deeply humiliated the five and chased the five soldiers several times over a hill on the parade ground that the prisoners had piled up for the introduction, the first violations of each other occur in their cell, as the characters and misconduct of the five soldiers are completely different.

The commandant and the senior staff doctor only cared about the conditions in the camp, so that Wilson and his sergeants have a free hand in disciplining and punishing the prisoners; especially the march in full gear over the "hill" for even the smallest offenses is repeatedly ordered by the overseers with perverse joy.

The tensions, especially between Sergeant Williams and Roberts, who were in charge of the cell, keep growing, despite Sergeant Harris's attempted mediation, and ultimately lead to the death of the weak Stevens, which leads to a mutiny in prison. Sergeant-Major Wilson can just finish this, but Roberts and King now force an investigation into the incident, whereupon Sergeant Williams and two other guards lure Roberts into a separate room and beat them up there. The seriously injured Roberts is then declared incapable of incarceration by the now startled medical officer, which Wilson absolutely wants to prevent - this creates an ever increasing arc of tension in Roberts' cell, as the medical officer and Sergeant Harris try to protect Roberts from Wilson and Williams and have him taken to a hospital. Eventually even Wilson and Williams clash, whereupon everyone except Williams and Roberts left the cell extremely excited; Williams now sees the chance to finally finish off the defenseless Roberts. At that moment, King and McGrath storm into the cell and pounce on Williams, although Roberts is desperately trying to stop them. The film ends with the loud screams of Williams, who is obviously beaten to death by the two prisoners.

criticism

• The Lexicon of International Films wrote: “A harrowing, hard-hitting, startling film that denounces inhuman sadism and stubborn militarism. Staging and acting excellent, with occasionally a bit lurid features, without losing the fundamental problem of authority and obedience of urgency and consistency. "
• The Protestant Film Observer draws the following conclusion: “The consistently anti-militarist film does not see its story as an isolated case, but as the logical end of an ideology that is already beginning to be twisted. The sensational design, interspersed with shock effects, is only recommended for established adults. "

Remarks

The black and white film was shot almost exclusively in Spain, with the extras mostly made up of members of the Spanish Armed Forces (Spanish: "Fuerzas Armadas Españolas").

According to ofdb.de, RTL broadcast the film once in color in 1987 and 1989!

The film was based on a literary template by RS Allen and Ray Rigby .

In German-speaking countries, the film was also known as the hill of the lost men .

Awards

• BAFTA Awards
  • Best British Cinematography (Oswald Morris)
  • nominated: Best Film (Kenneth Hyman)
  • nominated: Best British Film (Kenneth Hyman)
  • nominated: Best Actor (Harry Andrews)
  • nominated: Best British Screenplay (Ray Rigby)
  • nominated: Best British Artistic Direction (Herbert Smith)
• Cannes International Film Festival
  • Best Screenplay (Ray Rigby)
• National Board of Review
  • Best Supporting Actor (Harry Andrews)
• Writers' Guild of Great Britain
  • Best British Screenplay (Ray Rigby)

Web links

• The Hill in the Internet Movie Database (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ A bunch of great dogs. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .  
2. ↑ Critique No. 419/1965, p. 736