The Lighthorsemen (film)
Encyclopedia
The Lighthorsemen is a 1987
Australian
feature film
about the men of a World War I
light horse unit involved in the 1917 Battle of Beersheeba. The film is based on a true story and most of the characters in the film were based on real people.
It follows in the wake of other Australian New Wave
war films such as Breaker Morant
(1980), Gallipoli
(1981), and the 5-part TV series Anzacs
(1985). Recurring themes of these films include the Australian identity, such as mateship
and larrikinism
, the loss of innocence in war, and also the continued coming of age of the Australian nation and its soldiers (the ANZAC spirit
).
), Scotty (Jon Blake) an Irish-Australian, Chiller (Tim McKenzie) and Tas (John Walton
) in Palestine in 1917, part of the 4th Light Horse Brigade
of the British and Commonwealth Dominion forces. When Frank is wounded and dies of his wounds, he is replaced by Dave (Peter Phelps
). Dave finds himself unable to fire his weapon in combat and is transferred to the Medical Corps, where he will not need to carry a weapon, but where he will still be exposed to the fighting.
The British plan the capture of Beersheba. During an attack by Turkish cavalry, Major Richard Meinertzhagen
(Anthony Andrews
) deliberately leaves behind documents indicating that the attack on Beersheba will only be a diversion.
The Australians leave for Beersheba, with limited water and supplies. They bombard the town and the 4,000 Turkish-German defenders prepare for an assault. However, the German military advisor believes it is a diversionary attack and advises the Turkish commander he does not need reinforcements.
With time running out and water in short supply, the British command suspect any attack upon Beersheba will probably fail. However, the Australian commanders ask the British to send in the Australian Light Horse—the British consent to what they think is a suicide mission. The 4th and 12th Regiments are ordered to attack. Dave and the rest of the medical detachment prepare for casualties and are ordered in behind the Light Horse.
The Turks report the Australian mounted soldiers lining up to charge, however the officer in charge orders the Turks not to open fire until they dismount. The Australians begin advancing on the Turkish positions, gradually speeding up to a charge. The Turks realise too late that the soldiers are not dismounting and open fire. Artillery fire is sporadic and of limited effect and the attack so fast the Turkish infantry forget to adjust the sights
on their rifles as the Light Horse get closer, eventually firing straight over the Australians' heads.
During the charge, Tas is killed by an artillery shell. The remaining Australians make it "under the guns" (advancing faster than the artillery can correct its aim for the reduced range) and reach the Turkish trenches.
The Australians capture the first Turkish defences. Scotty and a few others take control of the guns. Chiller is wounded in the trench fight. Dave is struck by a grenade and is seriously wounded while protecting Chiller. Scotty continues to fight on into the town. When most of the remaining Turks surrender, a German officer tries to destroy the wells, but is captured by Scotty.
Overall, the attack was a success and the Australians miraculously suffered only 31 dead and 36 wounded.
After the final day of filming had wrapped on 1 December 1986, actor Jon Blake was injured in a car accident near Nectar Brook, South Australia
. He suffered permanent paralysis and brain damage.
The musical score was composed by Mario Millo
. The original soundtrack recording was produced for compact disc release courtesy of Antony I Ginnane by Philip Powers and Mario Millo for Australian distribution in Australia by 1M1 Records
and as a coupling with Shame on LP in America.
The Lighthorsemen is included in the Australian Film Commission's Top Australian films at the Australian box office list at number 83. The film grossed in Australia after its release in 1987. It was also released in Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States in 1988.
Rotten Tomatoes
gives it an 80% critic rating, based on five reviews.
The film won an AFI award
in 1988 for Best Original Music Score and another for Best Achievement in Sound. It was also nominated for Best Achievement in Cinematography.
in 2009 dollars.
1987 in film
-Events:*January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, to officially become the world's longest film according to Guinness World Records....
Australian
Cinema of Australia
Cinema of Australia, more commonly referred to as the Australian film industry, refers to the system of production, distribution, and exhibition of films in Australia. Film production commenced in Australia in 1906 with the production of The Story of the Kelly Gang, the earliest feature film made...
feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
about the men of a World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
light horse unit involved in the 1917 Battle of Beersheeba. The film is based on a true story and most of the characters in the film were based on real people.
It follows in the wake of other Australian New Wave
Australian New Wave
The Australian New Wave was an era of resurgence in worldwide popularity of Australian cinema...
war films such as Breaker Morant
Breaker Morant (film)
Breaker Morant is a 1980 Australian film about the court martial of Breaker Morant, directed by Bruce Beresford and starring British actor Edward Woodward as Harry "Breaker" Morant...
(1980), Gallipoli
Gallipoli (1981 film)
Gallipoli is a 1981 Australian film, directed by Peter Weir and starring Mel Gibson and Mark Lee, about several young men from rural Western Australia who enlist in the Australian Army during the First World War. They are sent to Turkey, where they take part in the Gallipoli Campaign. During the...
(1981), and the 5-part TV series Anzacs
Anzacs
Anzacs was a 1985 5-part Australian mini series set in World War I. The series follows the lives of a group of young Australian men who enlist in the 8th Battalion of the First Australian Imperial Force in 1914, fighting first at Gallipoli in 1915, and then on the Western Front for the remainder...
(1985). Recurring themes of these films include the Australian identity, such as mateship
Mateship
Mateship is an Australian cultural idiom that embodies equality, loyalty and friendship. There are two types of mateship, the inclusive and the exclusive; the inclusive is in relation to a shared situation , whereas the exclusive type is toward a third party...
and larrikinism
Larrikinism
Larrikinism is the name given to the Australian folk tradition of irreverence, mockery of authority and disregard for rigid norms of propriety. Larrikinism can also be associated with self-deprecating humour.- Etymology :...
, the loss of innocence in war, and also the continued coming of age of the Australian nation and its soldiers (the ANZAC spirit
ANZAC spirit
The Anzac spirit or Anzac legend is a concept which suggests that Australian and New Zealand soldiers possess shared characteristics, specifically the qualities those soldiers are believed to have shown on the battlefield in World War I. These qualities cluster around several ideas, including...
).
Plot
The film follows Four Australians, Frank (Gary SweetGary Sweet
Gary Sweet is an Australian film and television actor known for his roles in Alexandra's Project , Police Rescue, Cody, Big Sky, The Battlers, Bodyline and Stingers....
), Scotty (Jon Blake) an Irish-Australian, Chiller (Tim McKenzie) and Tas (John Walton
John Walton (actor)
John Walton is an Australian actor.He is best known for his role as Doctor Craig Rothwell in the television soap opera The Young Doctors during 1976 and 1977.He also appeared in the miniseries Bodyline....
) in Palestine in 1917, part of the 4th Light Horse Brigade
4th Light Horse Brigade
The 4th Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the First Australian Imperial Force serving in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade was formed in March 1915 and shipped to Egypt without their horses and was broken up in Egypt in August 1915...
of the British and Commonwealth Dominion forces. When Frank is wounded and dies of his wounds, he is replaced by Dave (Peter Phelps
Peter Phelps
Peter Phelps is an Australian actor, singer and writer. He is notable for his role of Peter Church in the television drama, Stingers and Trevor Cole, in Baywatch...
). Dave finds himself unable to fire his weapon in combat and is transferred to the Medical Corps, where he will not need to carry a weapon, but where he will still be exposed to the fighting.
The British plan the capture of Beersheba. During an attack by Turkish cavalry, Major Richard Meinertzhagen
Richard Meinertzhagen
Colonel Richard Henry Meinertzhagen CBE DSO was a British soldier, intelligence officer and ornithologist.- Background and youth :Meinertzhagen was born into a socially connected, wealthy British family...
(Anthony Andrews
Anthony Andrews
-Life and career:Andrews was born in London, the son of Geraldine Agnes , a dancer, and Stanley Thomas Andrews, a musical arranger and musical conductor. He grew up in the North Finchley district of London...
) deliberately leaves behind documents indicating that the attack on Beersheba will only be a diversion.
The Australians leave for Beersheba, with limited water and supplies. They bombard the town and the 4,000 Turkish-German defenders prepare for an assault. However, the German military advisor believes it is a diversionary attack and advises the Turkish commander he does not need reinforcements.
With time running out and water in short supply, the British command suspect any attack upon Beersheba will probably fail. However, the Australian commanders ask the British to send in the Australian Light Horse—the British consent to what they think is a suicide mission. The 4th and 12th Regiments are ordered to attack. Dave and the rest of the medical detachment prepare for casualties and are ordered in behind the Light Horse.
The Turks report the Australian mounted soldiers lining up to charge, however the officer in charge orders the Turks not to open fire until they dismount. The Australians begin advancing on the Turkish positions, gradually speeding up to a charge. The Turks realise too late that the soldiers are not dismounting and open fire. Artillery fire is sporadic and of limited effect and the attack so fast the Turkish infantry forget to adjust the sights
Sight (device)
A sight is a device used to assist aligning or aim weapons, surveying instruments, or other items by eye. Sights can be a simple set or system of markers that have to be aligned together as well as aligned with the target...
on their rifles as the Light Horse get closer, eventually firing straight over the Australians' heads.
During the charge, Tas is killed by an artillery shell. The remaining Australians make it "under the guns" (advancing faster than the artillery can correct its aim for the reduced range) and reach the Turkish trenches.
The Australians capture the first Turkish defences. Scotty and a few others take control of the guns. Chiller is wounded in the trench fight. Dave is struck by a grenade and is seriously wounded while protecting Chiller. Scotty continues to fight on into the town. When most of the remaining Turks surrender, a German officer tries to destroy the wells, but is captured by Scotty.
Overall, the attack was a success and the Australians miraculously suffered only 31 dead and 36 wounded.
Production
Despite being set in Palestine and Egypt, the film was shot entirely on location in Victoria and Hawker, South Australia.After the final day of filming had wrapped on 1 December 1986, actor Jon Blake was injured in a car accident near Nectar Brook, South Australia
District Council of Mount Remarkable
The Mount Remarkable District Council is a local government area located between the top the Spencer Gulf and the base of the Southern Flinders Ranges in South Australia. The district encompasses a wide variety of towns, including coastal ports and agricultural centres...
. He suffered permanent paralysis and brain damage.
The musical score was composed by Mario Millo
Mario Millo
Mario Daniel Millo is an Australian musician and composer from Sydney, he was a member of symphonic rock group Sebastian Hardie from 1973 to their disbandment in 1977. Their debut album, Four Moments peaked at No. 13 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart. He has had a solo career...
. The original soundtrack recording was produced for compact disc release courtesy of Antony I Ginnane by Philip Powers and Mario Millo for Australian distribution in Australia by 1M1 Records
1M1 Records
1M1 Records is an Australian record label formed in 1988 as oneMone Records, to promote and archive Australian film soundtracks. It was the creation of Australian film music recording producers Philip Powers and James McCarthy, both of whom were previously Director of Music at the Australian...
and as a coupling with Shame on LP in America.
Historical inaccuracies
The flag on General Kressenstein's car is in the film red-white-black. In reality the flag of the German Empire was black-white-red (black-white stands for Prussia, white-red for the Hansa).Reception
The film received mixed views by critics, many claimed the film lacked a clear message about war, where "The result is a sort of pacifist-aggressive war adventure". Other critics have cited average acting (e.g. "None of the performances are really bad, but none are very good") or undynamic script (e.g. "Mostly it's equine cinematography, a four-legged coffeetable movie about the Australian cavalry.").The Lighthorsemen is included in the Australian Film Commission's Top Australian films at the Australian box office list at number 83. The film grossed in Australia after its release in 1987. It was also released in Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States in 1988.
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gives it an 80% critic rating, based on five reviews.
The film won an AFI award
Australian Film Institute
The Australian Film Institute was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry...
in 1988 for Best Original Music Score and another for Best Achievement in Sound. It was also nominated for Best Achievement in Cinematography.
Box Office
The Lighthorsemen grossed $1,617,288 at the box office in Australia, which is equivalent to $8,250,749in 2009 dollars.