Based on the authentic historical event of the participation of the Anzac troops in the 1915 Dardanelles campaign, Peter Weir's "Gallipoli" not only captures the tragedy of war, but also the Australians' valiant assertion of national identity. The focus of the film is on the experiences of the soldiers from the eighth and tenth Light Horse Regiments of Anzacs that were involved in the suicidal attack on the Turkish trenches. In addition, this film also highlights the fundamental opposition between the British and the Australians. The anti-British sentiments in the film represent the formation of a distinctive Australian identity. The portrayal of Australia's emerging nationhood is humanized with the focus on two young and inexperienced protagonists, Archy Hamilton and Frank Dunne, and their dramatic initiation into manhood (Haltof 27).
The unlikely and extraordinary friendship between Archy and Frank lies at the heart of the film. While Archy comes from a rural community that embodies the strength and endurance of the Australian outback, Frank represents the decadence and moral corruption of the city. Although Frank is initially resistant to the idea of enlisting in the war, he is inspired by Archy's strength and idealism and decides to go to war with him. The archetypal pattern of a corrupted city individual who can only be redeemed by his noble friend from the bush recurs in many Australian films (Haltof 32).
More significantly, the film illuminates the concept of mateship, or the comradeship among males, through the relationship between Archy and Frank. Mateship is an integral part of the Australian male identity. The mateship between Archy and Frank, along with other Australian soldiers, enables them to adapt to the harshness and the difficulties of their homeland and their new environment in Egypt and Turkey. In their run towards the pyramid and climb up to the Sphinx, Archy and Frank seemingly re-enact their difficult trek...