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{{Short description|1965 film by Sidney Lumet}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Hill
| image = Hill_movieposter.jpg
| caption = original film poster
| director = [[Sidney Lumet]]
| based_on = {{based on|''The Hill''<br>1965 play|Ray Rigby}}
| writer = [[R.S. Allen]] (play)<br>[[Ray Rigby (screenwriter)|Ray Rigby]] (screenplay)
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Sean Connery]]
* [[Harry Andrews]]
* [[Ian Bannen]]
* [[Alfred Lynch]]
* [[Ossie Davis]]
* [[Roy Kinnear]]
* [[Jack Watson (actor)|Jack Watson]]
* [[Ian Hendry]]
* [[Michael Redgrave]]}}
| editing = [[Thelma Connell]]
| producer = [[Kenneth Hyman]]
| music =
| cinematography = [[Oswald Morris]]
| studio = [[Seven Arts Productions]]
| distributor = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]
| released = May 1965 (Cannes Film Festival)<br>11 June 1965 (France)
| runtime = 123 min.
| language = English
| country = United Kingdom
| budget = $2.5 million
| gross = $4.3 million
}}

'''''The Hill''''' is a 1965 British prison drama film directed by [[Sidney Lumet]], set in an army prison in North Africa at the end of the Second World War. It stars [[Sean Connery]], [[Harry Andrews]], [[Ian Bannen]], [[Ossie Davis]], [[Ian Hendry]], [[Alfred Lynch]], [[Roy Kinnear]] and [[Michael Redgrave]].

==Plot==
In a [[British Army]] "[[Glasshouse (British Army)|glasshouse]]" (military prison) in the [[Libyan Desert|Libyan desert]], prisoners convicted of service offences such as insubordination, being drunk while on duty, going [[AWOL]] or petty theft are subjected to repetitive drill routines as a punishment in the blazing desert heat.

The arrival of five new prisoners slowly leads to a clash with the camp authorities. One new [[Non-commissioned officer|NCO]] guard (Williams) who has also just arrived employs excessive punishments, which include forcing the five newcomers to repeatedly climb a man-made hill in the centre of the camp. When one dies, a power struggle erupts between brutal ex-civilian prison guard [[Staff Sergeant]] Williams ([[Ian Hendry]]), humane Staff Sergeant Harris ([[Ian Bannen]]), [[Regimental Sergeant Major]] Wilson ([[Harry Andrews]]), and the camp's medical officer ([[Michael Redgrave]]) as they struggle to run the camp in conflicting styles.

Roberts ([[Sean Connery]]) is a former [[Squadron Sergeant Major|squadron sergeant major]] from the [[Royal Tank Regiment]], convicted of assaulting his commanding officer – which he explains to his fellow inmates was because he was ordered to lead his men in a senseless suicidal attack. Roberts openly scorns Williams' brutality and serves as a challenge to his authority. Like Roberts, the [[Regimental Sergeant Major|RSM]] is a career soldier and commands authority within the prison in which he is working. However, he is realistic about his role stating, "No one's going to pin a medal on us". He sees his duty to be as important as any other – that of breaking down failed soldiers, then building them back up again, in his words, "Into men!"

The other members of Roberts' group are McGrath, a hard Yorkshireman serving a sentence for drunkenness, fighting and assaulting members of the [[Military Police]]. Army office clerk Stevens, a timid and naive man jailed for going AWOL. Bartlett, a [[spiv]] who shirks active service and has been jailed for selling Army vehicle tyres to the Arabs, and the light-hearted King, a West Indian soldier serving a sentence for stealing three bottles of whisky from the sergeants' mess, and being drunk and disorderly.

Staff Sergeant Williams' ambition is matched only by his cruel treatment of the prisoners; he seeks to use their suffering as a means for promotion. When Roberts is accused of cowardice, he asks Staff Sergeant Williams, "And what are you supposed to be – a brave man in a permanent base job?" The RSM also questions Staff Sergeant Williams's motives for getting out of London, as in another scene, he slyly mentions the fact that the Germans were bombing the UK (including the civilian prison Williams worked at) just as Williams was volunteering for prison duty in Africa. Staff Sergeant Williams openly admits that he is trying to impress the RSM by showing that he has got what it takes to do the job, and attempts to undermine the RSM with a late-night drinking contest.

Staff Sergeant Harris is the conscience of the prison who sympathises with the men and really wants no part of his being there. The RSM believes that Harris is far too lenient. The officers, both the CO ([[Norman Bird]]) and the medical officer, take their duties casually and, as Roberts points out, "everyone is doing time here, even the screws" (prison officers).

When the medical officer confronts the RSM with the claim that Stevens' punishment is too severe, the RSM turns this around and blames the MO as it was he who passed Stevens as "fit for punishment".

Williams is a bully and a coward and singles out Bartlett and Stevens who are the two weakest members of the group, particularly Stevens. Stevens finally loses his mind and dies of heat exhaustion after repeated and unwarranted punishments by Williams, and the whole prison rises in protest. Roberts openly accuses Staff Sergeant Williams of murdering Stevens. King corroborates the story. However, this results in both being punished. The RSM has the experience to deal with a potentially violent situation. Firstly by stating that the ring-leaders will be charged with mutiny (an offence punishable by death). "Who are the ring-leaders" shouts one prisoner. The RSM relies with a stern "Every fifth man!". The RSM thus gaining control, eases the situation whereby the prisoners willingly break up the revolt. Meanwhile, with the help of two prison guard corporals, Staff Williams beat up Roberts in an empty solitary cell. Roberts suffers a broken foot and Harris gets him carried to see the medical officer. The RSM intervenes and orders Roberts to march despite his injury. King again protests, and after being subjected to racial abuse by the RSM refuses to wear the uniform or acknowledge any form of army discipline.

The MO and Staff Sergeant Harris insist on reporting the abuses at the camp whilst the RSM and Williams join forces in an attempt to intimidate them into backing down. The injured Roberts is left alone in the cell and Williams remains behind. He then prepares to administer one final, perhaps fatal, beating to Roberts, when King and McGrath enter the cell, proceed to attack Williams, and are heard to severely beat him (off-camera). Roberts pleads with them to stop, knowing that if prisoners beat up a prison officer, any case they may have had against him is lost.

==Cast==
{{div col}}
* [[Sean Connery]] as (ex-Sergeant Major) Trooper Joe Roberts ([[Royal Tank Regiment]])
* [[Harry Andrews]] as Regimental Sergeant Major Bert Wilson ([[Scots Guards]])
* [[Ian Bannen]] as Staff Sergeant Charlie Harris ([[Royal East Kent Regiment]])
* [[Ian Hendry]] as Staff Sergeant Williams ([[East Surrey Regiment]])
* [[Alfred Lynch]] as Private George Stevens ([[Royal West Kent Regiment]])
* [[Ossie Davis]] as Private Jacko King ([[Royal Pioneer Corps]])
* [[Roy Kinnear]] as Private Monty Bartlett ([[Royal Fusiliers]])
* [[Jack Watson (actor)|Jack Watson]] as Private Jock McGrath ([[Lancashire Fusiliers]])
* Sir [[Michael Redgrave]] as the Medical Officer (a captain)
* [[Norman Bird]] as the Commandant (a major)
* [[Neil McCarthy (actor)|Neil McCarthy]] as Staff Sergeant Burton
* [[Howard Goorney]] as Trooper Walters (Royal Tank Regiment)
* [[Tony Caunter]] as Trooper Martin (Royal Tank Regiment)
{{div col end}}

==Production==
The film was based on a screenplay by [[Ray Rigby (screenwriter)|Ray Rigby]], who wrote for TV and had spent time in military prison. Movie rights were bought by [[Seven Arts Productions]], which had a production deal with [[MGM]]. Producer [[Kenneth Hyman]] arranged for Rigby's script to be rewritten by other people, but when [[Sidney Lumet]] came on board as director, Lumet went back to Rigby's original draft. He and Rigby did cut out around 100 pages of material before filming.<ref name="new">{{Cite news|title=War Is 'Hill,' Mate!|date=Jan 10, 1965|work=New York Times|page=X9}}</ref>

"There really isn't a lot of story", said Lumet. "It's all character – a group of men, prisoners and jailers alike, driven by the same motive force, fear."<ref name="new"/>

Sean Connery agreed to play the lead because it represented such a change of pace from James Bond. "It is only because of my reputation as Bond that the backers put up the money for ''The Hill''", he said.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Mr. Kisskiss Bangbang: Mr. Kisskiss Bangbang|author=London.|date=Nov 22, 1964|work=New York Times|page=SM38}}</ref>

Lumet says he told Connery before filming began that, "'I'm going to make brutal demands of you, physically and emotionally', and he knew I'm not a director who has too much respect for 'stars' as such. The result is beyond my hopes. He is real and tough and not at all smooth or nice. In a way he's a 'heavy' but the real heavy is the Army."<ref name="new"/>

Filming took place in [[Almería]], Spain starting 8 September 1964. An old Spanish fort in [[Málaga]] was used for the prison.<ref>{{Cite news|title=GLOBAL FILMMAKING: Americans Find New Movie Terrain In Brazil, Norway and Spain|author=EUGENE ARCHER|date=July 26, 1964|work=New York Times|page=X5}}</ref> Many people associated with the production had regarded the filming as pleasant, despite difficult conditions: Temperatures went above 46 °C (114 °F) and nearly all the cast and crew became ill, even though thousands of gallons of fresh water were brought in.<ref name="ReferenceA">Ben Mankiewicz on Turner Classic Movies</ref>

''The Hill'' did not perform well in cinemas, although it received excellent reviews and [[Ray Rigby (screenwriter)|Ray Rigby's]] screenplay won at the [[1965 Cannes Film Festival]]. The film has a 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1068468-hill The Hill, Rotten Tomatoes]</ref>

Rigby published a novel of the story in 1965.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Desert Belsen: THE HILL. By Ray Rigby. 256 pp. New York: The John Day Company. $4.50.|author=J.D. SCOTT.|date=July 11, 1965|work=New York Times|page=BR39}}</ref>

==Awards==
===BAFTA Awards===
* Winner Best British Cinematography ([[Oswald Morris]])
* Nominee Best Film ([[Kenneth Hyman]])
* Nominee Best British Film ([[Kenneth Hyman]])
* Nominee Best British Actor ([[Harry Andrews]])
* Nominee Best British Screenplay ([[Ray Rigby (screenwriter)|Ray Rigby]])
* Nominee Best British Art Direction ([[Herbert Smith (art director)|Herbert Smith]])

===Cannes Film Festival===
The film screened at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival.<ref>{{Cite news|title=New Connery Film, 'The Hill,' Is Shown At Cannes Festival|author=Special to The|date=May 24, 1965|work=New York Times|page=37}}</ref>
* Winner [[Best Screenplay Award (Cannes Film Festival)|Best Screenplay]] at the [[1965 Cannes Film Festival|1965 Festival]]<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2886/year/1965.html |title=Festival de Cannes: The Hill |access-date=2009-03-04|work=festival-cannes.com}}</ref> ([[Ray Rigby (screenwriter)|Ray Rigby]])

===National Board of Review===
* Winner Best Supporting Actor ([[Harry Andrews]])

===Writers' Guild of Great Britain===
* Winner Best British Dramatic Screenplay Award (Ray Rigby)

==DVD==
''The Hill'' was released to DVD by [[Warner Home Video]] on 5 June 2007 as a Region 1 widescreen DVD.

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title| 0059274 }}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes| 1068468-hill }}
* {{TCMDb title| 3561 }}
* {{AllMovie title| 95217 }}
* {{AFI film|id=22836|title=The Hill}}{{dead link|date=December 2022}}

{{Sidney Lumet}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, The}}
[[Category:1965 films]]
[[Category:1965 drama films]]
[[Category:1965 war films]]
[[Category:1960s prison films]]
[[Category:British prison drama films]]
[[Category:British war drama films]]
[[Category:1960s war drama films]]
[[Category:British films based on plays]]
[[Category:Films directed by Sidney Lumet]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films]]
[[Category:North African campaign films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Almería]]
[[Category:Films shot at MGM-British Studios]]
[[Category:1960s English-language films]]
[[Category:1960s British films]]
[[Category:Films about the British Army]]

The Hill (film) - Revision history

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