At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

So-so WW1 drama.The story of a unit of soldiers in the Australian Light Horse, fighting in the Sinai and Palestine in WW1. Given its historic context, it should be a decent war drama.However, it is rather lacklustre and amateurish. First problem is that this was made in 1940, ie during World War 2, so is first and foremost a propaganda movie. The empty patriotism and manipulation is laid on thick. The Australians are all fantastic, likable, soldiers. The Germans are all evil and inept. (Some respect is shown for the Turks, but this may be because Turkey was neutral in WW2).Then we have the random, out-of-place, lame speeches. Out of the blue some uneducated soldier from a country town starts pontificating on the meaning of life and war, etc.To make things worse, the writers and director manage to throw in an unlikely romance (no, it doesn't involve a horse...), just to make things really silly.Acting is fairly woeful, but that may be due to the script and direction.On the plus side, the battle scenes are good and you do get a good sense of the history and bravery involved.For a much better, more realistic and grittier depiction of the Australian Light Horse's exploits in the Sinai and Palestine in WW1, especially the Battle of Beersheba, watch "The Lighthorsemen" (1987) instead. A great movie.

Of course, since my dad passed away many years ago, I can't verify this. But I do remember him telling us kids that, as a member of the Australian Army Signals Corp, he and many of his fellow soldiers were recruited as horsemen to ride over the Kurnell sand hills as extras in this movie.Since this was filmed in 1941, Australia was already in the war. My Dad's was record shows his service in New Guinea as a Lieutenant in the signals corps. I also remember him telling me about how he was trained to ride a motor bike so, along with the horse riding his story about being an extra was probably something to do with preparing them for service overseas.If anybody that reads this is able to provide some verification that would be greatly appreciated.

Begins with a Two-up game when three Australian soldiers win three donkeys and all the clothes from some Arabs, dress the donkeys in the baggy pants and fez and ride into some bar as typical larrikins. Some stereotyped Germans speak flawed English to each other and are depicted as ruthlessly cruel. The love interest disguises herself as a boy with a high pitched voice, soft skin and breasts and fools everyone. She saves an injured soldier whose wound in the top right of his chest miraculously disappears apparently because of the wet cloth she placed on it. Three of the four leads die heroically and the best looking one gets to spend the night with the girl before winning the war and riding off into the sunset with her. Back in 1941 this no doubt would have made men cheer and women swoon, so it is best looked at as an artifact of an age of innocence. The effort expended in filming all those horses would have been huge. The Gaza and Beersheba reconstructions are fair. The acting is stagey. You just have to tolerate the jingoism and stereotypes. The Allies were fighting the Germans again when the film was released, so the propaganda motive is completely understandable.

This is a classic Oz film made by the director who made Errol Flynn's first film(In the Wake of the Bounty"). I first saw this film as a child and was enthralled by it. Some of the scripting is a bit on the mawkish side and, as in any war film, there is a bit of flag waving (otherwise why make it?)but the action scenes are very well done.Given American insularity their lack of familiarity with the story shouldn't intrude on their enjoyment of it. Well written it recounts (fictional) events leading up to the Aust. Light Horse charge at Beersheba in World War 1. It shows well the dry, laconic Australian bushman's sense of humour and the capacity for friendship which used to be such a great Australian characteristic. Well made and an important film it still holds up well after 64 years.