FORBIDDEN GROUND/ BATTLE GROUND
Australia, 2013, 95 minutes, Colour.
Johan Earl, Tim Pocock, Martin Copping, Denai Gracie, Sarah Mawbey, Barry Quin, Damian Sommerlad.
Directed by Johan Earl, Adrian Powers.
Forbidden Ground is a story of World War I and the trenches. It is an Australian production, filmed in New South Wales, the French countryside and the trenches filmed in Dubbo and enhanced by special effects.
The film was cowritten by Johan Earl, originally from Sweden, who worked in cinema in Australia, writing, directing and, in this film, in charge of special effects. The co-director of the film is Adrian Powers who also edited the film.
Within a small budget, the filmmakers create an atmosphere of the French countryside, life and death in the trenches, the hardships of going over the top, the firing of the guns from the German trenches, injuries and deaths.
The central character, Arthur, played by Johan Earl, is in charge, has to deal with O’ Leary(Tim Pocock) , a fearful young man. When one of the older soldiers is wounded and is lying out in no man’s land, Arthur he is the cries of his friend and decides that he and O’ Leary will crawl out, defy the Germans and drag their friend back to safety. This is not an easy task although it is night. The Germans are on the alert. There are flares. It is a matter of dragging their friend, in pain, through a barbed wire fence and, eventually, into a trench.
This is significant for O’ Leary who shows some heroism. However, he is the mercy of the Lieutenant who has given harsh commands for going over the top, for Arthur to lead the men. Trenches are booby-trapped for the Germans and his decision is that O’ Leary should be shot before getting into the rigged trench.
In the meantime, there is some dramatic relief from the war sequences, Arthur’s wife is shown, at first in a dream with his rejecting her because she is pregnant by another man. Then her real situation is shown, her going to a doctor for an abortion, a sympathetic nurse helping her, but her death. There is a dramatic irony in so far as the nurse is the fiance of the injured man in the field.
Arthur survives the war, returns to visit his friend’s fiance, finding her in jail – but with no explanation.
Death in war, death in pregnancy and abortion, the pervading atmosphere of death.
1. Memories of World War I? The trenches? Going over the top? British versus German?
2. Re-creating the battlefields in New South Wales? Authentic? Special effects? The trenches, the open fields, at night, the bombardments, shooting and deaths?
3. The contrast with the scenes in England, Grace and the home, the doctor, abortion issues, the abortion process, death?
4. The first part of the film showing the tension in the trenches, establishing the characters of Arthur, Richard, O’ Leary, the Lieutenant and his commands? Going over the top, the anticipated deaths? The second part showing action in the fields, dead and wounded, O’ iLeary and his anxiety, fear, after sending him out, the rescue of Richard, the dangers, being fired on, dragging him to safety? The flares, the light? The barbed wire and being caught? O’Leary? going to help? The Lieutenant ordering him to be fired on? His escape, going to the trench, the tripwire and the explosions, the Germans and the bewilderment? The deadline for the attack?
5. Arthur, his character, age, responsibilities, the distance from his wife? His regrets? Richard, his engagement to the young nurse? His being wounded, his leg, the pain? His calling out, the rescue, dragged across the mud, under the barbed wire, into the trench? His saving Arthur’s life by shooting the German? Pretending to be dead? The German hitting his leg and his cry? Arthur, confronted by the German? The German being shot, Arthur saved?
6. The impression of the Lieutenant, young, aristocratic, ordering the men over the top, impossible orders, O’ Leary coming to the trench, the Lieutenant ordering him to be shot? The men obeying orders?
7. At home, Grace, alienation from Arthur, in love, her pregnancy? Imagining his return and his rejecting her? Going to the doctor, the law, doctor’s refusal, referring Grace to the nurse, the nurse’s story of her sister and adoption, Grace’s plea, the nurse attempting the abortion, the blood, Grace’s death?
8. Arthur returning home, the message for the nurse, finding her in jail, but his having no knowledge of Grace and her pregnancy?
9. The impact of the film as a re-creation of aspects of World War I and war, suffering and death, and the linking of war, abortion, the dead mother?
