I think this series is a colossal failure for two simple reasons: One-dimensional story with awfully inadequate character development and --even more important-- enormous historical errors.
But before the negatives, let me write about the positives in the story. First the casting of Australian actors... Instead of fancy-looking over 30 years old established actors, the series made a good job in hiring young talented actors for depicting the ordinary "diggers" in the front. It definitely gives an authentic feel to the series. Second is the music. It is simply eloquent and captivating.
Unfortunately apart from these, there are not much to say good about the series.
As I said, in the Gallipoli, there is not any character development, no person to really empathize with, no multi-dimensional feelings, --in short-- no real war experience. Instead, what we have is the cacophony of privates, generals,journalists and ill-represented enemies.
While it does not glorify the war, it is still caught in many militaristic myths. For instance, it depicts the young Anzac soldiers as war-machines from the first day of the battle without leaving any room for their transformation throughout the battle. We are expected to believe that seventeen year old skinny kid without any combat experience bayonets and kills countless enemies from the day one in the peninsula. Unlike The Pacific's Eugene Sledge, who became proficient in war as he gained experience and got more scared, Gallipoli's Thomas "Tolly" Johnson snipes and bayonets well from the first day to the last while keeping his child-like innocence. (any soldier's diary would testify how unlikely it is)
There are also many small yet important historical inaccuracies. In Episode 1, the series depicts a handful of ANZAC soldiers (seemed like understrength battalion) were pushing on to the hills on the first day of attack. While in reality, about ten-thousand soldiers were fully committed to an assault on that day and --miracolously-- could not capture the hill thanks to the efforts of two Turkish regiments (27th and 57th), who were numerically far outnumbered by the Anzacs. Instead of Turkish efforts, the series decided to blame it on the incapability and confusion among the Allied commands while keeping the heroic and capable image of ordinary soldiers.
Second, in Episode 4, all of a sudden, Tolly decides to go to sniping trip and suddenly we see him outside of the overcrowded trenches, which --in reality-- surrounded entire Anzac front, in an open field with no men around. (note that, in reality, unlike Western Front, there was not no-men's land in this war.) Moreover he can get a clear view of the Turkish HQ tent and shot half a dozen of Turkish soldiers including the commander. There is obviously no trench, no guard, no outside post in a surrounding area. Anyone with a basic knowledge of the Gallipoli war and the topography of the peninsula, would know that it is impossible.
In conclusion, this series is not an accurate nor fair representation of the Gallipoli war. It is rather a melodrama of it. Considering the money and effort spent on it, it is sad.
But before the negatives, let me write about the positives in the story. First the casting of Australian actors... Instead of fancy-looking over 30 years old established actors, the series made a good job in hiring young talented actors for depicting the ordinary "diggers" in the front. It definitely gives an authentic feel to the series. Second is the music. It is simply eloquent and captivating.
Unfortunately apart from these, there are not much to say good about the series.
As I said, in the Gallipoli, there is not any character development, no person to really empathize with, no multi-dimensional feelings, --in short-- no real war experience. Instead, what we have is the cacophony of privates, generals,journalists and ill-represented enemies.
While it does not glorify the war, it is still caught in many militaristic myths. For instance, it depicts the young Anzac soldiers as war-machines from the first day of the battle without leaving any room for their transformation throughout the battle. We are expected to believe that seventeen year old skinny kid without any combat experience bayonets and kills countless enemies from the day one in the peninsula. Unlike The Pacific's Eugene Sledge, who became proficient in war as he gained experience and got more scared, Gallipoli's Thomas "Tolly" Johnson snipes and bayonets well from the first day to the last while keeping his child-like innocence. (any soldier's diary would testify how unlikely it is)
There are also many small yet important historical inaccuracies. In Episode 1, the series depicts a handful of ANZAC soldiers (seemed like understrength battalion) were pushing on to the hills on the first day of attack. While in reality, about ten-thousand soldiers were fully committed to an assault on that day and --miracolously-- could not capture the hill thanks to the efforts of two Turkish regiments (27th and 57th), who were numerically far outnumbered by the Anzacs. Instead of Turkish efforts, the series decided to blame it on the incapability and confusion among the Allied commands while keeping the heroic and capable image of ordinary soldiers.
Second, in Episode 4, all of a sudden, Tolly decides to go to sniping trip and suddenly we see him outside of the overcrowded trenches, which --in reality-- surrounded entire Anzac front, in an open field with no men around. (note that, in reality, unlike Western Front, there was not no-men's land in this war.) Moreover he can get a clear view of the Turkish HQ tent and shot half a dozen of Turkish soldiers including the commander. There is obviously no trench, no guard, no outside post in a surrounding area. Anyone with a basic knowledge of the Gallipoli war and the topography of the peninsula, would know that it is impossible.
In conclusion, this series is not an accurate nor fair representation of the Gallipoli war. It is rather a melodrama of it. Considering the money and effort spent on it, it is sad.