Movies: “The Hill”

July 3, 1965 - Opening today is “The Hill,” a prison drama war film directed by Sidney Lumet and distributed by MGM. It depicts the physical and psychological power struggles of a British military prison in North Africa, near the end of World War II. The title refers to a large mound prisoners are made to repeatedly climb. 

The film stars Sean Connery, Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, Ossie Davis, Ian Hendry, Alfred Lynch, Roy Kinnear, and Michael Redgrave. It premiered at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival in May.

The film is based on a screenplay by Ray Rigby, a T.V. writer who spent time in military prison.

“There really isn't a lot of story,” says Lumet. “It’s all character — a group of men, prisoners and jailers alike, driven by the same motive force, fear.”

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.

Lumet says he told Connery before filming began: “‘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.”

Filming took place in Almería, Spain starting last September. An old Spanish fort in Málaga was used for the prison.

In a manner similar to Lumet’s earlier film, “12 Angry Men,” also an analysis of the justice system, “The Hill” does not use a musical background score.

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