382:) decide to go and find out where Blue is. They stumble across Blue, who is tied up and being tortured by Japanese soldiers. Darko and Jack look on helplessly as the Japanese soldiers bayonet him in the stomach and groin, and finally decapitate him with a sword. They return to their hiding place, shaken by what they have seen. The Japanese ambush the section and they run further into the jungle. Caught behind enemy lines in harsh terrain, Jack, to whom the others (including his brother, Max, have deferred) tries to maintain command of a small group of men. Suffering from
423:, where the situation is in dire straits. The AIF has finally arrived but they too are weak from the trek to Isurava. The 39th is no longer a capable fighting unit, and almost all of the men are too sick or wounded to fight. The three men check themselves into a makeshift field hospital for treatment. However an AIF officer comes in and asks for any available men from the 39th to help hold the line. Jack, Burke and Darko volunteer and they are assigned to a position held by men of the
459:. After many frightening days making their way back to Isurava with no food, carrying the wounded and suffering from the effects of tropical diseases, they emerged from the jungle near Alola. Upon hearing that the 39th Battalion was about to be overrun, they joined a party of severely wounded men and made their way back to the battle.
397:), has been injured in the leg and orders the rest of the section to leave him behind. They refuse and he struggles along with a crutch. After a full day of walking, the men are exhausted. The next morning they awake to find Sam gone, having hidden himself in a hollow tree stump to avoid holding them up.
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were highly praised by critics, considering most of them had never done a film on this large scale. The film was also praised for its realistic portrayal of the
Australian 39th Battalion during the campaign as well as the jungle setting which critics found "haunting, scary and very realistic." Many
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in waves against the
Australian positions. The Australians, who are only equipped with rifles and machine guns, desperately hold off the Japanese. The Japanese are gunned down by the superior firepower of the Australians, but in the final seconds of the fight Burke is shot through the chest and dies
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Meanwhile, at the village, a few
Japanese soldiers arrive to search the village and in a desperate attempt to save the life of his mate, Johnno fires at the Japanese and runs into the jungle; however, he is tracked down and gunned down by the Japanese. A day or so later a New Guinea tribesman comes
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The section makes it to a village that has been destroyed by the advancing
Japanese, and the Australians decide to take refuge. They bury the dead native villagers and an argument arises between Jack and Darko, a tough soldier who carries the section's Bren gun, over Max. Darko wishes to leave him
304:. Australia then only had available conscripts and militiamen who were considered unfit for combat duties. These were known as 'chocos' – it was believed that they would 'melt' away in the heat of battle. The chocos had been kept doing menial tasks such as unloading ships and digging roads.
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The next day, the scant remainder of the 39th is paraded at
Isurava village. The men are tired and haggard and receive news that they will be taken off the line and that they have just saved Australia from an imminent invasion. After the speech by the 39th's colonel
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called the film "a glimpse of what this dirty, nasty, very personal corner of the war was like." In
Australia the film made over $ 3 million in its first few weeks and became one of the highest-grossing Australian films of the year. One critic said that
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358:) who has served in North Africa, is on forward patrol when they are attacked by a Japanese force. The lieutenant is killed early in the battle and the section, led only by a recently promoted lance-corporal, Max (
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374:) offers to stay and provide cover. However, the remaining men are cut off and surrounded in the dense jungle, with little hope of escaping. The Australians try to remain hidden until nightfall, when Darko (
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The men continue and are ambushed by a
Japanese patrol. The Japanese soldiers are all killed, but Max is badly wounded by a gunshot to the stomach and is unable to walk. He is carried by all the men.
443:), Jack and Darko withdraw with the rest of the soldiers. (The Australians withdrew from Isurava to take up positions at Brigade Hill.) While withdrawing, Jack and Darko spot Max being carried by
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Due to budgetary restrictions, Grierson and co-writer John Lonie were forced to scale down the story, concentrating primarily on the trials and tribulations of one lost patrol.
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behind as he is slowing the section down and they are needed at
Isurava. Jack, however, wants to stay with him. However, Max decides to stay and let the others go and Johnno (
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arrives to relieve them. The story centres on an infantry section of the 39th
Battalion. The section with their platoon commander, a veteran AIF lieutenant (
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is of men from one of these units, under-trained, under-provisioned sent to face battle-hardened
Japanese soldiers in a desperate effort to save Australia.
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Kokoda veterans have also praised the film, many calling it "the closest thing you can get other than experiencing combat on the Kokoda Track yourself".
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The movie was inspired by the true story of a forward patrol led by Lieutenant Sword that found itself cut off from supply at the beginning of the
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The film received positive reviews from critics and currently holds a 71% "fresh" rating on
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The film barely shows the Japanese themselves in any detail – reflecting the claustrophobic
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in Darko's arms as the fight rages on. The Japanese end the assault and the battle is over.
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nominations for best costume design and best visual effects, one nomination from the
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back to inspect the village and finds a badly wounded Max in the hut.
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captured. The rest of Australia's professional military force – the
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for best cinematography, best editing and best production design.
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and is based on the experiences of Australian troops fighting
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Film Victoria - Australian Films at the Australian Box Office
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are stationed in a New Guinea village just after the
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grossed $ 3,138,501 at the box office in Australia.
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296:(AIF) – were still overseas fighting the
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734:at the National Film and Sound Archive
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447:to an aid station. He has survived.
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117:Film Finance Corporation Australia
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551:Film Critics Circle of Australia
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769:Films set in Papua New Guinea
764:Australian World War II films
595:Fitzsimons, Peter. "Kokoda."
524:descent. The performances by
789:2000s English-language films
319:along the only track – the
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393:One of the soldiers, Sam (
507:The Sydney Morning Herald
294:Australian Imperial Force
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779:Films shot in Queensland
578:List of Australian films
482:was shot on location at
430:That night the Japanese
154: (Sydney, Australia)
146:April 10, 2006
212:forces during the 1942
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197:Kokoda - 39th Battalion
754:Australian epic films
342:or 'chocos' from the
340:Australian militiamen
214:Kokoda Track campaign
794:2000s survival films
370:gunner called Blue (
18:2006 Australian film
682:on 18 February 2011
451:Based on true story
457:Battle for Isurava
445:Fuzzy wuzzy angels
317:Owen Stanley Range
284:In 1942, with the
774:Films set in 1942
759:Pacific War films
641:, 31 January 2011
534:Steve Le Marquand
522:German-Australian
505:Paul Byrnes from
395:Steve Le Marquand
372:Christopher Baker
338:A motley crew of
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267:Steve Le Marquand
235:Christopher Baker
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686:21 November
635:Kokoda 2007
364:Ewen Leslie
360:Simon Stone
356:Ben Barrack
263:as Wilstead
261:Ewen Leslie
239:Ben Barrack
102:Ewen Leslie
87:Ben Barrack
62:Produced by
38:Directed by
749:2006 films
743:Categories
620:13 January
584:References
561:Box office
488:Queensland
309:New Guinea
300:forces in
280:Background
167:92 minutes
150:2006-04-10
109:Production
70:Leesa Kahn
56:John Lonie
48:Written by
555:IF Awards
517:Gallipoli
494:Reception
410:Luke Ford
406:Tom Budge
388:dysentery
245:as Doctor
175:Australia
111:companies
652:"Kokoda"
572:See also
475:Location
348:Japanese
290:division
210:Japanese
202:war film
180:Language
76:Starring
421:Isurava
384:malaria
183:English
172:Country
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732:Kokoda
721:Kokoda
710:Kokoda
566:Kokoda
541:Awards
512:Kokoda
480:Kokoda
432:attack
328:Kokoda
269:as Sam
251:as Dan
191:Kokoda
24:Kokoda
680:(PDF)
673:(PDF)
463:Style
715:IMDb
688:2010
622:2017
532:and
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