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The Lighthorsemen

Play trailer Poster for The Lighthorsemen PG 1987 1h 50m War Play Trailer Watchlist
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71% Tomatometer 7 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
World War I Australian cavalrymen (Jon Blake, Peter Phelps) fight the Germans and the Turks, ending in a charge at Beersheba.

Critics Reviews

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David Stratton The Australian 04/29/2020
This time the sequence lasted 14 minutes and is even more breathtaking. Every element of this sequence - the horsemanship, the photography by Dean Semler, the editing by Adrian Carr - is praiseworthy... Go to Full Review
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 01/01/2000
2.5/4
Unfortunately, despite all of the other briefings and countless subtitles identifying various general's headquarters, I was disoriented almost all the way through the movie. Go to Full Review
Don Groves sbs.com.au 03/23/2011
2.5/5
Creaky Australian WWI saga doesn't improve with age. Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 09/21/2005
3/5
Dragan Antulov rec.arts.movies.reviews 04/02/2003
6/10
Caffeinated Clint Moviehole 09/17/2002
4/5
Powerful Australian war-classic with a bevy of great performances Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Gerard M Nov 11 I am proud to call myself Australian & watching this reminds or informs every one of the deeds & expertise of these soldiers & the world status filmmakers in this country. Such a spectacular cinematic treat. Watch it & watch it again. Not your average war movie. See more @ExcessMale 04/23/2022 The final battle scene is riveting but the characterization and plotting that gets us there is often boring. See more 11/11/2021 Magnificently filmed movie telling the true story of perhaps Australia's finest military hour. Featuring many, many of Australia's finest actors, it shows how the Australian Light Horse attacked and captured Beersheba and its vital wells on October 31 1917. Unlike cavalry, the Light Horse was an infantry unit, who used horses as a means to get to the battle, where they dismounted and then fought on foot. Beersheba was surrounded by little more than sand, tucked in perfectly to defend using the nearby dunes to force any attempt to take it to be through a killzone gauntlet of artillery, machine guns on all sides and crack riflemen. It seemed an impossible task, having been tried on numerous occasions...but the Australian's had a plan.... One of the most poignant offshoots to this movie is with one of its major stars, Jon Blake. Earmarked as 'the next Mel Gibson', as in the next aussie male actor set to take Hollywood by storm, Blake was driving away from the set after the last day of filming, swerved to avoid a car on the wrong side of the road and hit a stationary car. Blake was left paralysed and with severe brain damage and needed personal care until his dying day. Directed by Simon Wincer, the cinematography is genuinely breathtaking as is the story of a day which is not given anything like the regard it is entitled to. See more 01/07/2020 I do like a war movie with cavalry charges. See more 06/07/2014 Well-told, little-known story of the last successful cavalry charge in history. See more 04/26/2014 A stirring well shot Australian Film about Australia's finest hour The Lighthorsemen. This films focuses on the Aussies that where involved with this war & what they went through physically & mentally. This film also shows their shenanigans also... It's no surprise this film is building to the final attack on the Turks at Gaza & that is shot so well & tightly. Other than a slow middle this film is enjoyable & a strong Australian film. See more Read all reviews
The Lighthorsemen

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Movie Info

Synopsis World War I Australian cavalrymen (Jon Blake, Peter Phelps) fight the Germans and the Turks, ending in a charge at Beersheba.
Director
Simon Wincer
Producer
Ian Jones, Simon Wincer
Rating
PG
Genre
War
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 50m
Sound Mix
Surround