Sam Worthington on the red carpet
You would think that being the lead role in Avatar, still the highest-grossing film worldwide in history, would elevate anyone to superstardom. Weirdly, Sam Worthington hasn't immersed himself in Hollywood royalty like Jake Sully did with the Na'vi on Pandora in James Cameron's sci-fi epic saga.
Today, Worthington, whom Cameron discovered as an unknown struggling actor, is almost exclusively synonymous with the Avatar series that continues to thrive with the recently released Fire and Ash. After helping shatter box office records in 2009, he was inundated with lead roles in large-scale action movies like Terminator Salvation and Clash of the Titans that failed to win over audiences. Regardless, Worthington's talents and screen presence are undeniable, even when he's covered in mo-cap. One of his most unheralded performances is in Deadline Gallipoli, an Australian TV miniseries that's available to stream on The Roku Channel. The underrated period drama, also executive-produced by Worthington, explores the Gallipoli Campaign, a 1915-1916 conflict during World War I, and it deserves a proper reclamation for any war of history buff. 'Deadline Gallipoli' Portrays a Brutal WWI Conflict From a Journalist's Perspective Deadline Gallipoli, directed by Michael Rymer of Battlestar Galactica fame, follows four journalists, Philip Schuler , Charles Bean , Keith Murdoch , and Ellis Ashmead , who arrive at Gallipoli, a peninsula set in the Eastern part of Turkey, with the invading British and Allied troops in 1915, on a mission to attack the Ottoman Empire during the first Great War. These brave journalists are placed right in the middle of the action, reminding audiences of the unheralded nobility of the press, a notion lost in the modern media landscape of government oppression and corporate takeovers. Reporting for the Allies, they're obligated to cover the events of the war in the alliance's favor, but their moral consciousness compels them to uncover the mismanagement of the war, and let the people know that the nation isn't serving their best interests. Without minimizing the blood left behind by the combat fighters on the ground, Deadline Gallipoli frames the conflict from a journalist's perspective. In the grand scheme of the war, the battle for the future is fought in print, and the quartet of reporters possesses a heroic desire to uncover the truth of this disastrous invasion. However, the series is no hand-wringing lecture on the importance of the Fourth Estate, as the wartime period setting lends this austere drama the framework of a rip-roaring political thriller without sensationalism. The grounded portraits of both mundane and intense reporting make us sympathize with the characters as people, first and foremost. In a pre-HBO/prestige TV era, Deadline Gallipoli would likely have been a stand-alone feature film, as its visual panache is in line with the virtuosic war epics of yesteryear. As a miniseries, it's easy to draw parallels to Band of Brothers, a formative episodic story with cinematic aspirations, but Gallipoli's is less of an overt statement about nationalism and sacrifice than the Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks-produced series. In the first two episodes, where we live with the journalists as they interact with the local community and begin their research, the low-energy nature of the narrative flow is somewhat disarming, but it helps shock the viewer when the battle ensues. Sam Worthington Proves His Dramatic Chops in 'Deadline Gallipoli' Mainstream audiences aren't used to seeing Sam Worthington on the screen without being covered in blue skin via motion capture. However, his performance as the idyllic, truth-seeking Philip Schuler resembles Jake Sully from Avatar through his heroism. Both characters are unlikely — if not unsatisfactory — leaders of rebellion and independence. They may be imperfect, but their hearts are unquestionable, and their sweeping influence forces everyone to rally around them. As demonstrated in his unshowy, captivating turn in Horizon: An American Saga, Worthington is a versatile asset that can be dropped into any genre or period. Related 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' Star Sam Worthington Has a Confession To Make About Working With James Cameron "Good for a guy like me who gets a bit intimidated by being the center of attention." Posts By Mike Ryan More than anything, Deadline Gallipoli is a pleasure to watch. It has the slick craft of a studio miniseries with the narrative flexibility of an indie film. Between the exploration of Cairo and the shock and horror of the battlefield, the series has plenty to offer. Framing journalism as an allegory for combat warfare sounds like a clunky metaphor, but never has that message felt more urgent than today. Deadline Gallipoli War & Politics Drama War History Release Date 2015 - 2015-00-00 Network showcase Directors Michael Rymer Powered by Expand Collapse
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