(1965)

Submitted by Don P

(1965)
A military prison drama directed by Sidney Lumet.

The title comes from an artificial hill in a British military prison in Libya during WWII that is used for “drill” so as to break a man’s spirit.

A busted Sgt. Major (Sean Connery) who assaulted his Commanding Officer (over a stupid order that killed all his men) arrives at prison to begin his sentence.

Connery soon finds himself in conflict with a sadistic manipulative guard named Williams. A fragile prisoner named Stevens dies after a grueling discipline session with Williams that causes an intense internal power struggle over who will take the blame.

Connery resolves to report the truth about what happened and is savagely beaten by Williams. Williams is about to finish him off in a second session when Connery’s cell mates (which includes Ossie Davis) show up and murder Williams while Connery implores them not to do it.