The first Australian production to win an Academy Award focuses on a platoon in New Guinea. Viewers nowadays will notice the casual use of racial slurs in reference to the Japanese, and a patronizing focus on the New Guineans. Aside from that, "Kokoda Front Line!" will be of interest to history buffs as a time capsule. I had never heard of Damien Parer before watching this, but it sounds as though he did a lot of important work during WWII (he fell victim to Japanese forces in 1944). The fact remains that no person who hasn't served in combat can truly know what it's like; we get only get a sense from the footage.
It's worth seeing as long as we understand the dated content. Another New Guinea-set documentary that I recommend is "The Sky Above - the Mud Below", which also won an Academy Award.
It's worth seeing as long as we understand the dated content. Another New Guinea-set documentary that I recommend is "The Sky Above - the Mud Below", which also won an Academy Award.