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Breaker Morant [Blu-ray]

Edward Woodward (Actor), Jack Thompson (Actor), Bruce Beresford (Director) Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Format: Blu-ray

157 customer reviews

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Breaker Morant

Product Details

Actors: Edward Woodward, Jack Thompson, Bryan Brown, Chris Haywood, Terence Donovan
Directors: Bruce Beresford
Format: AC-3, Blu-ray, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Image Entertainment
DVD Release Date: February 5, 2008
Run Time: 107 minutes
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (157 customer reviews)
ASIN: B000X73NCW
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #296,745 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

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Learn more about "Breaker Morant [Blu-ray]" on IMDb

Special Features

None.

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Personal revenge or act of war? Crazed soldiers or political scapegoats? Winner of 10 Australian Academy Awards, this powerful film directed by the Oscar®-nominated Bruce Beresford (Tender Mercies, Driving Miss Daisy) continues to stir audiences with its timeless themes of wartime morality and military hypocrisy.

Based on a true story, Edward Woodward (TV's The Equalizer) unforgettably stars as the controversial folk hero and Renaissance man Lt. Harry "Breaker" Morant. As South Africa's Boer War draws to a close, Morant and two fellow Australian soldiers are court-martialed for murder. Their only hope lies in a small-town lawyer who fights passionately for their lives.

Amazon.com

Before coming to America to make such acclaimed films as Tender Mercies and Driving Miss Daisy, Australian director Bruce Beresford made a lasting impression with this compelling courtroom drama, considered one the finest films of the Australian new wave of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Based on a true story about three soldiers in the Boer War who are served up as political scapegoats of the British Empire, the film uses a flashback structure to dramatize the courtroom testimony. It begins when the three Australian soldiers are railroaded for the justified killing of a German missionary and placed on trial for court-martial not as a matter of justice, but to mollify the German government for the sake of political expediency. Burdened with a competent but inexperienced and hopelessly disadvantaged lawyer, the soldiers realize that their fate has been sealed and the outcome of their trial is a fait accompli. Unfolding with urgent precision and a riveting focus on its well-drawn characters, Breaker Morant was the all-time box-office hit in Australia at the time of its release in 1980, and it remains one of the very best historical dramas ever made. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

(157)

4.5 out of 5 stars

5 star		120
4 star		19
3 star		5
2 star		4
1 star		9

See all 157 customer reviews

Great story, great acting.

Sal Daniele

Their trial shows the irony of their situation -- acting as good soldiers and being treated as Germans at Nuremberg by the empire that ordered them to war.

Larry VanDeSande

One of the best true war films of all time, highly recommended.

Richard Tillona

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

101 of 103 people found the following review helpful

"And a man's foes shall be thay of his own household....."

By P. Ferrigno on November 22, 2000

Format: DVD

Skillful director Brian Beresford, a brilliant ensemble of Australian actors, and the very talented English actor, Edward Woodward, came together in South Australia in 1979 to shoot one of Australia's finest films...a war time courtroom drama that excels in acting, narrative, script and cinematography.
Released at a time when the Australian film industry was on the verge of a world wide surge of interest with many other fine films (Mad Max 1979, Gallipoli 1981 etc.)...."Breaker Morant" set a benchmark for quality drama.
In the midst of the Boer War, three members of the Bushveldt Carboniers...Harry Morant, Peter Handcock & George Witton stand accused of the murder of Boer prisoners and a German missionary.
The men become the subject of a British court martial and it soon becomes clearly evident that they are mere pawns in a far greater diplomatic agenda between warring nations. The film closely tackles the issues of trialling soldiers for murder in times of war...and the differing interpretations of the orders recieved from senior officers.
Jack Thompson is outstanding as defence attorney, Major J.F. Thomas, attempting to save the lives of the trio. A youthful Bryan Brown is very memorable as the wild, simple larrikan, Peter Handcock...and Edward Woodward, in a moving and remarkable performance plays the role of the horse breaker-cum-soldier, Harry Hardboard Morant. Add a wonderful support cast including noted Australian actors Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, Alan Cassell, John Waters and Chris Haywood...and it's easy to see why this film garnished several key AFI awards upon it's release, and remains so highly regarded amongst critics and fans alike.
An intelligent, moving and thought provoking film "Breaker Morant" will be savoured by those who enjoy intense, challenging historical drama's. Highly Recommended !!

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63 of 65 people found the following review helpful

A great courtroom drama about the Scapegoats of the Empire

By Amazon Customer HALL OF FAMEVINE VOICE on February 20, 2001

Format: DVD Verified Purchase

"Breaker Morant" is best military courtroom drama available on videotape and not just because it is based on a true story. Unlike "The Caine Mutiny" or "A Few Good Men," the trial takes up most of the film, with events depicted in flashbacks. Also, the defendants are innocent of (most of) the charges against them. Harry "Breaker" Morant (played by a still unknown Edward Woodward years before "The Equalizer") led a group of Australian horse soldiers who had to deal with guerillas during the Boer War. Because the British government wishes to negotiate a peace, Morant and two of his officers are charged with various violations of military law the most important being the execution of Boer prisoners. Leaving nothing to chance, the British command gives the defendants an Australian lawyer to defend them who has never been in a courtroom; however, the man is inexperienced, he is not stupid. It is clear to everyone that the trial is a sham. This is why "Breaker Morant" has more in common with "Gallipoli," another Australian film about British disdain for their subjects from that colony continent.
"Breaker Morant" was directed by Bruce Beresford, who along with Jonathan Hardy and David Stevens was nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium for adapting Kenneth G. Ross' stage play. This movie also had one of the best trailers I have ever seen and it is impossible to forget Woodward's voice declaring, "We were out on the veldt fighting the Boer the way the Boer fought us.Read more ›

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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful

Countroom drama based on true event. Magnificent!

By Linda Linguvic HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on September 2, 2002

Format: VHS Tape

This 1979 Australian film is based on a true story which took place during the Boer War in South Africa from 1899 to 1902. The British fought to keep their colonial empire going; the South African settlers who were mostly of German or Dutch origin fought for their independence. It was a guerilla war with atrocities on both sides. The British brought in Australians to do the actual fighting, and, when a German clergyman who was a Boer spy was killed, the Brits wanted to assuage the Germans. And so they put three Australian lieutenants on trial for shooting Boer prisoners, an act that had been accepted by them all along. These three men were scapegoats. This is their story.
Most of the film takes place in the courtroom, which is supposed to be a place of justice. Instead, it become clear that the three Australians, played by Edward Woodward, Byran Brown and Lewis Fitz-Gerald are being used as pawns for British politics. Their attorney, played by Jack Thompson, has only been given one day to prepare his case. And yet he presents some masterful legal arguments as he cross-examines the witnesses and puts the three accused men on the stand. There is much tension, a lot of surprises and constantly fascinating.
There was also excellent character development as little by little the audience discovers who these men are and the untenable situation in which they were thrust. The name "Breaker Morant" is the name of one of the accused. His nickname is "Breaker" because he was a horse breaker before he was in the military. It's a good title for the film, and made me think about all the "breaking" that goes on in the military.
The morality of following orders gets explored in all its various forms, and the fact that is a true story made it even more interesting.Read more ›

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Five Stars

Great classic movie of war and ethics!

Published 15 days ago by Edward G. Burley

region two?

Region two? Does not play on my DVD player. Works great as a drink coaster here in California.

Published 18 days ago by Terry R. Fowler

I could not get it to play. If it ...

I could not get it to play. If it came from the UK I can understand but overseas DVDs should not be shipped to US. H

Published 28 days ago by Elisabeth Hughes

An Unforgettable Hero

Breaker Morant was a real personality and a big man! Like "Gallipoli" this film shows the injustice toward the Colonies during WWI and before, and how the Colonies'... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Carol Hawkins

Five Stars

Love this movie...

Published 1 month ago by Mary B. Curtis

excellent

a very good adaptation of the book.

Published 1 month ago by katharine potter

The acting is terrific and the ending is one that sticks with you ...

Oldie that still plays very well. Knowing that this story is factually true makes it even more compelling. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Brian Druker

Five Stars

very good dvd

Published 2 months ago by oh boy

Breaker Morant: History told in vivid detail. A must for all Aussies.

Such sadness. Beautifully filmed. Telling the story as the trial proceeded.Excellent acting. A wonderful portrayal of the Aussie character;

Published 2 months ago by Leonie J M

A great discussion-starter!

This is a film as much about twenty-first century issues as late nineteenth and twentieth century dilemmas. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Peter Buhler

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