Customer Reviews

Breaker Morant

5 star:		(87)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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 !!

"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." Bryan Brown plays one of the other defendants, but this is Woodward's film even when he is reduced to doing nothing more than sitting in his chair and letting the farce plays itself out to the end (Do not ask me to explain why it was Thompson and not Woodward who won the Australian Film Institute's award for Best Actor in a Drama that year). The conclusion of the film is simple yet powerful: we watch the final scene listening to the last poem written by Morant and then Woodward singing a British military song that hammers home the irony of the film.

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. When it was over, it gave me much food for thought. And I was so intrigued that I barely noticed how good a screenplay it was and how well it was paced. For those who like courtroom dramas as well as war movies, I give it a high recommendation as a classic in its field.

I am a retired army officer, with 40 years service in southern African forces. I have also made an in-depth study of the events that led up to the court martial which sentenced Lts Harry Morant and Peter Handcock to death. As such I was very critical in my viewing of Breaker Morant. Given that the film was largely based on Kit Denton's book "The Breaker", there are several inaccuracies of fact in the film, eg. the execution never took place at Pietersburg - it was in Pretoria. Also, five officers were court-martialled, not only three as shown in the film. I understand that the film was made on location in South Australia, which explains why the terrain was unlike that in which the Bushveld Carbineers operated. Finally, I am now a registered tourist guide and have designed a tour which covers the same ground as the Bushveld Carbineers, visiting the places where Breaker Morant operated and carried out the tasks that led to his execution. The 7-day tour ends at his graveside in the Church Street cemetery in Pretoria. If anyone wants to know the real facts, using this excellent film as background, I'd be happy to hear from them. In conclusion, I rate the film as the best I've seen concerning the Anglo-Boer War. It highlights the strong emotional reactions that the war had on the lives of those who took part in it (including my Australian grandfather, who settled in South Africa after the war).

I found this film incredibly moving. It's nice to see a historical film about the ambiguity and injustice of war set in an era other than Vietnam. War and politics have never been black and white.

Aside from the message, this film is well directed and acted. The cast are all outstanding especially Edward Woodward (Breaker Morant) and Jack Thompson (the lawyer, Major Thomas). The film is evenly paced and moves along briskly. The scenery is outstanding and adds so much to the sense of vastness. The costumes and sets are authentic and add great detail. The film quality is a little substandard but not distracting, however with the beautiful cinema-photography I would really like to see a remastered edition. As for extras there are none to speak of.

The story is riveting and is comparable to other courtroom dramas like A Few Good Men. The blatant railroading of the three soliders is frustrating and it's thrilling to see Major Thomas's minor victories. Despite the serious subject matter the film has several humorous moments. The ending is painful and poignant and, like my other favorite Australian war film Gallipoli, honest in it's depiction of the messed up nature of war.

A very powerful film, which richly deserves the praise it has accumulated over the years.

Beresford certainly shone in this, one of this finest moments, and the cast, especially Woodward, Brown and Thompson were just superb.

I read the Kit Denton book Case Closed many years ago, and the movie appears to be partly based on that. Information seems to have come to light after the event, such as Kitchener's diaries confirming the order to shoot 'enemies' wearing British uniforms in any form, and the evaluation of Morant's 'psychotic' character by some of his fellow troopers. However, it doen't really change the central issue of putting soldiers on trial for political reasons, while the gin-swilling politicians continue to mess things up from thousands of miles away.

The British made such a hash of the Boer War(s) that it is no surprise that two thirds of their war dead died from disease rather than enemy action. Likewise the thousands of Boer women and children who died in the British concentration camps (the Brits invented them to 'concentrate' the prisoners into a manageable environment) only died due to administrative incompetence, not through any attempt to harm them.

It was against this background that an Aussie BVC patrol were put on trial for summarily executing Boer prisoners, whom some claim were coming in to surrender. Yet there is so much that we can never really know in this case, as so much of what was believed to be evidence has been contradicted, such as whether one of the Boers had really been wearing a dead British officer's (Morant's friend) army pants.

Was Morant a 'killer'? If he was, then so was Kitchener. Perhaps the main difference was that some people kill with a stroke of a pen and others with a 303 rifle.

As with the My Lai massacre in Vietnam, there has to be accountability in war. No question. But it is also inappropriate to place a bunch of young men in harm's way, in an asymmetrical warfare situation, and expect them to be immune to provocation and imminent physical danger, and to react calmly and rationally in every case.

It clearly was a politically-motivated show trial and the men should never have been executed, even if a trial had actually been warranted. I'm not anti-British, I grew up in the UK, I'm just anti British stupidity.

Set near the end of the Boar War, Breaker Morant follows the careers, battles and finally trial of three Australian Officers. The Boar War was fought on several shadowy fronts with proxies representing major combatants. With British, German, Dutch and even Portugeuse economic interests at stake, all had their hands dirty to a greater or lesser extent. The Boers often fought as irregulars and the British countered by adopting methods that were not totally sanctioned by the (later) Geneva conventions, such as interment of civilians and shooting suspects if not in proper uniform.

As a soldier and instructor of military law and ethics, I study the legal and moral application of force, and attempt to convey to my students which orders are ethical or not. Of course there are always grey areas that change with the situation, time, and seriousness of the situation. In light of the recent Iraq war and friendly fire deaths there still exists a need for this education.

About ten years ago the diaries of Lord Kitchener were released. He had died at the end of WW I and the 75 year period protecting his documents expired. It clearly states that he had issued the order to shoot prisoners found wearing British Battle Dress (not "only if attempting to deceive" as in the movie). This fact alone clearly exonerates the three of legal if not moral responsibility; the current Geneva Conventions clearly state that for protection soldiers must fight in uniform of their own side with clear insignia and under proper authority. Various other movies are also excellent studies of the laws of war including Cross of Iron and Platoon.

If only as a 'law study' Breaker Morant whould be great movie. An excellent cast, great directing and script and wonderful scenary (if not entirely accurate) make this a keeper and one of my top 20.

Absolutely one of the finest war movies ever committed to film, Breaker Morant explores the themes of truth and justice on the battlefield against the backdrop of the 1900 Boer War and the trial of three Australian officers accused of murder. The courtroom scenes are sculpted into eruptive dramatic pieces and interspersed with the gorgeous cinematography form a rich and moving drama with a shocking end. Must see!

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Having first viewed this film well over two decades ago, I watched this new issue last night: I was struck by the excellence of the production.

The re-creation of the Belle Époque period is nothing less than superb. The set designers and costume designers had a real eye for detail here. The dialogue is also very well wrought. And the cinematography is very fine as well.

Rather than a "war picture," I would call this a "costume drama"--somewhat in the vein of Masterpiece Theater.

The depection of turn-of-the-century Empire politics is shrewdly executed, and the film highlights a frequently forgotten milestone in historical-geo-political events: the South African (or Boer) War turned out to be a nasty campaign for the English: it lasted much too long (1899-1902); the Brits themselves unnecessiarly lost too many men; and there was too much collaterial damage--e.g., Boer (Dutch) women and children placed in exposed concentration camps, etc.
It was an ugly mess and an issue for the Germans to scrape over.

And it came at a time of rising lower-middle class and working class prosperity and influence in Britain, with an increasingly independant and critical popular media (newspapers and journals). In the home Islands it was recognized that the war had been grossly mismanaged.
Bottom line: the Boer War was the first national-political scandal to really shake the hold of the ruling class (gentry and aristocracy) in Britain. (The next disaster--WW1--would of course finish the job.)

A lesson in history.

Breaker Morant [Blu-ray]
Breaker Morant (Masterworks Edition)
Breaker Morant
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Exceptional period drama about several Australian soldiers who are placed on trial for murder during the Boer War in South Africa in the 1800's. Told in flashbacks it is the tale of the stress of combat while fighting against a guerilla who knows the land and is supported by the population. Poor leadership and blurred rules of engagement lead to frustration when a soldier is killed by a guerilla and is in turn hunted down and killed. The soldiers are scapegoats to public opinion and a army ledership who wants to cover it's own posterior. Were these men truly guilty of murder or just fighting a war and trying to survive?? An exceptional film.