Breaker Morant Movie

Breaker Morant
Rating:
Run Time: 107 min
MPAA Rating: PG
Released: 1980
Directors: Bruce Beresford
Genre/Type: Drama
British Empire Film
Anti-War Film
Courtroom Drama
Producers: Matt Carroll
Plot Synopsis by Don Kaye
Breaker Morant is one of the most acclaimed Australian films, telling a powerful tale of wartime betrayal and injustice. Henry "Breaker" Morant (Edward Woodward) is an Englishman living in Australia at the end of the 19th century. When war breaks out in 1899 between Britain and the Boers (descendants of Dutch colonists), Morant and a number of Australians volunteer for duty and are absorbed into the non-regular units of the British army. Acting under orders from his commanders, Morant oversees the execution of several Boer prisoners; it turns out that one of them was German, and in order to keep the peace with Germany, Britain agrees to courtmartial Morant and two other soldiers, sentencing two to death and one to life imprisonment. Based on a play by Kenneth Ross, Bruce Beresford's film is powerfully filmed and acted and has become a classic anti-war movie since its 1980 release; the script (co-written by Beresford) was nominated for an Academy Award. The final execution scene is nearly overpowering in its sense of tragedy and futility.

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When they speak of heroes - of villains - of men who look for action, who choose between honor and revenge - they tell the story of Breaker Morant more
Yes and no. On the one hand, the outcome of the trial was decided before it began, and it was a political thing. I think those who conspired to deny fair and impartial due process to Mr. Morant committed a dispicable crime. They are honorle...
Man kills priest on orders of high command. High command holds kangaroo court and kills man. Read book for more information.
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Cast

Actors Character Born
Edward Woodward Lt. Harry Morant Jun 1, 1930 in Croydon, England
Bryan Brown Lt. Peter Hancock Jun 23, 1947 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Lewis Fitz-Gerald Lt. George Witton
Jack Thompson Major J.F. Thomas Aug 31, 1940 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
John Waters Capt. Alfred Taylor
Rod Mullinar Major Charles Bolton
Charles "Bud" Tingwell Lieutenant Colonel Denny Jan 3, 1923 in Sydney, Australia
Terence Donovan Capt. Simon Hurst
Vincent Ball Lt. Ian Hamilton
Frank Wilson Dr.Johnson
Alan Cassell Lord Kitchener
Russell Kiefel Christian Botha
Judy Dick Mrs. Shields
Wayne Bell Lieutenant Reed
Ray Meagher Sgt Major Drummond
Chris Haywood Sentry
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Back to the topReview

Review by Rebecca Flint Marx
The film that gave director Bruce Beresford international recognition, Breaker Morant is one of the most acclaimed films ever to come out of Australia. A blunt, unsentimental account of one of the occasions on which Britain used and abused its Australian soldiers, it brilliantly depicts the betrayal, rage, and hypocrisy that characterized both the soldiers' trial and the nature of Australian-British military relations. To that end, works as a kind of belated expose; like Gallipoli a year later, it brought decades-old wrongdoings to light for the benefit of a modern audience. Thanks to Beresford's excellent direction, however, the film avoids the trap of self-righteous moralizing that often accompanies such biased storytelling. In fact, as rooted as it is in the tradition of military drama, Breaker Morant is as much a compelling character study. What really grabs the viewer is not so much the injustice at hand -- that's a given -- as the ways it is dealt with by the men upon whom it is inflicted. As the titular Morant, Edward Woodward displays both dignity and soft-spoken rage, while Bryan Brown communicates hot-tempered defiance as Handcock and Lewis Fitz-Gerald is terrifically naive as Witten, the youngest of the three court-martialed men. Jack Thompson is also memorable as the country lawyer who defends the men. These actors' performances are what make the film so affecting, giving the story both humanity and terrible sadness. Unlike the injustice portrayed in Breaker Morant, the sympathy we feel for its victims is not a given; instead, it is earned.
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