- Actors: Edward Woodward, Jack Thompson, John Waters, Bryan Brown, Charles 'Bud' Tingwell
- Directors: Bruce Beresford
- Writers: Bruce Beresford, David Stevens, Jonathan Hardy, Kenneth G. Ross, Kit Denton
- Producers: Matt Carroll
- Format: Color, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
- Language: English
- Region: All Regions
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Number of discs: 1
- MPAA Rating:
- Studio: Paradox
- Release Date: Oct 1 2002
- Run Time: 107 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
- ASIN: 1572521775
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#44,390 in DVD (See Top 100 in DVD)
- #42 in DVD > Military & War > Anti-War Films
- #90 in DVD > Mystery & Suspense > Crime > Courtroom Drama
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Product Description
From 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
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Intelligent, engrossing courtroom drama,
By
This review is from: Breaker Morant [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
Based on a real life incident of Australian soldiers charged with murder --for political reasons-- during the Boer war. Echoes of Kubrick's "Paths of Glory", but the morality here is more grey. These men have indeed done awful things, but only as part of a war full of awful things. Thus, while your heart is with the protagonists, there are moments you question them almost as much as the Kangaroo court they face. The acting is excellent throughout, and what was originally a play has been opened up just enough so as not to feel stagey, without feeling forced. Some of the moral complexities could have been explored with more depth, and there is a slightly disturbing suggestion of making "I was just following orders" a viable defense for war atrocities, but I'd much rather question an intelligent, challenging picture"s point of view, then not be challenged at all.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good,
By Tom Munro "tomfrombrunswick" (Melbourne, Victoria Australia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Breaker Morant (Widescreen) (DVD)
This is a film about a trial of three Australians who were accussed of shooting Boer prisoners and also the murder of a minister. The trial is interspersed with flashback scenes of the actual conflict.In short the Boers after some initial successes were defeated by the more numerous British forces. They however did not accept defeat and mounted groups of Boer farmers continued to fight a guerilla war. The Boer war was notable for a number of things one being the invention of concentration camps. The British locked up the wives and children of the Boers so that they could not be supplied while carrying out raids. Some 20,000 women and children are said to have died in the camps. This film centres on some Australian troops who followed orders to shoot captured Boer commandoes. One of them Breaker Morant was a noted poet of the time who in Australia had contributed to the Bullutein Magazine for some time. He volunteered with an Australian unit to fight in the war. The film is largely about the hypcrosy of the British High Command who were willing to order the killing of prisoners and then to deny it when their actions in South Africa were causing a stink. Some territorials were put on trial to play the role of sacraficial victims. The problem with most Australian films is that they have poor scripts. Great photography and composition is no substitute for a tight script. The virtue of this film is that it is one of the best scripted Australian films released. It is also noteworthy as a film which is critcal of the Imperial tradition. The cast is very good with Edward Woodwood, Brian Brown and Jack Thompson. One of the better Australian films made.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Aussie rules!,
By Finn McCool (Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Breaker Morant (DVD)
What a wonderfully made movie. A great period piece. Spectacular performances through out make you feel like you are right there in the middle of the action. This movie makes you think that killing might be justified and then maybe not? Once again the Stuffy British attitude during this period is brought to task and exposed as the reason for many deaths and injustices. Ultimately a stimulating ride well worth the 2 hours. Bryan Brown and Edward Woodward were born for these roles. This movie helped launch almost everyone involved into even bigger productions.
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