Breaker Morant (1980)

Told by way of a court retrospective, this film depicts the brutalities of the Boer War between the British Colonial authorities and the immigrant Dutch farmers who just wanted to be left to govern themselves. Though largely suppressed by the overwhelming military force, the Boers did have success with guerrilla tactics that resulted in the pretty brutal skirmishes described here. A court martial has been constituted to investigate the activities of three Australian solders and to basically scapegoat them. Only the legal skills of the inexperienced lawyer "Maj. Thomas" (Jack Thompson) can hope to prevent the three from going to the gallows. What soon becomes clear is that the soldiers lead by "Morant" (Edward Woodward) were certainly no saints, and that the ghastliness of this war is writ pretty largely, but what it also identifies is the complicity of their otherwise "civilised" officers. It's got a solid cast, the dialogue is gritty and plausible, the cinematography presents us with the grand scale of the South African countryside and of the often rather subsistence existence of farmers and soldiers alike, and as the momentum builds, Australian director Bruce Beresford manages to sustain a fair degree of interest in the future of the accused and take quite a swipe at the colonial mentalities that prevailed at the time (and not just the British ones) too. Well worth a watch.

An all time great war movie/court room drama

"Breaker Morant" is one of those movies I had placed on a "Really should see this movie one of these days" list. Well, in some ways I'm sorry I waited so long to see this masterpiece and in other ways, the current world situation with "The war on terror" has made this movie even more relevant and topical.

The plot of this movie is based on real events that occurred during the Boer War, in South Africa. Three Australian soldiers (well, during the course of this war, Australia had become a nation) are courts martial for the killing of some South African fighters and a South African priest. The colonials are fighting for Britain against the Boers, and concerned that Germany (or what would later become Germany) would enter the war on the side of the Boers, Britain seeks to contain things and perhaps prevent German involvement by trying the three Australian colonials.

Here is a movie which made a list of the greatest war movies of all time (http://www.historynet.com/movies/11719756.html). In my opinion this movie should have topped the poll, or ranked even higher than the 91st position it got, out of 100. In fact, I think that this movie is also one of the all time great court room dramas as well (the movie has many court scenes and occasionally gives a magnificent insight into war and the conditions on the ground). Script-wise, this film is a towering achievement. So many insights into the bigger picture occurring through understated dialogue.

Made before the current "War on terror", it perhaps unintentionally makes complex our response to that. In other words, this is not a film that panders to liberalism or conservatism. Times have changed, and this movie challenges us, in a way that it perhaps didn't foresee or intend, as a consequence of the event of September 11, 2001, in the USA.

Superb performances all around from an All Star Australian cast. Poignant, funny, enlightening and intellectually stimulating. This is the movie that blows away the notion that I had that Australian movies are poorly scripted and acted.

An all time great movie. Nominated for an Oscar. Should have won many.

Perfect.

[Posted on another site 4 July 2008 by their dating]