Rating: 
Summary: One response to terrorism: see this film!
Review: After the tragedy that occurred on September 11, 2001, I watched this film again. I had always enjoyed it, despite its grim theme, having seen Edward Woodward's talents in "Callen" for many years before 1980.One question raised in this film has to do with responses to terrorism. This is, in effect, what the Boers in this area were supposed to be were doing, albeit in a smaller way than recently. How do regular soldiers deal with terrorism? How do you pick the terrorists from the civilians? Who can you trust? How do you control this kind of warfare? "Apocalypse Now" suggested that one could go over the top with the horror of war, that normal people could do these things. "Breaker Morant" looks at the morality of this, the politics behind it, the consequences for those involved. In light of the current circumstances in dealing with terrorism, this film is a significant contribution to the dialog. The film doesn't have an answer, but it does ask some blunt questions. Set almost exactly 100 years before the World Trade Center, Pentagon and PA tragedies, the questions are much the same. British troops have been dealing with it in Northern Ireland for about 30 years and still don't have an answer that eliminates all the terror. I strongly advise watching this film as part of the current debate on dealing with terrorism.
Rating: 
Summary: Good but not excellent presentation
Review: This is a brilliant and compelling movie, but I wish to comment on the DVD presentation mainly. The picture is widescreen (non-anamorphic) and though it is a clear picture, there are quite a few scratches and blurs throughout. The colours are OK and it is overall fair to good. The sound is stereo (DD2.0) with no special emphasis (basically mono through two speakers, I think). The extra's are very basic. You get a very scratchy trailer, a list of the other films for the cast and production notes (a fancy word for copying the credits onto another page). Hopefully there will be a special edition with commentaries, documentaries and so forth, but for the moment this is the only edition and is worth the money for the story alone.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Historical Movie
Review: 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.
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Summary: Fictional account of Breaker Morant.
Review: This movie is a fictional account of the trial and conviction of killer Breaker Morant.It is unfortunate that Australian filmmakers have a chip on their shoulder about Britain and it has been suggested that the reason is that those in favour of an Australian republic attack Britain at every opportunity to promote their cause.At any rate,there has never been an Australian film made that is historically true(the Dish,for example is fiction).I am an Australian so my opinion is unbiased.
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Summary: a done deal
Review: I first saw this movie from a rental store in the mid 80's It held me to my seat and as each doomed man marched before the screen. You somehow think that it will be alright. But the tides of the Boer war suddenly reversed, and the men who were protecting their country, were suddenly traitors and had to pay for a crime that the Germans wanted revenge for: killing of a Dutch priest, even though the guy was fighting against them the Boers and had killed a favorite officer. The trial scenes are intense and the characters take on the realism seldon seen on the screen. Breaker Morant is a cut above a majority of movies made in the usa. Bruce Beresford does a smash-up job getting the characters to come alive and all the actors are very real. And you mourn for them.
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Summary: Only half the truth!
Review: As a former southern africa soldier and avid historian, I found that the movie is an excellent 'tale' of the Anglo-Boer war court martial of Morant, Handcock and Witton for murdering Boer prisoners. The movie is based on Kit Denton's book wherein the author goes all out to protest the court-martial. However the movie fails to mention that their commanding officer was also implicated as was a fifth fellow officer. The ensuing court martial only came about as the result of the letter signed by 15 of their own troopers and NCO's who complained of the indiscrimanate murder of at least 20 prisoners, a missionary, 2 of their own troopers plus other enemy scouts/spies. The letter of protest was written and witnessed by an Australian trooper who was also a Justice of the Peace. The fact that the letter of protest became a matter of public record and that could not be covered up any longer. Anyway, in the end Morant never really denied shooting Boer prisoners -- but by this time in the war, at least 50 others had been executed for various military crimes so it really wasn't a case of picking on the Aussies !! --
Rating:
Summary: A great courtroom drama about the Scapegoats of the Empire
Review: "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.
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Summary: Vehicle for classroom discussion
Review: I've never taught below the university level but would guess that many aspects would be a bit strong for most secondary school students. But in my international law class I have found this to be the most effective film I've ever used to promote student response & intense discussion. I note some of the reviewers are concerned with question of absolute accuracy of fact, location, etc. No film is ever truly accurate! If a film promotes discussion and thought it has served its purpose. I agree wholeheartedly with those who noted the high production values & superb acting. Like "Compulsion", "Judgment at Nuremberg", and other court room dramas certain liberties in fact & location are inevitable. I'm more interested in script literacy than typography. The reviewer who rated it as a 1 obviously had an intense value screen obscuring his perspective. Any movie that causes us to think can't be all bad (as in "1" rating). I also agree that Thompson (at least in this role) may be the most under-rated actor of this age & we may regret that he had few meaty roles.
Rating:
Summary: Breaker Morant
Review: One of the best movies ever made. When I see it on television, I must stop to see it again even though I've seen is many times. This is a true story.
Rating:
Summary: Dangerous profession
Review: First of all let me get all the mandatory praising out of the way. This film has several brilliant performances,it's writing is witty and intelligent. I own it and I can't count how many times I've watched it, but I never tire of it. Now for weighter matters. While this movie definitely addresses the issue of ethics and morality in wartime I think it also shows that soldiering is a dangerous profession in so many ways. One will often have more than one foe. There is the armed foe that one has been sent to fight and then there is one's superiors and peers. Warfare is the business of nations, which means there are often many things on the table besides defeating ones enemy. Politicians have a way of changing their objectives and not informing the soldiers of the changes. Previously condoned behavior can suddenly become "inconvenient" and the soldier find him or herself the scapegoat. What I get from this superb movie is that sacrificing one's own beliefs and ,doing what you know to be wrong, because one's superiors say it's all right, is a dangerous thing indeed. It isn't worth it. Warfare is a grim activity. Killing and survival often are and holding on to one's ethics are often the only thing one may have. As I said earlier, danger for a soldier dosen't always come from the enemy, sometimes it comes from ones own. Never sacrifice your morals for politicians,they aren't worth it.
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