'Breaker' Morant (1980)

Director:

Bruce Beresford

Writers:

Kenneth G. Ross (play)
Jonathan Hardy (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

3 July 1980 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

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

Plot:

Three Australian lieutenants are court martialed for executing prisoners as a way of deflecting attention from war crimes committed by their superior officers.

Plot Keywords:

Trial | Shooting | Boer War | Court | Courtroom

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 12 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Edward Woodward	...	Lt. Harry 'Breaker' Morant
Jack Thompson	...	Maj. J.F. Thomas
John Waters	...	Capt. Alfred Taylor
Bryan Brown	...	Lt. Peter Handcock
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell	...	Lt. Col. Denny (as Charles Tingwell)
Terence Donovan	...	Capt. Simon Hunt
Vincent Ball	...	Col. Ian 'Johnny' Hamilton
Ray Meagher	...	Sgt. Maj. Drummond
Chris Haywood	...	Cpl. Sharp
Russell Kiefel	...	Christiaan Botha
Lewis Fitz-Gerald	...	Lt. George Ramsdale Witton
Rod Mullinar	...	Maj. Charles Bolton
Alan Cassell	...	Lord Horatio Kitchener
Rob Steele	...	Capt. Robertson
Chris Smith	...	Sgt. Cameron

Also Known As:

Breaker Morant (USA)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English | Dutch

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Sweden:15 | Australia:M (TV rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1992) | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | New Zealand:PG

Filming Locations:

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Company:

7 Network

Trivia:

Principal photography was delayed due to problems with casting.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the closeup of a soldier's finger pulling the trigger of his Enfield rifle during Lt Morant's explanation of "Rule 303" to the court, the rifle stays absolutely still when the shot goes off. In actuality, a high-powered rifle like the .303-caliber Enfield would "jump" noticeably at the instant of firing.

Quotes:

Sentry: [to Major Thomas] Excuse me, sir. I was in a public house last night, sir.
Major Thomas: We're you, Sergeant?
Sentry: Yes, sir. I overheard one of the witnesses talking about the prisoners. In his cups he was, sir. A very indescreet gentleman.
Major Thomas: [later in court, questioning Corporal Sharp] Have you not been saying in the local pubs that you would walk barefoot from Cape Town to Petersburg to be on a firing party to shoot Lieutenant Handcock?
Corporal Sharp: [visibly shaken] Well, sir I might have said something like that over a pint, sir. It may have been the beer talking, sir, not me, sir.

Movie Connections:

References Paths of Glory (1957)

Soundtrack:

Soldiers of the Queen

A powerful movie, compelling story, beautifully acted

"Breaker Morant" is a powerful indictment of colonialism and the extremes to which a government will go to cover its rear end. The characters are brilliantly portrayed, the movie is superbly filmed and the story of the Aussie military unit is a compelling one. The relationships among the soldiers are especially well-presented, and the trial that constitutes the center of the film is not only absorbing but chilling. There are echoes of America's experience in Vietnam, and of the shortcomings of empires other than the British as shown here. In short, it's riveting and well-paced. And the ending, although foreshadowed, isn't given away. It has lessons for our modern world. It's one of my top 10 movies.