7.9/10
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89 user 37 critic

Breaker Morant (1980)

'Breaker' Morant (original title)
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0:57 | Trailer

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

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Writers:

(play), (screenplay) | 3 more credits »
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Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 13 wins & 6 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
Capt. Alfred Taylor
...
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
...
Cpl. Sharp
Russell Kiefel ...
Christiaan Botha
...
Lt. George Ramsdale Witton
Rod Mullinar ...
Maj. Charles Bolton
Alan Cassell ...
Rob Steele ...
Capt. Robertson
Chris Smith ...
Sgt. Cameron
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Storyline

During the Boer War, three Australian lieutenants are on trial for shooting Boer prisoners. Though they acted under orders, they are being used as scapegoats by the General Staff, who hopes to distance themselves from the irregular practices of the war. The trial does not progress as smoothly as expected by the General Staff, as the defence puts up a strong fight in the courtroom. Written by Kasper Sevaj <kaspsev@dorit.ihi.ku.dk>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

A powerful true story of bitter revenge... See more »

Genres:

Drama | History | War

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

|

Release Date:

September 1980 (France)  »

Also Known As:

Breaker Morant  »

Box Office

Budget:

AUD 650,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

(Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The quote from Lord Byron heard in the film is from the last two stanzas of his poem 'Impromptus'. See more »

Goofs

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. See more »

Quotes

Lord Kitchener: Needless to say, the Germans couldn't give a damn about the Boers. The diamonds and gold of South Africa they're after.
Major Bolton: They lack our altruism, sir.
Lord Kitchener: Quite.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Introducing Lewis Fitz-Gerald as George Witton See more »

Connections

Referenced in Rod Taylor: Return to Oz (2005) See more »

Soundtracks

Cock of the North
Traditional - Irish
Arranged by Bill Brown
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
A truly pleasant surprise
14 September 2002 | by (Ljubljana, Slovenia) – See all my reviews

It's one of the most delightful experiences to watch a movie you know completely nothing about and it turns out to be one of the best surprises in a long time. This was the case with "Breaker' Morant". I dont even know why I bothered to watch it, since it sounded like a truly boring Australian war movie, but boy was I wrong and consequently glad I DID bother. Some of the acting and the script are truly Oscar-worthy and the photography and camera movements were truly outstanding on many occasions, taking the whole movie onto another level of experience. And not to forget, the poetry recited through the movie is brilliant. I wonder if it truly got published. 8/10


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