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Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9780794205232
Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 0794205232
Label: Fox Lorber
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Fox Lorber
Region Code: 1
Release Date: December 14, 2004
Running Time: 107 minutes
Sales Rank: 69891
Studio: Fox Lorber
Theatrical Release Date: 1980
Editorial Review:
Description:
New hi def color transfer made from 35 mm interpositive - picture: 16x9 Anamorphic 1.85:1 presentation, 5.1 surround sound, subtitled in English, French and Spanish, commentary with director Bruce Beresford, 20 minute interview with actor Edward Woodward, in-depth character breakdown, photo gallery and original theatrical trailer. Synopsis: Based on a true story, Breaker Morant is the tale of three soldiers who are court-martialed at the end of the Boer War. When one of their comrades is ambushed and killed, three soldiers (Edward Woodward, Brian Brown and Lewis Fitz-Gerald) seek revenge and kill a Boer Solider. The act of murder and the mysterious disappearance of a German missionary leads to the arrest of the three men. In one of the most controversial court-martials in military history, they are defended by Major Thomas (Jack Thompson), small town Australian solicitor who has only been given one day to prepare the case.
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
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Lessons from History
So, who says the movies are strictly an entertainment medium. Occasionally a burst of reality manages to sneak through. In Breaker Morant we're shown what most of us suspect anyway-- that in war, the demands of politics trump the demands of justice. Kubrick revealed the lesson in 1958's Paths of Glory, where it was the French high command sacrificing three hapless dogfaces to protect France's war effort or at least those charged with waging it. Here it's the fabled British Empire on which the sun ... Read More
Rating: - Precision English Acting!
This movie ranks as one of my favorite movies of all time. Woodward's portrayal of Harry Morant is a masterpiece. It is all the more amazing in that it is based on a story hidden until long after the youngest of the officers involved died of natural causes. The movie showcases some fine talent in Bryan Brown and Jack Thompson as the defense attorney who shows up the British imperialist for what they are. This is an excellent movie worthy of anyone's collection.
If this review was helpful, ... Read More
Rating: - Realistic and marvellously directed
Although Britain's war against South African Boer farmers ended over a century ago, the issues raised in "Breaker Morant" seem as real as today's headlines: alleged prisoner abuse, a guerilla war that won't end, an occupying power versus a hostile population, and a search for scapegoats among the lower ranks. This film has it all: authentic scenery, disciplined soldiers produced from a long gone society, enemy combatants, court-martial proceedings and historical plot line which bring a little-known era ... Read More
Rating: - Breaker Morant
One of the high points in Australian cinema, Beresford's devastating film recounts the true story of Australian soldiers martyred for political expediency. Accurately depicting the injustice visited upon these three "colonials" by their British commanders, "Morant" is also a magnificent character study. Thompson is terrific as the lawyer who defends the men, but Woodward's resonant, heart-rending performance in the title role is reason enough to see this stunning film.
Rating: - Look no further for the finest war movie ever made
Brilliantly adapted from a true story, poignantly filmed and outstandingly produced and acted, "Breaker Morant" stands alone at the big heap of great war movies. It's all here, of course: battle scenes, commando ambushes, honor, valor, betrayal, executions and a real 'kangaroo court martial'. The accused's fates are sealed from the opening salvo, as we bear witness to another example of the vast British empire taking no prisoners of its own, leaving innocent soldiers of the Commonwealth hung out to dry ... Read More
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