Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz 

Noted Australian filmmaker Bruce Beresford ("Driving Miss Daisy"/"Tender Mercies"/"Don's Party") directs this low-budget moving court-martial story set during the Boer War (1899-1902) in South Africa between the British Empire and the Boers (Dutch South Africans), that in its passionate polemical style gives a more sympathetic account of the war crime accused than does history. It's based on the book The Breaker by Kit Denton and on the play by Kenneth Ross, and is written by Jonathan Hardy, David Stevens and Beresford.

Breaker Morant chronicles a real incident in 1901 when three Australian lieutenants-Harry 'Breaker' Morant (Edward Woodward), Peter Handcock (Bryan Brown), George Witton (Lewis Fitz-Gerald)-fighting on the side of the British in South Africa were court-martialed for executing several enemy civilian dressed farmer Boer prisoners and a German missionary after a battle. The soldiers in the commando-like Australian Bushveldt Carbineers, fighting a bloody guerrilla war, exact revenge for the murder and mutilation of their beloved leader Captain Hunt in the aforementioned battle and are brought to trial as scapegoats, as the Brits under the command of Lord Kitchener deny the prisoner deaths were ever part of an already official covert military policy. The reason for the betrayal is because the Brits do not want to give Germany an excuse to enter the war on the side of the Boers (as the Germans also have an eye to possess South Africa's gold and diamond riches), and are quite willing to punish their loyal soldiers who were only following orders passed down from the top brass. The prosecution's case is handled by the polished Maj. Charles Bolton (Rod Mullinar), while the defense attorney is the greenhorn Major J.F. Thomas (Jack Thompson), a lawyer handling wills and land deeds in civilian life and who never was part of a court-martial before. But surprisingly Thomas gives a spirited brilliant defense in this rigged trial, that sees two of the soldiers executed and one given a life-sentence.

The performances are superb, as it's hardly possible not to be affected by the execution of the soldiers. It's deservedly one of the most acclaimed Australian films. The title is derived from one of the accused nicknamed for being a horse breaker.

Breaker Morant covers familiar ground, but covers it well. It reminds one of Kubrick's military injustice themed masterpiece Paths of Glory (1957).

REVIEWED ON 5/14/2010       GRADE: A

Dennis Schwartz: "Ozus' World Movie Reviews"

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