Review of Breaker Morant (1980) by Cal ( — 02 Sep 2007
A compelling, engaging Australian war drama based on real life events during the Boer War in South Africa. In 1901, three Australian lieutenants are put on trial for executing Boer prisoners of war. Though the Australian lieutenants were acting under orders following the death of a captain, they are being used as scapegoats by their superior officers who had commited war crimes themselves and hope that they will distance themselves in the abnormal practices of war.
The trial does not run as smoothly as they expected as the lieutenants put up quite a fight in the courtroom. The film is engaging and quite powerful, but it ends on a tragic note. My only few complaints regard how the film tends to bog, and it seems that it can be hard to follow in some places (although that is probably more of a reflection on the transfer I watched it on).
The film garnered international acclaim and swept the AFI awards in Australia (which it thoroughly deserved). The film was based on a true story, and for those who know the story well, it is still a shocker when you see what happens at the end.
One of the best Australian films to date.
This review of Breaker Morant (1980) was written by Cal ( on 02 Sep 2007.
Breaker Morant has generally received very positive reviews.
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