Review: Breaker Morant
DVD: Breaker Morant (1980)
I think people won’t really know Edward Woodward unless they are ‘of a certain age’, then they’ll mainly remember him as David Callan (in Callan) and as the original Equalizer Robert McCall. Movie fans will possibly remember him as the virgin human sacrifice in The Wicker Man. Definitely a ‘man’s man’ type actor, most of his work was TV based, but as a film actor he shone.
Breaker Morant is a 1980 Australian made film directed by Bruce Beresford, who also co-wrote the screenplay which was based on Kenneth G. Ross play of the same name.
The story is based on fact, and looks at the 1902 court martial of Lieutenants Harry Morant, Peter Handcock, and George Witton. This was one of the prosecutions for war crimes in British military history and was from beginning to its inevitable end, a complete farce. The three Australian national soldiers serving in the British Army during the Anglo-Boer War, were accused of murdering captured prisoners of war in revenge for them killing their captain.
It’s mainly told in flashback and interestingly really does give a genuine 1900 ‘feel’ at times. I felt I could be watching the real thing, as if I were a fly on the wall. I do find Austrlian drama gives me the ‘authentic feels’ like no other country, and this is no exception. Although this is a courtroom ‘talky’ type drama, the acting in it raises it above boring. Edward Woodward gives real pathos to Morant, an honourable man he knows he’s committing atrocities but accepts it’s all part and parcel of war. A young Bryan Brown is also excellent as his comrade who is gobby, insubordinant and a wow with the married, lonely Boer ladies. This film is a veritable who’s who of male Australian actors: Bryan Brown, the great Jack Thomson, John Waters, Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell and Ray Meagher.
Interestingly, In a 1999 interview Beresford explained that Breaker Morant was a film to explore how wartime atrocities can be ‘committed by people who appear to be quite normal’, and he concluded that he was ‘amazed’ that so many people see his film as being about ‘poor Australians who were framed by the Brits’. I didn’t get that feeling from it. It’s plain these were scapegoats of the British army in order to bring a longed for end to the war.
In 1980, the film won ten Australian Film Institute Awards including: Best Film, Best Direction, Leading Actor, Supporting Actor, Screenplay, Art Direction, Cinematography, and Editing.
Another ‘lost’ film given a great release by Umbrella Entertainment. Highly recommended.
PS: What do you call a man with a plank on his head? Edward. What do you call a man with 3 planks on his head? Edward Woodward.
Review by Tina (co-host of 60 Minutes With) from a disc kindly supplied by Umbrella Entertainment.
