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Edward Woodward, Bryan Brown, Lewis Fitz-Gerald, Jack Thompson, John Waters ... see more see more... , Rod Mullinar , Charles 'Bud' Tingwell , Terence Donovan , Vincent Ball , Frank Wilson , Alan Cassell , Russell Kiefel , Judy Dick , Chris Haywood , Alan Lovett , Ray Meagher , Rob Steele , Barbara West , Wayne Bell , Ian Gray , Dick Henderson

Breaker Morant is one of the most acclaimed Australian films, telling a powerful tale of wartime betrayal and injustice. Henry "Breaker" Morant (Edward Woodward) is an Englishman living in Australia a... read more read more...t the end of the 19th century. When war breaks out in 1899 between Britain and the Boers (descendants of Dutch colonists), Morant and a number of Australians volunteer for duty and are absorbed into the non-regular units of the British army. Acting under orders from his commanders, Morant oversees the execution of several Boer prisoners; it turns out that one of them was German, and in order to keep the peace with Germany, Britain agrees to courtmartial Morant and two other soldiers, sentencing two to death and one to life imprisonment. Based on a play by Kenneth Ross, Bruce Beresford's film is powerfully filmed and acted and has become a classic anti-war movie since its 1980 release; the script (co-written by Beresford) was nominated for an Academy Award. The final execution scene is nearly overpowering in its sense of tragedy and futility. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi

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88% liked it

4,572 ratings

Critics

100% liked it

20 critics

PG, 1 hr. 47 min.

Directed by: Bruce Beresford

Release Date: May 1, 1980

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DVD Release Date: June 29, 1999

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Stats: 287 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (287)

  • moonrivers
    August 26, 2011
    moonrivers
    At the beginning of the 20th century 3 Aussie soldiers are court-martialed for killing 6 Boers in South Africa, only the game is rigged. An ugly tale of military necessities versus political necessities made real by rich performances.
  • imrealgod
    December 27, 2010
    imrealgod
    Checking out the movies inspired from real events, I came across this one. Especially interested in crime genre movies based on true events, I just couldn't overlook this. An IMDb rating of 8/10 (at the time when this is been written) only added to my eagerness to check it out. I... read moret was like any other courtroom drama (here it's court-martial). Nevertheless, it was worth a watch. It depicts how some brave lieutenants are used as scapegoats in order to seek peace!!! The case was presented marvelously & it was intriguing to see how the relatively inexperienced lawyer of the accused defends them. However, one can easily deduct that the outcome of the case was already decided upon before even the case has started. The movie was handled excellently; it was interesting thoroughly for what could otherwise have been a boring predictable docudrama. All the actors play their part quite impressively. If you're a fan of movies based on true events, you might like to check this out. It's not too great, but is worth a shot.
  • robfearon
    March 25, 2009
    robfearon
    Memorable Aussie film with some good performances and great dialogue.
  • dwbdcy1
    March 23, 2008
    dwbdcy1
    Tough Guy in the Boer war, the Aussies had a bad habit of showing up as cannon fodder in a lot of Brit follies
  • maximusallen
    November 8, 2007
    maximusallen
    Darn near perfect film about friendship, honor, war, and politics. The spare directing style lends itself well to the non-linear editing used throughout.
  • cmgomes
    April 28, 2007
    cmgomes
    Great film about the potential insanity of mixing war, diplomacy, and politics. Solid plot with good characters that keep you hoping against hope till the end which is very crisp and shocking.

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Critic Reviews

Ken Hanke
October 13, 2010
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Bold, uncompromising and completely compelling filmmaking. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
May 14, 2010
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

It's deservedly one of the most acclaimed Australian films. Full Review

Steve Crum
April 20, 2007
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com

Memorable Aussie epic with Edward Woodward particularly good.

Lori Hoffman
January 11, 2007
Lori Hoffman, Atlantic City Weekly

Excellent anti-war flick from Austrailian "new wave"

Clint Morris
February 7, 2006
Clint Morris, Moviehole

The film all Australian films since have tried to live up to - and couldn't

Christopher Null
February 10, 2005
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

contains one of cinema's most undernoticed and passionate speeches Full Review

Wesley Lovell
August 28, 2004
Wesley Lovell, Oscar Guy

Woodward delivers a fine performance as the soft-spoken commander, Brown is effectively hot-tempered and Fitz-Gerald is terrifically naïve.

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
January 29, 2004
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

Breaker Morant is a top-notch film about an injustice in the annals of military history. Full Review

Bob Bloom
February 14, 2003
Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

A superb war movie with an unsettling moral.

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

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Facts

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    • Lt. Peter Hancock: A slice off a cut loaf's not missed.
    • Lt. Harry Morant: We were on the veldt, fighting the Boer!
    • Lt. Harry Morant: Shoot straight, you bastards! Don't make a mess of it!
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'Breaker' Morant Trivia

  • In the Classic Australian Movie "Breaker Morant", What Was The Last Thing Lt. Harry 'Breaker' Morant Says Befor He Gets Shot?  Answer »
  • What Movie Did And Australian Soldier Say "We shot them under Rule 303", While Being Qustiond Over The Death Of Prisoners?  Answer »
  • 1901 South Africa. The Boer War is being fought between the Boers and the British. Three Australian soldiers are being court martialed for executing enemy prisoners. Edward Woodward, Jack Thompson and Bryan Brown are in this well acted court-martial drama. What's the name of this film?  Answer »
  • (1980) They were Australian soldiers, doing a difficult job in the Boer War, where none of the regular conventions of war were working. That's why they were surprised when they found themselves facing a court martial for following orders.  Answer »
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