Henry breaker morant edward woodward is an englishman living in australia at the end of the 19th century. Morant, played by edward woodward, is on trial to be courtmartialed for the execution of several boer. While i recommend strongly that all of you watch this wonderful movie, i do not want you to do so simply because it bares relevance to our current clusterfuck in iraq. The movie includes three of morants poems as proof he was the real deal. A character analysis of the film breaker morant kibin. The movie was nominated for the 1980 academy award for a screenplay adapted from another source. Though they acted under orders, they are being used as scapegoats by the general staff, who hopes to distance themselves from the irregular practices of the war. A play in two acts is a significant australian play written by kenneth g.
Seasinger there was a fine australian film made titled breaker morant, about his trial and execution, with edward woodward playing the title role. The film centres around the 1902 court martial of lieutenants harry morant, peter handcock, and george witton one of the first war crimes prosecutions in british military history. Although history suggests that the primary evidence against the officers came from their own men, disgusted at some of the actions they had been ordered to perform, the executions. 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. The graves of morant and handcock later became very popular with australian visitors, particularly after the 1980 release of bruce beresfords movie breaker morant. Pdf the breaker the novel behind breaker morant free books. British commanderinchief lord kitchener is determined to. The presentation of morant, handcock, and a third defendant as victims of circumstance was depicted in the 1980 major motion picture, breaker morant, starring edward woodward as morant. Within the english army, young harry morant called breaker has enlisted in a special australian unit, the bushwell carabiniers, to avenge a friend killed by the boers. Breaker morant is a 1980 australian film about the 1902 court martial of breaker morant, directed by bruce beresford and starring british actor edward woodward as harry breaker morant and jack thompson as his attorney. Breaker morant is a 1980 australian war drama film directed by bruce beresford, who also cowrote the screenplay which was based on kenneth g. Three australian lieutenants are court martialed for executing prisoners as a way of. Disbursement manager for the south australian film corporation, kevin hatswell says the return.
Breaker morant is an epic tale, set during the boer war. Breaker morant 1980 movie mistakes, goofs and bloopers. Kenneth rosss 1978 successful and widely acclaimed play breaker morant. Nov 24, 2009 for the south australian film industry, breaker morant was, and still is, its most profitable film. They were accused of murdering captured boers and a german missionary for no.
Breaker morant plot during the boer war, three australian lieutenants are on trial for shooting boer prisoners. Plot in transvaal, boers and british fight each other. Of course it does, but it is much more than just a metaphor about how inherently corrupt the goons running our country are. Breaker morant 1980 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. This sentiment has grown through the years, leaving the memory of breaker morant as a martyr to australians.
Thomas, played by jack thompson, was an intelligent man and well versed in his profession, although it didn t seem this way in the beginnings of this case. Breaker morant 1980 based on a true story from the boer war in south africa 18991902, breaker morant 1979 was an unexpected hit that helped usher in the spate of commercially successful and critically acclaimed australian films that took the u. Breaker morant concerns the murder trial of three australian army officers of the bushveldt carbineers serving in south africa during the second boer. They were accused of murdering captured boers and a german missionary for no good reason other than some form of revenge. Synopsis breaker morant is an australian war film directed by bruce beresford, who also cowrote the screenplay. The dawn attack on the fort did occur and the trio did perform brave enough to get them pardoned, under normal circumstances. A 1980 australian film directed by bruce beresford, based on true events from the second angloboer war. During the boer war, an englishaustralian lieutenant is tried for war crimes after executing captured boers and a german missionary. Find movie and film cast and crew information for breaker morant 1980 bruce beresford on allmovie. For the south australian film industry, breaker morant was, and still is, its most profitable film. The story was made into a movie in 1980, breaker morant, starring edward woodward, lewis fitzgerald, and jack thompson. The film takes the line that morant and a couple of fellow aussie soldiers, who had shown their willingness to use tactics as tough as those of the boers who had generally proved too wily for the english redcoats, were scapegoated by a.
See the full list of breaker morant cast and crew including actors, directors, producers and more. Breaker morant still haunts after 28 years breaker morant is a classic courtroom drama about war, duty, and politics set during the boer war 18991902. Recommendation engine sorted out realistic, serious, dramatic and tense films with plots about military, war, soldier, politics, culture clash, courage and runaway mostly in drama, war and history genres. May 18, 2019 three australian lieutenants are court martialed for executing prisoners as a way of deflecting attention from war crimes committed by their superior officers. This makes the real breaker morant even more unjustified in executing visser. In south africa during the second boer war, australian army lieutenants harry breaker morant. Harry breaker morant poems by the famous poet all poetry. In south africa during the second boer war, australian army lieutenants harry breaker morant edward woodward, peter handcock bryan brown and george witton lewis fitzgerald stand accused of the murders of six boer prisoners and the assassination of.
High quality reprint of wittons scathing political indictment of the british empire, originally published in 1907. Jun 19, 2014 the rousing finale to breaker morant is a great case study in why storytelling liberties are often placed ahead of fidelity to fact. Sep 18, 2010 this makes the real breaker morant even more unjustified in executing visser. Director bruce beresfords mantle is also filled with awards. A play in two acts isbn 0726709972, was adapted by ross and bruce beresford into beresfords 1980 movie breaker morant. Breaker morant is a 1980 australian war and trial film directed by bruce beresford, who also cowrote based on kenneth g. Rosss 1978 play of the same name the film concerns the 1902 court martial of lieutenants harry morant, peter handcock and george wittonone of the first war crime prosecutions in british military history. The allaustralian supporting cast features bryan brown and lewis fitzgerald. The biggest mistakes you never noticed in breaker morant 1980. Compared with kubricks paths of glory, morant is relevant beyond its time and place. One of the best dramas to emerge from australia in the 1980s, breaker morant won numerous awards and was nominated for several others. Ross, centred on the courtmartial and the last days of lieutenant harry breaker morant 18641902 of the bushveldt carbineers bvc, that was first performed at the athenaeum theatre, in melbourne, victoria, australia, on thursday, 2 february 1978, by the melbourne theatre company. Watch breaker morant 1980 full movie free online streaming. Three australian lieutenants are court martialed for executing prisoners as a way of deflecting attention from war crimes committed by their superior officers.
M idway through breaker morant, the titular character, a lieutenant for the bushveldt carbineers, springs to his feet inside of a courtroom, marches toward the prosecutors, and proclaims, with scorn, that we shot them under rule 303. A description of tropes appearing in breaker morant. Breaker morant 1980 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. The rousing finale to breaker morant is a great case study in why storytelling liberties are often placed ahead of fidelity to fact. Breaker morant is a film directed by bruce beresford with edward woodward, jack thompson, john waters, bryan brown, year. Its based on a real incident that took place in 1901 in south africa. Butchered to make a dutchmans holiday by harry breaker morant.
Rosss eponymous play 1978, the film dramatizes the 1902 court martial of lts. Breaker morant is a 1980 australian war drama film directed by bruce beresford, who cowrote the screenplay based on kenneth g. In south africa during the second boer war, australian army lieutenants harry breaker morant edward woodward, peter handcock bryan brown and george witton lewis fitzgerald stand accused of the murders of six boer prisoners and the assassination of a german missionary. With edward woodward, jack thompson, john waters, bryan brown. Zulu dawn 1979, the battle of algiers 1966, gallipoli 1981, zulu 1964, bloody sunday 2002. Breaker morant, a 1980 film cowritten and directed by bruce beresford, is an oldfashioned epic in every sense of the word. Australians serving in the british army during the second. As is clear to the viewer, he is unorganised, aloof, and unconfident. During the boer war, three australian lieutenants are on trial for shooting boer prisoners. Breaker morant is a 1980 australian film about the court martial of breaker morant, directed by bruce beresford and starring british actor edward woodward as harry breaker morant and jack thompson as his attorney. Jun 27, 2009 breaker morant concerns the murder trial of three australian army officers of the bushveldt carbineers serving in south africa during the second boer war 18991902.
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