Breaker Morant

Adapted from a Kenneth Ross play based an historical incident, this well-received 1979 drama won several Australian Academy Awards and attained a level of international success previously denied films made Down Under. Breaker Morant transpires during the 19th century's Boer War, when the British Empire squared off against South Africans descended from Dutch colonists. When Australian soldier Harry “Breaker” Morant (Edward Woodward) and his mates Handcock (Bryan Brown) and Witton (Lewis Fitz-Gerald) kill Boer prisoners, the resulting outrage forces Her Majesty's Army to court-martial them in an attempt to tamp down public outrage. A talented Army lawyer (Jack Thompson), realizing the men are being scapegoated to protect the superiors who turned a blind eye toward prisoner executions, mounts an impassioned defense against intimidating odds. Director Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy), up to that time known only for his modestly budgeted Australian films, won universal kudos for his profoundly affecting handling of a complex story, and the film's success also catapulted supporting player Bryan Brown to international stardom, while making Thompson--for a time, anyway--one of the hottest character actors in English-language films. Superbly acted, and boasting an Oscar-nominated script written by Beresford with Jonathan Hardy and David Stevens, Breaker Morant stills packs quite a punch a quarter century later. In fact, recent events such as the Iraq prison-abuse scandal lend the film renewed resonance today. Presented with a solid new transfer, DVD extras here include a somewhat sparse commentary track by Beresford and a 16-minute interview with Woodward. Priced rather high for a single disc with modest extras, this is still highly recommended. (E. Hulse)[Blu-ray/DVD Review—Sept. 22, 2015—Criterion, 107 min., PG, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1980's Breaker Morant is presented with a superb transfer and an uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Extras include audio commentary from 2004 by director Bruce Beresford, the 1973 documentary profile “The Breaker” on the real Harry Morant (55 min.), a segment on the Boer War with historian Stephen Miller (16 min.), a 2004 interview with star Edward Woodward (17 min.), interviews with Beresford (13 min.), costar Bryan Brown (11 min.), and cinematographer Donald McAlpine (9 min.), and a booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Neil Sinyard. Bottom line: Beresford's signature classic film sparkles on Blu-ray.]