On B List of Movie Reviews
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Breaker Morant (1980)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
5/17
5/17:
Breaker Morant is one of the best films made for three different genres: war, courtroom drama, and military.
The reasons are two: excellent acting and striking cinematography.
The star of the show is Edward Woodward, a Michael Caine look-alike, who's well known for playing the lead character in
The Wicker Man. Although he's outstanding, it's Jack Thompson who steals the show as Major J.F. Thomas who defends
three soldiers accused of war crimes.
The cinematography is what keeps Breaker Morant fresh. In fact, it looks so modern that the whole movie might have
been shot in this day and age. So, many kudos to Donald McAlpine.
To this day, nobody knows the full story of what happened, but one thing is for sure: the soldiers were guilty.
Also, the trial set a precedent that, according to IMDb, "the Australian Army refused to ever again allow their troops to
be tried by British court-martial. All future charges against Australian soldiers would be put before fellow Australians."
Like always, war blurs the line between right and wrong. Oftentimes, soldiers who commit crimes on a daily basis get away
with it. Thus, being caught red-handed or doing something that's so flagrant is a surefire way to be finally tried in court.
All in all, if you have to pick one Australian picture to see, make it Breaker Morant.