starring Edward Woodward, Jack Thompson, Bryan Brown
co-written and directed by Bruce Beresford
Lieutenants Harry "Breaker" Morant (Edward Woodward), Peter Handcock (Bryan Brown), and George Witton are put on trial for murdering prisoners of war and civilians in 1901, during the Boer War. They were part of the Bushveldt Carbineers, an Australian commando unit that frequently operated behind enemy lines. They were given orders that prisoners were to be shot and killed by their commanding officer, Captain Hunt, who was killed not long before they were accused of war crimes.
Major Thomas (Jack Thompson), a lawyer who has never defended anyone or even tried a case, is assigned as their legal counsel. He is given very little time to prepare for the trial. The prosecutor, by comparison is given six weeks to get ready. Major Thomas tries repeatedly to argue the facts of the case and prove that they were in fact ordered to kill prisoners.
The fact of the matter is that Morant, Handcock, Witton, and Thomas had the odds stacked against them. They were pawns in a bigger game. The British government was trying to get peace negotiations going by proving that it could be impartial.
I saw this movie once before, about 40 years ago. I think it was on PBS. I don't remember the exact year but it was probably the early 1980s.
Much of this story is told through flashbacks. It is beautiful to look at and very nicely paced. The main characters (Morant, Handcock, Thomas, Witton) are all Australians although not all the actors playing them are. There were a few moments that I had trouble understanding what they were saying. I watched the movie on Tubi. I tried turning on the subtitles but there were none.
What strikes me about this movie today is how my feelings changed over the course of the movie. It is clear that Morant and Hancock killed prisoners. The more clear that became the less sympathy I felt for them. My feelings shifted towards the end of the movie when it becomes clear how they are being used.
This is a very good, well made film. The plot is a little cliched but it is based on a play which itself is based on a true story. According to the Wikipedia article about the movie there are some historical inaccuracies in the film. Worth a watch if you have never seen it. It held up to my memory of it.
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