Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Breaker Morant Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 29, 2021

Bruce Beresford's "Breaker Morant" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive new audio commentary by director Bruce Beresford, actor Bryan Brown and producer Matt Carroll; archival interview with actor Edward Woodward; exclusive new documentary; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Bruce Beresford’s film chronicles true events that took place during the Boer War (1899-1902) in South Africa. During the war, the British and the Boers (mostly Dutch–Afrikaner settlers) repeatedly clashed while trying to gain control of various areas where gold and diamonds were discovered. (Before the war these areas were controlled by the Boers). The film is based on the popular play by Australian playwright Kenneth Graham Ross and a script by Beresford.

In 1901, Australian soldiers Harry 'Breaker' Morant (Edward Woodward, The Wicker Man), Peter Handcock (Bryan Brown, Cocktail, F/X), and George Witton (Lewis Fitz-Gerald, Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train) are arrested after executing several Boer prisoners and a German missioner. The soldiers, who had voluntarily joined the British forces, are then ordered to appear before a British Field-General Court Martial. Despite the efforts of Major J.F. Thomas (Jack Thompson, Mad Dog Morgan) to prove that they were following the rules of war, all three are found guilty.

The events that lead to the arrest of the three soldiers are revealed as flashbacks. Because the Boers were primarily farmers, the soldiers are constantly seen guessing the identities of their enemies. However, when the mutilated body of their leader, Captain Hunt, is delivered, they quickly track down a group of Boers and then execute them.

During the trial the actions of the soldiers are seen from two different angles. However, it is immediately made clear that these actions are of little interest to the prosecution. So there are these fascinating observations about loyalty and morality that effectively expose the hypocrisy and arrogance of military leaders. (Very similar observations are also produced in Stanley Kubrick's excellent war drama Paths of Glory).

It should also be mentioned that the film makes it very clear that the three soldiers were in fact guilty. However, the nature of the war they were fighting had evolved -- they were essentially engaged in commando warfare in which traditional military tactics were no longer efficient. The British of course knew it, but there was an important political aspect behind the trial that they were far more interested in.

Despite the fact that the film was shot in thirty-five days, the acting and the cinematography are fantastic. The chemistry between the leads is excellent and their balanced energy certainly prevents the film from evolving into a soapy melodrama. Thompson is especially good as the fearless lawyer who sees that the British are applying double standards to excuse their flawed policies.

The locations that were chosen for the outdoor footage are also fantastic. They are in South Australia, but it looks like the entire film was shot on location in South Africa. The camera movement and the use of light -- especially during the finale where the two soldiers are executed -- are equally impressive.

The film does not have a prominent soundtrack. There are only a couple of sequences in which Beresford used an authentic brass band.

In 1980, Breaker Morant won Best Supporting Actor Award (Jack Thompson) at the Cannes Film Festival. It was the first major award won by an Australian film at the prestigious festival.

Breaker Morant Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.84:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Breaker Morant arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment.

In the United States, Criterion released this film on Blu-ray in 2015 and I expected to see the same type of presentation on this release. However, this isn't the case. Why is that? I don't know what type of master was used to source it, but the presence of minor flecks and black marks makes it very easy to conclude that the folks at Criterion worked with a different master. There are other obvious discrepancies as well. For example, the entire film looks a tad softer here, plus density levels are not as good as they could be. The color values are not the same either. The color yellow -- plus some yellowish nuances -- are a lot more prominent, while ranges of blues have different variations. As a result, the overall color temperature of the visuals differs as well. Image stability is good, but there is room for minor enhancements. I did not see any traces of problematic digital adjustments, but some encoding optimizations could have been made to have a better grain exposure. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Breaker Morant Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The default audio track is the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. To access the second track, you will have to use your remote control because you can't do the switch via the main menu. I think that both tracks are very solid, but the original audio is preferable. There are no serious age-related imperfections to report in our review.

Breaker Morant Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Australian Trailer - remastered Australian trailer for Breaker Morant. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• U.S. Trailer - vintage U.S. trailer for Breaker Morant. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Commentary - in this new audio commentary, director Bruce Beresford, actor Bryan Brown and producer Matt Carroll go down memory lane and discuss in great detail how Breaker Morant was conceived, its characterizations and style, the locations where key parts from the film were shot, its reception and success, etc. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Umbrella Entertainment.

• Breaker Morant: The Retrial - this new documentary takes a closer look at Harry "Breaker" Morant and its controversial image and legacy. The documentary was produced by Gregory Miller and Chris Nicklin. In English, not subtitled. (103 min).

• Edward Woodward - in this archival interview, actor Edward Woodward discusses Breaker Morant, his famous character, the reception of the film, Jack Thompson's Cannes Award, etc. In English, not subtitled. (21 min).

• The Breaker (1973) - this archival documentary takes a closer look at the events that led to the Boer War and the life and personality of Harry "Breaker" Morant. The documentary was produced by Frank Shields. In English, not subtitled. (55 min).

• The Myth Exposed - in this video piece, director Frank Shields discusses Breaker Morant's iconic status and an important omission he made during the shooting of The Breaker. The piece was produced in 2011. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• Photo Gallery - a large collection of stills.

Breaker Morant Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bruce Beresford's Breaker Morant exposes the hypocrisy and arrogance of military leaders as effectively as Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory does. Beresford's film chronicles true events that took place during the Boer War in South Africa in which the British and the Boers repeatedly clashed while trying to gain control of various areas where gold and diamonds were discovered. I expected the technical presentation of the film on this release to be identical to the one from Criterion's 2015 release, but it is different. However, there is an excellent selection of exclusive new and archival bonus features on it. RECOMMENDED.