Breaker Morant Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Breaker Morant Blu-ray Movie Review

This classic—and classy—film debuts on a solid Blu-ray disc.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 26, 2008

The gentleman’s war is over.

Part of the great tradition of military courtroom dramas, Breaker Morant is perhaps the best example of the sub-genre, a taut, brilliant film replete with drama, fine acting, and excellent direction, not to mention a genuine, tense script. Long before the release of 1992's A Few Good Men, the film that put this genre on the map for good, Breaker Morant was winning awards and praises far and wide some twelve years before. This Australian produced film swept most of the major Australian Film Institute awards in 1980, and was also nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe in 1981, all deservedly so. The film is a poignant study of the brutalities of war and the consequences of fighting in it, both emotionally and judicially.

The defendants in the trial against HD DVD take their seats.

Breaker Morant is the true story of three Australian soldiers fighting in the Boer war (1899-1902) as part of a new British unit known as the "Bushveldt Carbineers," a unit created for the sole purpose of fighting the same style of war as their Boer opponents, chiefly one of guerilla tactics and other unconventional means. Harry "Breaker" Morant (Edward Woodward, 1973's The Wicker Man), the Lieutenant and second in command of this unit, faces charges for the murder of several Boer prisoners and a German missionary, this second charge being of the utmost importance. Of course, the Germans are unhappy with the killing. They are already looking to enter the war on the side of the Boer's, and to counter that move, the British put Morant and his fellow soldiers on trial, one where the sentence has been decided upon before the men ever set foot in the courtroom. Defended by an inexperienced attorney who fights vigorously and valiantly on the behalf of his clients, the trial nevertheless remains a sham, being nothing more than a show trial to speed up peace negotiations with the Boers and keep the Germans out of the war.

Breaker Morant is a film worthy of the awards and accolades it has received over the years. Watching this Blu-ray disc was my first exposure to this film, and I must say that I was not disappointed. Although shot inside a mostly drab courtroom with the occasional flashback scene, the movie manages to create a tantalizing feel as viewers remain on seat's edge for the duration of the movie. With my background on the Boer War anecdotal at best and my knowledge of Morant's case prior to viewing the film nonexistent, I found myself shocked at the turn of events and completely unprepared for an ending I didn't expect.

Technically, the film captures in heart what it lacks in polish. The low budget nature of the film is nearly always evident, but the incredible talent both in front of and behind the camera steal the show, and any physical imperfections or shortcomings of secondary and tertiary aspects of the film play a distant second fiddle to the story's compelling nature. Director Bruce Beresford, perhaps best know for 1989's best picture Driving Miss Daisy, showcases his talent in spades, utilizing several unique camera perspectives that truly put the onus on each character and lets us in on their true motives and intentions solely through the lens of the camera. Several iconic shots permeate the picture, each one compelling and furthering the story as much, if not more, than the powerful script and acting accompanying it. Breaker Morant is truly filmmaking at its finest, relying on everything mainstream Hollywood seems to have lost focus on today to tell a simple, important tale with flair, flair that comes from the most basic of filmmaking philosophies rather than overhyped effects and meaningless plot contrivances. If you yearn to see a true, powerful, yet simple film that relies on the strength of its story rather than gimmicky effects, Breaker Morant is for you.

Breaker Morant Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Image Entertainment has released Breaker Morant for the first time in Blu-ray high definition with generally excellent results. Framed in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio, the source material definitely shows its age but also manages to impress with the full 1080p treatment. The image retains its inherent grain, which is visible throughout, though it is never a distraction. The print, while showing signs of wear as evidenced by splotches and speckles throughout, remains in mostly good condition, holding up well to the scrutiny of high definition. I noted a marked improvement in overall quality partway through the film, as excessive spotting, softness, and lack of definition seemingly vanished in favor of a cleaner, clearer picture. Troublesome spots certainly remained, but there was an improvement nevertheless. I did note some instances of what appeared to be video noise around the 36 minute mark, but I never noted it again. Black levels fare remarkably well, and the image showcases some extraordinary detail here and there, notably under the controlled lighting of the courtroom during close-up shots. Several scenes appear to be somewhat soft. I noted one sequence where the camera jumped from one close-up of an actor to a close-up of another. One looked clear, detailed, and bright, while the other appeared a bit smudgy and soft. Overall, for a film of this age and budget, I was very impressed with the results.

Breaker Morant Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Breaker Morant comes to Blu-ray sporting a DTS-HD MA 2.0 soundtrack. Thankfully, the powers-that-be at Image Entertainment have foregone the temptation to re-mix this into a full blown surround experience, instead providing us with a lossless rendition of the original source material. As a 2.0 track, surrounds and LFE are nonexistent, which is perfectly fine for a film whose original mix eschewed these elements to begin with. This film is almost completely dialogue driven, featuring very little in the way of music or ambience. While I was mostly pleased with dialogue reproduction, I found it a bit muffled on occasion, and I had to rewind the disc and turn on the subtitles to see what I had missed out on. The accents of the actors are not so thick as to throw off American viewers. Most sound effects, such as trotting horses and gunshots, seemed weak in comparison to what is available today, but I'll take "weak" and "original" over "powerful" and "phony" any day of the week. Breaker Morant won't be the best sounding disc in your collection, but don't let the 2.0 monicker or the slightly lower score here fool you. You are getting a high definition experience, true to the source material.

Breaker Morant Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Sadly, Image Entertainment has released Breaker Morant with minimal extras. I would have loved a historical commentary track. Perhaps we will get one at some point in the future. The one feature of note is a 480p documentary entitled simply The Boer War that runs just under forty minutes. This is a fairly interesting documentary, especially to an amateur historian such as myself. The narration is a bit dry, but the documentary is of a fairly high quality nevertheless. This would make a great showpiece for advanced high school or college classes. The only other extra is a thirty-three second long radio spot advertising the film.

Breaker Morant Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Breaker Morant is the quintessential military courtroom drama. Surpassing the likes of A Few Good Men and Judgement at Nuremberg with its simplistic narrative and straightforward plot, the film has earned a much-deserved reputation as one of the greats in cinematic history, and this Blu-ray edition certainly does the film justice. Showcasing a fine video transfer that is undoubtedly the best the film has ever looked outside original theatrical presentations and an audio track that is faithful to the original, Image Entertainment has certainly not disappointed with this release. The lack of supplements, however, is unfortunate, but as is the nature of the home video game, you win some, you lose some. I simply cannot complain about the overall package. For fans of classy, unorthodox by today's standards fare, Breaker Morant should be an easy and recommended purchase on Blu-ray. For others not accustomed to films with a gripping yet slightly slower pace, I recommend Breaker Morant as a must-see anyway, but some may be better suited to rent the film before purchasing.