🔴 Condition - Very Good 🔴

Breaker Morant was one of the seminal films in the modern Australian film industry.
Harry 'Breaker' Morant really existed - he was, a poet, a horse-breaker (hence his nick- name), a soldier, a man in the wrong place at the wrong time... More than anything, a man caught up in the machinations of British politics. He did fight in the Boer War (a nasty little affair, intended to give the British control over resources like diamond mines in South Africa), and he was tried as depicted in this film.
This is a story of three Australian lieutenants being tried by court- martial. The purpose of this trial is not to get to the truth, but rather to persuade Germany not to get involved in the Boer War. The British don't care about the Australians involved - after all, they are only 'colonials' - it is the politics that is important.
This film begins with the conclusion of a board of inquiry, and the recommendation of that board that a court-martial be convened. This news is conveyed by Lt Colonel Denny (Charles Tingwell) to the prisoners: Lieutenants Morant (Edward Woodward), Hancock (Bryan Brown), and Witton (Lewis Fitzgerald). The movie proper is the court-martial. We see the events concerned in flashback during the evidence being given at the court-martial. The Australians are being defended by a Major Thomas (Jack Thompson), who arrives just before the proceedings begin.
The British are taking few chances that a fair trial will ensue - most of the men who could give evidence for the defence have been transferred to India; the defence attorney has no court experience (he was a country solicitor in NSW); and the prosecutor (Rod Mullinar) has been given six weeks to prepare his case (and the witnesses, some of whom are shown to be lying via flashbacks).
This film is ruthless in its portrayal of British hypocrisy, and makes it very easy to cheer for the Australians and condemn the British.
In short, this is a great film, and truly deserves to be in every Australian's collection of DVDs.