BREAKER MORANT (FILM)

'''Breaker Morant''' is a 1980 Australian feature film, directed by Bruce Beresford and starring British actor Edward Woodward as Harry "Breaker" Morant. The all-Australian supporting cast features Bryan Brown as Lieutenant Handcock, Lewis FitzGerald as Witton, and Jack Thompson as Major Thomas.
The 1978 play ''Breaker Morant: A Play in Two Acts'', written by Kenneth G. Ross,^[1] was the source material for the screen story.^[2]
Beresford co-wrote the screenplay with Jonathan Hardy, David Stevens and Kenneth G. Ross.
The film was produced by Matt Carroll. Although the action is set in South Africa, principal photography took place entirely in Australia.
The film was a top performer at the Australian Film Institute awards, with ten wins. It was also nominated for the 1980 Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay.

Contents

Plot Summary

Background

DVD video of the film

Cast

Awards

Quotes

See also

Notes

References

External links

Plot Summary

''Breaker Morant'' concerns the murder trial of three Australian soldiers, officers of the elite Bushveldt Carbineers in South Africa. Harry "Breaker" Morant, Peter Handcock and George Witton are accused of the murder of one Boer prisoner, the subsequent murders of six more, and Morant and Handcock are accused of the sniper-style death of a German missionary, the Rev. Hesse. Their defence counsel, Major Thomas, has had only one day to prepare their defense.
Lord Kitchener, who ordered the trial, hopes to bring the Boer War to an end with a peace conference. To that end, he uses the Morant trial to show that he is willing to judge his own soldiers harshly if they disobey the rules of war. Though, as one character mentions, there are great complexities associated with charging active-duty soldiers with murder, Kitchener is determined to have a guilty verdict, and the chief of the court supports him.
The causes and occurrences relating to the trial are developed. Morant's execution of the Boer prisoners was revenge for the mutilation and death of his friend and commanding officer, Captain Hunt. Angered by the incident, Morant led an attack on a Boer camp, where a Boer wearing Captain Hunt's khaki jacket was captured. Morant had him executed.
The killing of six Boer prisoners was in much the same fashion. Morant later justifies their deaths, saying "You know the orders from Whitehall. If they show a white flag, we don't see it. I didn't see it." Before their execution, Morant notices the German missionary, Rev. Hesse, speaking with the Boer prisoners. Morant, furious, is convinced that Hesse is a spy, though he has no proof. A conversation with Handcock leads to the latter taking a rifle and horse and following the missionary, who is found shot the next morning.
During the trial, the court's bias toward a guilty verdict becomes apparent, as well as the political machinations behind it. Morant and Handcock repeatedly display their contempt for the proceedings by insulting their accusers and lashing out at the prosecuting attorney. Handcock's barbs are both amusing and insightful. At one point, the pompous presiding officer of the court martial warns him that if he doesn't behave, he will find himself in "very serious trouble" (this to a man on trial for multiple murders). In a poignant scene, Morant tells a staff officer who had come to the trial to testify in his behalf that he knows that he and Handcock are going to be shot and that the trial had been a sham from the beginning. He makes it clear that he doesn't care what happens to him anymore since his life in England was in shambles and there was nothing to go back to. He declines an offer for assistance in an escape. In his effort to bolster his spirits, his friend describes them as a "blacksheep" (Morant) and Handcock as " a simple and wild fellow". Morant replies sardonically, "We won't be missed".The focus is on whether or not orders were issued by Kitchener to shoot all Boer prisoners; Major Thomas' case is that there were standing, though unwritten, orders to do so. Since these were verbally relayed to Captain Hunt, and by Captain Hunt to Morant, there is no way to prove that the orders existed. To the growing discomfort of the British High Command, Major Thomas proves to be an adroit trial lawyer and he repeatedly scores points for the defense by proving that many of the prosecution witnesses were biased against the accused and that the high command was actively interfering with his efforts to defend the three men. He also establishes that both Morant and Handcock were admired by their men for their courage and effective leadership in battle. Most telling is the scene where Thomas forces a witness for the prosecution to admit that Handcock's irregular tactics had proven to be effective in suppressing train ambushes. In what is perhaps the high point of the movie, Major Thomas delivers a devestatingly brilliant summation in which he indicts the British government's clumsy and disasterous foray into South Africa as well as its laughingly flimsy case against the defendants whom he describes as sacrificial pawns to be offered up in the name of international brinkmanship. He lists the atrocities and brutalities that he himself has seen and describes these as standard operating procedure institited with the knowledge and blessing of the General Staff (but similarly without putting them into writing). In words that held timely reference to future conflicts (Vietnam and Iraq), Thomas points out to the court that it is impossible to fairly judge men for their behavior under the unspeakably horrible circumstances of war. Conventional norms do not apply to those who must live and die in such unconventional environments. As the camera pans the faces of the board of judges, it is clear that they have been shaken by Thomas and that they are in grudging agreement with him. Finally, he pleads with the court to at least show mercy to Witton who was only a junior officer, had no imput into the decions made by Morant and Handcock and was guilty of nothing more than "having shor a Boer who was trying to shoot him".
Ironically, it develops that while Morant acted under orders by shooting the prisoners, he and Handcock were in fact responsible for the murder of Hesse. Handcock, who took care to set up an alibi with two "ladyfriends," admits to Witton that he actually followed Hesse and shot him. When Witton recoils at the killing of the priest, Handcock explodes and rails against the war and the British army. He points out that they are all about to be shot for the sake of political expediency for simply fighting a commando war with commando tactics and that the Boers were under no such legal restraints. In any event, the court acquits them of the murder of Hesse, but finds them guilty of the other two charges. The prisoners are formally marched into the presence of the presiding officer who cooly informs them, "You have been found guilty of murder and are sentenced to death". Morant stiffly comes to attention, salutes, and clicks his heels as he shouts out "Sir!". As he is marched back to his cell, Morant shouts out to Witton, "Shot in the morning". When Handcock returns, he growls "Same as Harry". That afternoon, both Handcock and Morant listen as carpenters on the other side of the wall cut wood and nail their coffins together. Morant begins to write his last poems; one of which serves as the backdrop as the men are led off to be shot. He hands his last works to his lawyer and thanks him for his efforts. He reminds him to post the poems as soon as possible since he fears censorship. He remarks, " Aferall! We poets do crave immortality". When the execution detail comes to get them, the military chaplain asks their religious affiliation. "Pagan!". replies Morant. "What's a pagan?", inquires Handcock.
Morant replies, "A pagan is someone who does not believe that there is a God running around the universe dispensing right and justice". Handcock nods and says to the chaplain, "I'm a Pagan too". As the grim march begins, Morant quips "Well Peter, This is what comes from Empire Building!" As they get to the execution site (two chairs in an open field), Morant and Handcock nod to each other and hold hands in a display of solidarity as they walk to the chairs.
Kitchener is conveniently absent and therefore unavailable for pleas for a reprieve, though he does commute Witton's sentence to life imprisonment before leaving. Morant and Handcock are shot as Witton is taken to the prison transport. As a final insult Handcock's coffin was built too small for his tall frame, and the soldiers are forced to clumsily cram his body in as the soundtrack plays a stirring paen to the British Colonial Armies.
A summary at the end of the movie reveals what happens to some of the characters. Major Thomas returns to his native Australia and continues his law practice, which is otherwise confined to estate planning and wills. Witton serves three years of his sentence, but is released after a national outcry, and writes a book entitled ''Scapegoats of the Empire'', an account of the Breaker Morant affair. This proves so inflammatory and anti-British that it is suppressed during the World Wars.

Background

The film was shot almost entirely on location in and around the South Australian town of Burra, with the Pietersburg courtroom scenes filmed at the former Redruth Gaol. Other South Australian locations included Ayers House and Rostrevor College.

DVD video of the film

A DVD video is available by REEL Corporation (2001) with a running time of 104 minutes

Cast

★ Edward Woodward as Lt. Harry 'Breaker' Morant

★ Jack Thompson as Maj. J.F. Thomas

★ John Waters as Capt. Alfred Taylor

★ Bryan Brown as Lt. Peter Handcock

★ Charles 'Bud' Tingwell as Lt. Col. Denny

★ Terence Donovan as Capt. Simon Hunt

★ Vincent Ball as Col. Ian 'Johnny' Hamilton

★ Ray Meagher as Sgt. Maj. Drummond

★ Chris Haywood as Cpl. Sharp

★ Russell Kiefel as Christiaan Botha

★ Lewis Fitz-Gerald as Lt. George Ramsdale Witton

★ Rod Mullinar as Maj. Charles Bolton

★ Alan Cassell as Lord Horatio Kitchener

★ Rob Steele as Capt. Robertson

★ Chris Smith as Sgt. Cameron

Awards

'Wins'

★ Australian Film Institute (1980)

★
★ AFI Award

★
★ Best Achievement in Cinematography, Donald McAlpine

★
★ Best Achievement in Costume Design, Anna Senior

★
★ Best Achievement in Editing, William M. Anderson

★
★ Best Achievement in Production Design, David Copping

★
★ Best Achievement in Sound, Gary Wilkins, William Anderson, Jeanine Chiavlo, and Phil Judd

★
★ Best Actor in a Lead Role, Jack Thompson

★
★ Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Bryan Brown

★
★ Best Director, Bruce Beresford

★
★ Best Film, Matthew Carroll

★
★ Best Original Screenplay, Jonathan Hardy, David Stevens, and Bruce Beresford

★ Cannes Film Festival (1980)

★
★ Best Supporting Actor, Jack Thompson

★ Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards (1982)

★
★ KCFCC Award Best Foreign Film
'Nominations'

★ Academy Awards (1981)

★
★ Oscar

★
★ Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, Jonathan Hardy, David Stevens, and Bruce Beresford

★ Golden Globes (1981)

★
★ Golden Globe Best Foreign Film, Australia

Quotes

★ Morant: We caught them and we shot them under Rule .303.

★ Morant: There is an epitaph I'd like, though. Matthew 10:36.

★ Morant (to firing squad): Shoot straight, you bastards! Don't make a mess of it!

See also

★ South Australian Film Corporation

Notes

1. Subsequent to the film's release, Ross -- who began writing under the name "Kenneth Ross" in order to set himself apart from other creative Australians known as "Ken Ross" -- has found that he must write under the name of "Kenneth G. Ross" in order to distinguish himself from that other, also famous, Kenneth Ross: the Scottish/American Kenneth Ross that was the scriptwriter for ''The Day of the Jackal''.
2. Many people labour under the misapprehension that it was Kit Denton's 1973 book ''The Breaker'' that was the source (see Ross' successful legal action for details).

References

★ Ross, K.G., ''Breaker Morant: A Play in Two Acts'', Edward Arnold, (Melbourne), 1979. ISBN 0-7267-0997-2

★ Ross, Kenneth, "The truth about Harry", ''The Age'', 26 February 2002. (Written on the hundredth anniversary of Morant's execution and the twenty-fourth anniversary of the first performance of his play, the same article appeared in ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' of 26 February 2002 in almost identical form) http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/02/25/1014471630364.html

External links

★ .

★ Breaker Morant at the National Film and Sound Archive