Breaker Morant Blu-ray offers decent video and audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
Based on a true story, Breaker Morant is the tale of three soldiers who are court-martialed at the end of the Boer War. When one of their comrades is ambushed and killed, three soldiers seek revenge and kill a Boer Solider. The act of murder and the mysterious disappearance of a German missionary leads to the arrest of the three men. In one of the most controversial court-martials in military history, they are defended by Major Thomas, small town Australian solicitor who has only been given one day to prepare the case.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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