Cinema
Breaker Morant
Bruce Beresford · 1980
Synopsis
South Africa, in the last days of the war against the Boers, in 1902. Three lieutenants of the Bushveldt Carbineers, a unit made up mostly of Australian volunteers, appear before a court martial: Harry Morant, Peter Handcock and George Witton are accused of having killed Boer prisoners and a German missionary. Their defence counsel, Major J. F. Thomas, has almost no time to prepare his plea, and must show that his clients obeyed orders and are serving as scapegoats for the British command.
Context
The film adapts a play by Kenneth G. Ross dated 1978; the screenplay is by Jonathan Hardy, David Stevens and the director. Produced by Matthew Carroll for the South Australian Film Corporation, with a budget of 800,000 Australian dollars, it was shot in South Australia, in landscapes close to those of northern South Africa. It earned 4,735,000 dollars in Australia according to Australian Cinema, and was released in France on 10 September 1980 under the title Héros ou salopards.
Who it is for
An Australian film in English, of one hour forty-five, built around a military trial.
Prizes and reception
Best supporting actor award at Cannes in 1980 for Jack Thompson, ten AFI awards and an Oscar nomination for the adapted screenplay.
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