Breaker Morant Blu-ray Review
Score: 86
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
Bruce Beresford's 'Breaker Morant' is a stunning, thought-provoking film, beautifully restored in 4K by Criterion with exceptional audio and video quality, and comprehensive extras.
Disc Release Date
Video: 87
The meticulous 4K restoration of 'Breaker Morant,' supervised by director Bruce Beresford, provides a breathtaking 1080p transfer with substantial improvements in depth, clarity, and color reproduction, maintaining fine film grain. Shadow definition and image stability are outstanding, making this the definitive home video presentation.
Audio: 87
The English LPCM 1.0 audio track on the 'Breaker Morant' Blu-ray delivers impressively remastered sound with notable depth and dynamic balance. Dialogue is clean and stable, while mass scenes and shootouts exhibit strong separation and clear directional effects, all without any audio distortions or dropouts.
Extra: 81
The Blu-ray extras for "Breaker Morant" offer a rich, comprehensive look at the film's production and historical context, featuring in-depth interviews with director Bruce Beresford, cinematographer Donald McAlpine, and actor Bryan Brown, alongside archival content including Edward Woodward's insights and a detailed South African War program.
Movie: 91
Breaker Morant's Criterion Blu-ray release offers an exceptional presentation of Bruce Beresford's intense courtroom drama, capturing the moral complexities and stunning cinematography of the Boer War era, supported by insightful extras including interviews and historical documentaries.
Video: 87
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, Criterion's Blu-ray edition of Bruce Beresford's "Breaker Morant" is a significant upgrade, thanks to a meticulous 4K restoration. This process employed state-of-the-art technologies such as the Northlight 2 film scanner and, for heavily damaged sections, the ARRISCAN film scanner with wet-gate processing. The restoration, supervised by Beresford himself, involved the manual removal of thousands of imperfections using MTI's DRS and Digital Vision's Phoenix for grain and noise management. The involvement of colorist Gregg Garvin ensured an accurate and rich color grading, which substantially elevates the viewing experience.
The 1080p transfer delivers impressive depth and clarity across both close-ups and panoramic shots, showcasing a level of detail that was previously unavailable. The film grain is preserved, adding texture without introducing any artificial sharpening. Color reproduction is where this transfer truly excels; the palette appears more nuanced, particularly in darker scenes where shadow definition is markedly improved. Black levels are deep and inky, maintaining integrity without descending into crush, even in dimly lit settings like the makeshift courtroom scenes. The overall image stability and lack of noticeable artifacts make this release a true demo-worthy presentation.
Overall, this Blu-ray edition of "Breaker Morant," originating from a 4K restoration crafted with precision, stands as the definitive home video presentation of the film. The restoration efforts have ensured superb image clarity and color accuracy, making it feel almost like the characters are present in the room. Minted from a recent restoration supervised by the director himself, this release not only revitalizes the film but also sets a new benchmark for quality in home video presentations. (Note: This is a Region-A locked Blu-ray release, requiring a compatible player).
Audio: 87
The Blu-ray release of "Breaker Morant" boasts an exceptionally well-crafted English LPCM 1.0 audio track. Despite its mono nature, the remastering efforts are immediately apparent, providing a level of audio element separation and imaging that is surprisingly effective. Action sequences, such as machine gun shootouts, demonstrate remarkable depth and dynamic balance. The audio remains clean, stable, and easy to follow throughout, free of any dropouts, pops, or distortions.
The track's technical proficiency is noteworthy, offering a pleasing directional effect even without surround sound capabilities. Dialogue is crystal clear and well-balanced, ensuring you won't need to adjust volume levels throughout the film. The presentation keeps within the midranges, allowing ample space for the various audio elements to breathe. Particularly striking is the echo effect in the stone bunker trial scenes, which effectively captures the claustrophobic ambiance without succumbing to hiss or other audio artifacts. This meticulous attention to detail makes the audio experience virtually flawless.
Extras: 81
The extras on the "Breaker Morant" Blu-ray disc provide a comprehensive and engrossing look into the film's production history and the real events that inspired it. These finely produced video interviews and archival materials offer invaluable insights from the film's director, cinematographer, and actors, as well as historical context from a renowned historian. The restoration team has done an exceptional job, presenting the content in high-definition where available, and doing justice to older archival footage. This collection is essential for admirers of the film and those interested in the Boer War, providing an in-depth understanding of both the cinematic and historical significance of "Breaker Morant."
Extras included in this disc:
Trailer: Original trailer for "Breaker Morant," showcasing the film's themes and tone.
Bruce Beresford: Insightful interview with the director discussing the film’s origins and historical context.
Donald McAlpine: The cinematographer shares his experiences and visual strategies.
Bryan Brown: The actor provides reflections on his role and the film’s production.
Edward Woodward: Archival interview with the lead actor recounting significant moments from production.
The South African War: Historian Stephen Miller provides a detailed rundown of key Boer War events.
The Breaker (1973): Archival documentary exploring Harry Breaker Morant's life and trial.
The Myth Exploded: Director Frank Shields discusses Morant's iconic status and documentary impact.
Commentary: Director Bruce Beresford offers an exhaustive commentary on the film’s making.
Leaflet: Illustrated leaflet with an essay by Neil Sinyard, adding further scholarly depth.Movie: 91
Bruce Beresford’s Breaker Morant (1980), an acclaimed film based on real events during the Boer War and adapted from Kenneth Graham Ross's play, expertly navigates the murky ethical waters of military orders and war crimes. The narrative follows three Australian soldiers—Harry "Breaker" Morant (Edward Woodward), Peter Handcock (Bryan Brown), and George Witton (Lewis Fitz-Gerald)—who are court-martialed for executing Boer prisoners and a German missionary. Despite efforts by their defense attorney, Major J.F. Thomas (Jack Thompson), to argue they were following orders within the evolved tactics of commando warfare, the political stakes of British-German relations guarantee their conviction. The film’s flashback-driven storytelling immerses viewers in both the battlefield’s chaos and the courtroom’s moral quandaries, compelling audiences to weigh the ambiguity of justice in wartime.
The performances are exceptional; Edward Woodward, Bryan Brown, and Lewis Fitz-Gerald capture the grim resolve of soldiers grappling with their actions, while Jack Thompson delivers an impassioned portrayal of Major Thomas, whose principled stand against political expediency adds gripping tension. Cinematographer Donald McAlpine’s work enhances the film’s authenticity—the South Australian landscapes convincingly doubling for South Africa, and the meticulous camera work during climactic scenes heightens emotional impact. The minimalistic soundtrack underscores the film’s raw intensity without overshadowing the narrative, allowing subtler emotional cues to resonate through character interactions and courtroom exchanges.
Breaker Morant excels not just as a historical drama but as a thought-provoking exploration of morality in warfare. Comparisons to Judgement at Nuremberg and Paths of Glory are apt, as it interrogates the clash between military obedience and ethical integrity. The Criterion Blu-ray release, complete with insightful supplemental features and essays, provides an enriching complement to this timeless reflection on the human condition amidst conflict.
Total: 86
Bruce Beresford's "Breaker Morant" is an incisive exploration of the hypocrisy and arrogance of military leadership, paralleling the thematic depth of Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory." This film delves into the true events of the Boer War in South Africa, where British and Boer forces clashed over strategically valuable territories. The story is grounded in historical fact and challenges viewers to empathize with soldiers who commit morally ambiguous acts under extreme circumstances. The recent 4K restoration, overseen by Beresford, results in a visually stunning Blu-ray presentation.
The Criterion Collection's Blu-ray release of "Breaker Morant" is nothing short of exceptional. The audio and video fidelity are top-notch, providing a crystal-clear viewing experience that does justice to Beresford’s meticulous direction. Additionally, the extensive extras illuminate both the film's production and the historical events it portrays, offering a comprehensive understanding of its complex narrative.
In conclusion, "Breaker Morant" is a thought-provoking masterpiece that confronts difficult ethical questions within its historical context. The Criterion Collection's release is an exemplary addition to any Blu-ray collection, with its high-quality restoration and enriching supplementary content. Very highly recommended.
Blu-ray.com review by Dr. Svet AtanasovRead review here
Video: 100
The release is sourced from a recent 4K restoration of the film, which was completed with Bruce Beresford's involvement, and the improvements in terms of depth and clarity are substantial....
Audio: 100
The mass scenes and the shootouts sound quite incredible -- see the sequence with the machine gun -- and separation is as good as it can possibly be....
Extras: 90
Commentary - in this audio commentary, director Bruce Beresford discusses in great detail the production history of Breaker Morant, the specific locations where the film was shot (which were in South Australia,...
Movie: 90
Despite the fact that the film was shot in thirty-five days, the acting and the cinematography are fantastic....
Total: 90
Beresford's film chronicles true events that took place during the Boer War in South Africa in which the British and the Boers repeatedly clashed while trying to gain control of various areas where gold...
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 100
To that effect, black levels are deep and inky and shadow separation offers some impressive depth levels - even when the scene takes place in the tight confines of the makeshift courtroom....
Audio: 100
While the sound doesn't travel around the room exactly, there are plenty of moments where the sounds of voices, ambient background effects, and when the action picks up, the sound of gunshots feature a...
Extras: 80
This is an archival documentary feature from the 1970s that explores the history of the man known as "Breaker" Morant and the circumstances surrounding the trial....
Movie: 100
Every witness the prosecution calls to offer even more damning evidence against the accused, Thomas is able to puncture holes in their stories or even spin the evidence in the favor of the defense....
Total: 80
The audio and video presentation is absolutely first rate and the assortment of extras explores the film as well as the actual historical events that inspired it....
Director: Bruce Beresford
Actors: Edward Woodward, Jack Thompson, John Waters
PlotIn the latter stages of the Second Boer War, three Australian lieutenants serving in the British Army are arrested and charged with the murder of captured Boer fighters and a German missionary. The incident brings to light the complexities and brutalities of war, as these men are used as scapegoats by their higher-ups to divert attention from war crimes committed by the British. Facing trial, the lieutenants are drawn into a legal battle that highlights the murky ethics of wartime actions and the expendability of individual soldiers in the grand scheme of military strategy. The case becomes a contentious issue, drawing attention to the difference between lawful conduct and the moral dilemmas soldiers face on the battlefield.
Assigned a military attorney who is initially inexperienced in such matters, the defence of the accused men uncovers a web of intrigue and duplicity. As the attorney delves deeper into the case, he confronts the challenges of defending men who acted under orders in an environment where the lines between right and wrong were blurred by the exigencies of war. The trial exposes the conflicting loyalties and pressures faced by soldiers and the often arbitrary nature of justice in wartime. Through their ordeal, the broader themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the cost of moral compromises in the heat of conflict are explored, raising questions about the nature of duty and the heavy burden those who serve in war must bear.
Writers: Jonathan Hardy, David Stevens, Bruce Beresford
Release Date: 03 Jul 1980
Runtime: 107 min
Rating: PG
Country: Australia
Language: English, Afrikaans