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“Breaker” Hard Done By? Tension, conflict and dispute can make or break a film, and Beresford’s true story of “Breaker Morant” indisputably uses plenty of this. This anti-imperial, dramatic, courtroom narrative in non-chronological flashback style questions the moral issues in contemporary rivalry and warfare of a individual soldier – should or should they not follow an order from a superior which forces them to commit carnage and if so, is this carnage justifiable? During the Boer war, the British formed a group of mostly Australian men called the Bushveldt Carbineers, who were living in the bush under guerrilla conditions fighting against the guerrilla Boer’s. Though acting under orders, three Australian’s are being used as scapegoats by the general staff, who try to distance themselves from the unlawful practices of the war, in hope to mollify the German government for the purpose of political convenience. The trial does not progress as smoothly as the general staff would have preferred as the Australians with the help of an inexperienced lawyer, put up one hell of a fight. Edward Woodward takes on the role as Lieutenant Harry “Breaker” Morant, a soldier who’s Captain has been killed and beforehand left strict orders on the way to deal with the prisoners of war.
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