How Long Is “Breaker Morant”?

One of the best dramas to emerge from Australia in the 1980s, Breaker Morant won numerous awards and was nominated for several others. Director Bruce Beresford's mantle is also filled with awards for other impressive films, including Tender Mercies (1983) and Driving Miss Daisy (1989). The setting of this true story is South Africa during the Boer War (1899-1902). Many Aussie soldiers volunteered to help the British defeat the Boers and "Breaker" Harry Morant (Edward Woodward) was among this group. He had left Britain for Australia in the late 19th century and because he was adept at taming wild horses he was given the nickname of "Breaker." Once in South Africa he became a leader of the other soldiers in his non-regular army unit, and it did not take him long to catch on to the fact that the Boers (Dutch colonialists and their descendants in South Africa) were not fighting according to traditional rules. He and his fellow soldiers were ordered to execute anyone taken as a prisoner -- and they did. When news of this sanctioned violation of the rules of war got out, the British army had to find some scapegoats, and quick. "Breaker" Morant and two other Aussies, Lt. Peter Handcock (Bryon Brown) and Lt. George Witton (Lewis Fitzgerald) were court martialed as an example to others. And then their trial begins.