I forget how good this was when I haven't seen it in a while.

"As to rules and regulations, we had no Red Book, and knew nothing about them. We were out fighting the Boers, not sitting comfortably behind barb-wire entanglements... We got them and shot them under Rule 303!"

A great film.

If you like "Breaker Morant", be sure to check out Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory" as well. Similar premise, only with French soldiers during WW1.

Absolutely a great film! I first saw it last year and checked it out again this year. It's quickly become one of my favorite old war stories. Before this movie I knew very little about this war or the history surrounding this time. The copy I've watched was a special edition that included interviews with the actors and director...along with a documentary on the real Breaker Morant. He was truly a larger than life character.

The film was shot beautifully with some amazing landscapes.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
"As to rules and regulations, we had no Red Book, and knew nothing about them. We were out fighting the Boers, not sitting comfortably behind barb-wire entanglements... We got them and shot them under Rule 303!"

A great film.

If you like "Breaker Morant", be sure to check out Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory" as well. Similar premise, only with French soldiers during WW1.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll be chasing it down.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
If you like "Breaker Morant", be sure to check out Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory" as well. Similar premise, only with French soldiers during WW1.

Will do.

Shoot straight ya bastards, don't make a mess of it.

Ordered on Netflix DVD today. Thanks

One of my top 10 movies of all time. Been a couple of years but need to watch again. Shoot straight ya bastards!

Some incredible horse handling in a couple of the film scenes...which is fitting considering Morant's background.

Actors Brian Brown and Edward Woodward were competitive and in the scene in which they rode up on the body of the Captain in the wagon Woodward (as Lt. Morant) was supposed to arrive first but Brown would race him and arrive at the wagon first, which required several scene reshoots before Woodward finally "won".

The Winter before filming began Woodward was to learn how to ride a horse but the English Winter was exceptionally cold and snowy so he learned to ride (from an old British Cavalry soldier) inside an indoor arena.

The main cast was expected to learn to ride well, just like a true Cavalry soldier and they learned to ride holding the reins with one hand while shooting a revolver, and by holding the reins in their teeth while they used both hands to shoot rifles.

The only problem Woodward ran into was that all Winter long he rode in circles inside the indoor arena and he had to learn to do the same things while riding in a straight line and up/ down hills.

Brian Brown felt that, in order to play the part of Lt. Peter Hancock accurately that he needed to be bit "rebellious" as the Australians were known to be. In the scenes where the prisoners and guards marched in unison Brown would start on the wrong foot and bump into Woodward. They would discuss which foot to start the march on and restart the scene...only to have Brown bump into Woodward again. After confronting him about this Brown explained his character's nature and was allowed to leave the mis-matched march in the scene.

As the scenes called for it several actors grew large mustaches as was common in that time. When Brown saw the other actor's mustaches he thought his looked pathetic...but was able to grow a mustache he felt suited him by the time filming started.

Because of what happened to Breaker Morant and Lt. Hancock, in the next conflict that the Aussies fought allied the Brits, WWI, the Aussies refused to be under the jurisdiction of British Military Law.

quote:

Originally posted by jsbcody:
Because of what happened to Breaker Morant and Lt. Hancock, in the next conflict that the Aussies fought allied the Brits, WWI, the Aussies refused to be under the jurisdiction of British Military Law.

I wasn't aware of this but, if true, it is somewhat hypocritical. The British lawyer defending Morant and his men attempted to get the Australian government to intercede on their behalf and request leniency or at least prevent the death sentence from being carried out and, as a new Commonwealth, Australia reportedly refused to intervene.

For what it's worth:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaker_Morant

quote:

Originally posted by Modern Day Savage:

quote:

Originally posted by jsbcody:
Because of what happened to Breaker Morant and Lt. Hancock, in the next conflict that the Aussies fought allied the Brits, WWI, the Aussies refused to be under the jurisdiction of British Military Law.

I wasn't aware of this but, if true, it is somewhat hypocritical. The British lawyer defending Morant and his men attempted to get the Australian government to intercede on their behalf and request leniency or at least prevent the death sentence from being carried out and, as a new Commonwealth, Australia reportedly refused to intervene.

Not to quibble, but their lawyer was Australian.

Three strong scenes in a row near the end:

The summation for the defense. Honest, eloquent, and moving.

The prisoners drunk from a large wicker jug sent in from sympathetic someone(s) outside their cells. One of the most realistic drunk scenes I've ever seen. Woodward especially convincing.

A quiet, off-to-the-side scene between Morant and Capt. Taylor (also up on charges, yet to be tried), wherein Taylor offers Morant a chance to escape, and, "See the world." Morant's response ("I've seen it."), and the look on his (actor Woodward's) face as he does, is very moving.

Damn good movie.

One of my favorite movies. Just about my favorite war movie. Some great scenes and repeatable lines. I watch it once a year at least. I love the I'm a pagan line. I used it when I taught the law of land warfare classes to my Marines.

Awesome movie.