'Breaker' Morant

'Breaker' Morant (Bruce Beresford, 1990) - A-

This one's all about rhythm, consisting of a lengthy military court-martial sequence punctuated by constant, short, often staccato interruptions, some expository, some rueful, others sarcastic. Seems to settle down a bit toward the end, at least insofar as the chronology becomes more or less straightforward, but the editing continues the disorienting sensation, eliding time and skipping over key revelations only to announce them later with three bitterly shouted words ("Same as Morant"). It's a tension-builder, and an effective stand-in for the film's overwhelming cynicism -- men's fates are decided by the pettiest of political considerations (e.g. Australia not wanting to appear "colonial"); much is made of the execution of POWs without a "fair trial" but the court-martial is obviously a kangaroo court -- and it turns the movie into a shot to the heart rather than simply maudlin moral condemnation. The ending is crushing.