During the Boer War, three Australian lieutenants are on trial for shooting Boer prisoners. Though they acted under orders, they are being used as scapegoats by the General Staff, who hopes to distance themselves from the irregular practices of the war. The trial does not progress as smoothly as expected by the General Staff, as the defence puts up a strong fight in the courtroom.
Told by way of a court retrospective, this film depicts the brutalities of the Boer War between the British Colonial authorities and the immigrant Dutch farmers who just wanted to be left to govern themselves. Though largely suppressed by the overwhelming military force, the Boers did have success with guerrilla tactics that resulted in the pretty brutal skirmishes described here. A court martial has been constituted to investigate the activities of three Australian solders and to basically scapegoat them. Only the legal skills of the inexperienced lawyer "Maj. Thomas" (Jack Thompson) can hope to prevent the three from going to the gallows. What soon becomes clear is that the soldiers lead by "Morant" (Edward Woodward) were certainly no saints, and that the ghastliness of this war is writ pretty largely, but what it also identifies is the complicity of their otherwise "civilised" officers. It's got a solid cast, the dialogue is gritty and plausible, the cinematography presents us with the grand scale of the South African countryside and of the often rather subsistence existence of farmers and soldiers alike, and as the momentum builds, Australian director Bruce Beresford manages to sustain a fair degree of interest in the future of the accused and take quite a swipe at the colonial mentalities that prevailed at the time (and not just the British ones) too. Well worth a watch.