
Northern Lights
1998


“A powerful true story of bitter revenge...”
157 votes
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.
Director
Bruce BeresfordWriters
Streaming availability for India
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Released
Original Language
Afrikaans
Budget
$1.0M
Revenue
$8.2M
Production Companies

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…
Read full review →An all time great war movie/court room drama "Breaker Morant" is one of those movies I had placed on a "Really should see this movie one of these days" list. Well, in some ways I'm sorry I waited so long to see this masterpiece and in other ways, the current world situation with "The war on terror" has made this movie even more relevant and topical. The plot of this movie is based on real events that occurred during the Boer War, in South Africa. Three Australian soldiers (well, during the course of this war, Australia had become a nation) are courts martial for the killing of some South…
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