david briola

One of the best examples of the wave of Australian films in the late 70s and through much of the 80s, "Breaker" was a breath of fresh air for an American audience jaded by the mediocre movies coming out of Hollywood at the time. I don't think it was mere coincidence that one of the more fallow periods for American cinema was concurrent with the election of Ronald Reagan. But, I digress. Edward Woodward and Bryan Brown led a cast of standout actors and the presentation of a complex moral issue with all the attendant ambiguities did not allow for easy answers. I left the theater in a state of emotional and intellectual turmoil. Who was right and who was wrong?" Breaker Morant" is one of those rare films that force us to question our assumptions about ourselves and what we might do in similar circumstances. If you have never seen it, find it on DVD, or stream it, but DO see it.

From beginning to end, Christopher Nolan ratchets up the tension to the point of nervous exhaustion and just when you think he can't possibly raise it any higher, he finds another gear. Whether it's the Spitfires trying to shoot down the German twin-engine bomber (a Heinkel 111), before it drops its payload on the British minesweeper, or the British soldiers huddle on the mole as the Germans rain down artillery fire, or Stukas strafe them, Nolan never lets up. He never gives us a moment's respite, just as the Germans never relent. The result is a small slice of mid 20th century warfare, as well as a scaled-up panorama of one of the most pivotal moments in the history of Western Civilization. In this, he is aided enormously by the Hans Zimmer soundtrack, which sounds like a huge ticking watch. It serves to remind us of the centrality of time in this film. One of the director's motifs is to play with time and this movie is no exception. He shows us one hour of the aerial combat, one day of the small boat with its crew of the middle-aged skipper and two young men and one week of the evacuation of the troops waiting on shore. Some of my friends found the film too impersonal, but I think that was the point. These events took place on a titanic scale and Nolan found a way to render them understandable and relatable to all of us. s

I have never laughed so hard, been so moved, or so haunted by the same movie. An instant classic! Tarantino not only met my hopes and expectations, he exceeded them by light years. And this from someone who had never gotten on the Tarantino Bandwagon--until now, that is. This loving depiction of not just the Old Hollywood, but of America in the 60's is spot on, in all its unabashed optimism, in all its unrealized hopes and in all its horror. Here's to you, Tarantino, to Rick and Cliff, and, of course, to Sharon. May you all be forever young.