You kind of get the feel this movie's an extension of The Sullivans, even thoughit isn't and the movie has a few of it's stars, but it isn't, where I kind of wondered if I heard the Sullivan name drip. The film was made 6-7 years earlier than I thought, '76, not '83. The hands behind Gallipoli and Picnic At Hanging Rock, are partly responsible,and it shows, with again the wonderfully set period shots, and locations, giving us a wonderfully air and feel the movie, This one joins the ranks of the other two, although there's not that much memorable, or wowing about it, and this I felt watching it. It has admiring features, though. Although it has war themes, it's not a war film, if that's what you're thinking. Only in it's beautifully, un rushed and moving opening (the best I've seen in a film) plus another flashback fighting scene, near it's finale, that's all there is, in that department. Handsome Macfarlane, again playing a Tom, and he's not a Sullivan, plays a soldier, wounded in WW2 2, who's returned, visibly shattered, and taunted, and he really show's great depth in this role, although he's not the most likeable character. Now working as a chief editor/boss of a town crier, he starts up a torrid affair, with an older, bolder woman, Kestlemane, and she's the magic to this film. She steals every scene, and she has the most beautifully gentle, and memorable voice, kind of sounding a bit like French Actress, Jeanne Moreau. She become's Tom's salvation, and restoration of life, his earlier pre war self if you will, getting him to move past his anger, resentment, and scarring memories of that fateful day in war. His heavily pregnant wife, (Mason, really good, better than Macfarlane) we feel is kind of suss, about his infidelities, but she has other issues at hand. Tom's happiness and sexual intimacy, is invaded when Kestlleman's friends arrive, headed by a loud, opinionated and reckless, former lover (great Shakespherian actor John Bell, who kind of livens the last half of the film. Tom is kind of made small around them, and again Macfarlane really impresses with his emotions and reactions, at a nice, not overdone level. I really like Tony Barry too, one of my favorite Oz actors, as a carefree and wise thinking local of a watering hole, and again in those tastefully great close ups, we see beer being poured from tap, froth atop it. Tom, pre war days, was also a great batter we learn. Break Of Day is a rarity, I must say. It's a period and mood feel film, and character study. Good traits these are, in film, and the films ends resolutely, humbly, but not memorably, though, and this is one of a magic suck to what is engaging, pleasant, mellow two hour viewing. A must see for it's photography, set period, and of course Kestlemane, the one gentle of this wonderfully moving story. Worth a look? Yes. One of the most beautifully, (I know I say that a lot in this review, but there's a lot that's beautiful to this film) shot scenes, is Tom watching morning sky break, hence the title. Duh. This scene brings a new lease of Tom, which you too the viewer will be moved.
