Customer Reviews

Ned Kelly

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For most people Down Under, the name Ned Kelly elicits feelings ranging from near religious devotion and hero-worship to the most bitter, deep-seated hatred. Like many figures who have come to be regarded as popular heroes, there has been the accretion of a lot of legend to the name of Ned Kelly, which can make getting to the real man a tall order.

The movie, Ned Kelly, is based in the southern state of Victoria, (it was filmed just outside Melbourne), and follows the Kelly Gang through the unjust imprisonment of Ned Kelly (Heath Ledger) and then his mother after false accusations from a Victorian Police officer. Other injustices are committed against the Kelly's and their friends, which only increases Kelly's resolve to hit back. The film climaxes in the last stand made at Glenrowan, and the tragedy that it was.

The movie is excellently shot and uses the scenery of Victoria well to give an atmosphere and aura of colonial roughness contrasted with the well-to-do nature of the British middle and upper classes at the time. The film simply looks nice, as well as uses real historical sites. For example, the scene where Ned Kelly leaves prison is the gate to the Old Melbourne jail, (that part is now a building devoted to tertiary education). It is worth a visit, if you are ever in Melbourne, as the wing where Kelly was kept is still intact and open to the public.

The principle actors are all excellent in their roles and they bring off the Irish character of the Kellys and their friends well. Orlando Bloom is excellent as Kelly's friend, Joe Byrne. Accurately shown to be fluent in Cantonese, Bloom brings Byrne to life. Heath Ledger does an admirable job of portraying Ned Kelly in the details, bringing to light what motivated and drove Kelly, as well as the emotional struggles that Kelly might have gone through. Laurence Kinlan and Phil Barantini deserve mention as well for their parts as Dan Kelly and Steve Hart respectively, and the protrayal of their tragically short lifes and their courage at the end.

The movie is a great story, and brings a man and his friends to life. It is an excellent overview of a complex figure and it attempts to show what the real man was, and in most respects succeeds in doing so. The movie does presents one "interpretation" of the Ned Kelly story, and presents him in a very positive light. The director, Gregor Jordan, is very open and honest about this, saying that he hoped people would be encouraged to find out more and form their own opinions. The movie also takes some liberties with the facts, but these do not overly affect the plot or its value as a Kelly movie.

If you have never seen or read about Ned Kelly, then I would suggest that one read a book called Ned Kelly: A Short Life by Ian Jones, (available from Amazon). Read it before you see the movie and it will help you understand where the movie is coming from and where the movie is drawing its material from. Secondly, the book will fill in information that is either not given in the movie, or could be easily missed. This information would provide a greater understanding of why Kelly does things in the movie.

For example, the reason for the siege at Glenrowan is not terribly clear in the movie, though it is indirectly alluded to in a couple of scenes. One scene is when Kelly and Byrne are writing the Jerrilderee Letter, and Kelly warns people not to "attempt to reside" in Victoria. The second scene is when Francis Hare, (Rush), is addressing his officers and warns that the Kelly Gang have been elevated as leaders of a "movement" that threatens the very structure of the colony of Victoria. What the book reveals is that Kelly and the Gang were trying to start an uprising, and cut the rail at Gelnrowan to aid them in this. It was not just an attempt to kill as many officers as they could for no real reason. They also had supporters ready to rise in the area around the town, and there were worries after the seige ended that they would still cause trouble.

Also, the book presents a more balanced context to the movie. It is not revealed in the movie that Kelly had run with an older bushranger, (bandit), when he was in his teens and learned a lot from the older man, (such as bush craft and bushranging). It was from this older man that Kelly learned the value of a wide support base among the general population. This was helped a lot when the Kelly Gang burned a bank's mortgages, (the farmers got their loans cancelled and their farms free).

Overall, the movie is excellent, and I enjoyed it immensely. It is a touching story, and one may need to watch it in the dark to hide the tears, ;-). The story is one worth telling, and the cast and crew of this movie have told the story well. I would only recommend reading the book as well for the reasons above. Love him or hate him, it is undoubted that Ned Kelly makes a great movie and will remain in the popular imagination for generations to come.

Gregor Jordan's version of "Ned Kelly" may not be quite as playful as the 1970 Mick Jagger version, but it is a well-done recounting of this Australian legend. Jordan packs the cast with Australian actors who deliver. Australian Heath Ledger delivers a controlled performance that shows great force. Ned Kelly shows a different side of Ledger than we've seen in "10 Things I Hate About You," "A Knight's Tale" or "Monster's Ball." It may come closest to the tightly wound performance he offered in "The Order." Ledger also starred in Gregor Jordan's first film in 1999, "Two Hands," which I have yet to see; so this is their second teaming.

Orlando Bloom does a great job as Kelly's good friend and sidekick. Quite different than "Pirates of the Caribbean," we get to see a Bloom who is a Romeo, constantly hitting on girls with a twinkle in his eye. Most hilarious is his scene with Australian Brenda Griffiths as the bank president's wife where he seduces her a floor above where her spectacled husband sits under gun. Griffiths' Oscar nomination in 1998 for "Hillary & Jackie" and her starring role on HBO's series "6 Feet Under" have made her face familiar; and she has great fun here with Orlando.

Naomi Watts who was born in Great Britain but raised in Australia doesn't have a demanding role as the wife of the horse owner. She seduces Ned Kelly in the stable. For her, this is no "21 Grams," "Mullholland Drive" or "The Ring," but she does what is required in admirable fashion.

The supporting actors also do nice jobs. Laurence Kinlan as brother Dan Kelly has only one other acting credit, "Intermission" with Colin Farrell. Philip Baratini who plays the other gang member Steve Hart does a good job, and is a newcomer. Australian Oscar winning actor Geoffrey Rush (Shine) does a nice job with some emotional levels as the British soldier who chases the Kelly gang. Particularly touching is when he asks for Kelly's sash at the end of the film. Kerry Condon as Ned's sister Kate does a good job of living it up in the pub & then putting off the British soldier who is pursuing her. It will be interesting to see her star in 2005 with Jet Li, Morgan Freeman & Bob Hoskins in "Unleashed." Kiri Paramore as the policeman Fitzpatrick who has an eye for Kate does an appropriately repulsive job of hitting on Ned's sister.

The pacing of the film is excellent; there are no dead spots. We see the action of the film mushroom as the injustice of British rule as applied to the Irish in Australia is made. The cinematography is excellent; and the battle scene is well photographed. The DVD bonus features are interesting. Ledger does bear a resemblance to the original Ned Kelly. It was interesting to see clips from the early Ned Kelly films and from Mick Jagger's 1970 effort. This is a good film, ably acted & directed. Enjoy!

I learned from "Breaker Morant" and "Gallipoli" that the British had little regard for Australian soldiers so it was not surprising to learn from this 2003 version of the "Ned Kelly" story that the British Down Under treated the locals with similar disdain. When it turns out that the title character is also of Irish decent, well, that is just pouring it on when you cross reference all of the films in which the British make the Irish suffer. It is easy enough to explain to the casual viewer that Ned Kelly is the Australian equivalent of Jesse James, but that misses the point that Kelly was a much more popular figure in his land that James was (as witnessed at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney where dancers wearing Kelly's iron helmet with the slit, inspired by Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly paintings) and that his ending was much more fascinating than that of the American outlaw.

The story of Ned Kelly as told in Gregor Jordan's film is fairly straightforward. Young Ned (Heath Ledger) is sent to prison for a crime that he did not commit, condemned by his ethnicity more than any facts, and when he emerges from prison the authorities continue to go after his family. Since he is being treated like an outlaw he decides to become one along with his brother, Dan (Laurence Kinlan), his best friend, Joe Byrne (Orlando Bloom), and another friend, Steve Hart (Phil Barantini). Superintendent Francis Hare (Geoffrey Rush) leads the police in the great effort to hunt Ned and the boys down, but the Kelly Gang is popular with the people and are able to ride free for a while.

Telling the dramatic story of Kelly's life is hampered by the fact that before his famous last stand at Glenrowan the most notable part of his criminal career was the Jerilderie Letter, a demand for justice written in Ned's own hand that detailed the way he and his family and friends had been treated by the authorities. This is reduced in the film to a chance to call public officials wombats and the like. Fortunately the Siege at Glenrown, which constitutes the final act of the film, is more accurate and more compelling, and provides the best reason for checking out this otherwise rather slow moving film.

With so many people gunning for him Kelly came up with the idea of fashioning bullet-proof armor that could protect them during their bank robberies. The gang also came up with a plan to stop a special train at Glenrowan, the area of their staunchest support, but Hare found out about the plan and was able to turn Glenrowan into a trap for Ned and his boys, as well as their supporters. The battle turned into a siege, with the armor of the Kelly Gang giving them a way of negating the number of armed police that were taking shots at them.

The depiction of what happened at Glenrowan is reasonably accurate and is dramatic enough that I can understand why the film does not go on to show either Kelly's trial or execution. Besides, Jordan has a final ironic touch that he can play with regards to a bloody sash. The armor worn by the Kelly Gang at Glenrowan is on display at various places around Australia and one of the nice touches of the film is how it shows it providing protection, for the most part, but hampering the efforts of the boys to actually aim and shoot their own guns with any degree of accuracy. The armor weighed almost 100 pounds and while it could indeed stoop a Martini-Henry bullet at ten paces there were the practical problems of having extra horses to carry it around, the time it took to put it on, and the ways in changed everything from walking to shooting.

I underscore the historical accuracy of the Kelly Gang armor because those not well versed in Australian folk history, which is pretty much your entire American audience, might think that this is far fetched. But you can imagine how the idea of such armor would appeal to four men being hounded by an army of police, so that becoming the "iron outlaws" seemed as good a tactic as any to try and change things to give them more of a fighting chance. The story outweighs the acting and everyone from Ledger and Rush to the supporting cast give the appearance of playing parts in a pageant, which, from the Australian perspective, would most decidedly seem to be the case. I dare say that female fans of Ledger and Bloom, in particular, are going to be rather surprised by the history lesson they receive here.

I was a little disappointed with this film, but I don't think it can really be blamed on the actors. I love watching movies based on real life people though I know movie makers often take enormous liberties when it comes to what version of the "truth" they want to portray on the screen. This movie didn't seem all that interested in telling the story of the Kelly gang. It seemed more interested in showing us just another western. You never get a really good picture of any of the characters so it's hard to feel really attached to anyone. When the predictable end comes, it's hard to make yourself care.

The redeeming qualities for me were the following: First, they do not portray Ned Kelly as a hero or as being perfect. He is shown with his flaws and because of that, we can relate to him better as a human being who has simply been put into horrible circumstances. Second, Geoffrey Rush is a fabulous actor. He makes the best of the poorly written part of Francis Hare, the man sent to track down the Kelly gang. Third, Orlando Bloom. I'm not a big Orlando Bloom fan, but he is the only one who manages to sparkle in this bland film. His character is funny, frisky (to say the least), and probably more human than all the other characters combined. He, like Rush, definitely makes the best of a poorly written/directed script...and in the end, his character is probably the only one you will really remember.

Tones of brown pervade this somewhat dark film based on an Australian 'hero' Ned Kelly, a lad who was true to his immigrant Irish family roots to the point of becoming an outlaw in their defense. Director Gregor Jordan (BUFFALO SOLDIERS) has gathered a cast of Aussies and has managed to find the kind heart of the legend of Kelly and his band. Heath Ledger sustains a fine performance as Ned, and his gang of friends and family include Orlando Bloom, Lawrence Kinlan and Phil Baratini - all capable actors who make their characters credible and yes, lovable. Naomi Watts and Rachel Griffiths lend scenic decor and not much else and Geoffrey Rush replays his 'Jauvert'-type character with his usual authority. The camera work and set design is atmospheric and aptly/oddly claustrophobic in the vastness of Australia. The music score is particularly fine, mixing fine Irish melodies with original orchestral writing. While not a great film, there is enough of the still desperate need to find heroes in our midst to make this a movie most folk will savor. Bears watching.

Actually, I've ordered this DVD (through amazon.co.uk, months ago) mainly because an Australian friend recommended it. I didn't know that Heath Ledger, Orlando Bloom, Naomi Watts and Geoffrey Rush starred in it, and at that time, I didn't care. It wasn't the actors I was interested in, it was the content. - Still, I must say that not all of these famous actors/actress lived up to their expectations. - Naomi Watts is rather poor in her performance, but then again it might not be her (lack of) ability (after all she's been nominated for an Academy Award this year), it might be the role itself that makes her performance less than memorable. Much the same goes for Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush. He's done much better work in other movies, but his role, though vital, is not very impressive, anyway. Heath Ledger is sometimes overacting. But that's his style. Orlando Bloom was portraying quite fairly his character, the handsome, quiet young Joe. He's also the only one who really (even physically) "belongs" in the story of a century gone by. Then again, who am I to criticise? I'm not an actress, what do I know of that "métier", anyway?

I'm certainly not going to give you another summary of "Ned Kelly". If you want to know what the movie's story-content is about, you might read the synopsis of the "Editorial Review".

Even though the hero's (or heroes' ) story is rather romanticised (as it often is in movies, but that's what legends are mainly based on, "romanticised pictures and ideals", right?), it's still a valid depiction of what contrarieties the Irish (and for that matter, the Scottish, too) had to endure during over 800 years of British supremacy. It shows how one nation thinks it can rule over others, just because they're of this "special" nation and the others aren't. (Still quite an ongoing theme in modern history.)

I've called it a quiet movie in the title, even if it's filled with shooting, dying, burning things down, etc. (That's only part of the story and comes with the territory of a gang of outlaws being hunted by everyone who wants to.) The quiet part is the thoughts it might inspire. Showing how one little "misunderstanding" can cause such injustice that a real drama ensues. A whole life is destroyed and with it the family's and friends' lives, too. It shows that even the best intentions can be twisted around if you're on the "losing", wrong side (i.e. the Irish, or let's say "the not British", in the movie). It shows that no matter how hard you try, you can't live in peace with your neighbour if your neighbour refuses to live in peace with you as well. And it shows that deceit might come from the most unlikely, unexpected place (i.e. Aaron).

Another quiet part play the beautiful scenery shots. They're breath-taking and sometimes remind you of a documentary on flora and fauna.

And so, this quiet, little movie might be the occasion to ask oneself : Is there glory in being hanged? (as Ned Kelly was), Or in being shot? (as Joe Byrne was), Or even in committing suicide? (as Dan Kelly and Steve Hart did). Certainly NOT! But there might be glory in fighting for what you believe in. The might be glory in standing up for your beliefs. Don't just accept injustice. No one has the right to put you down, not even if you're "only" Ned Kelly, an Irish immigrant's (deportee's) son. He's the one who stepped up to the British Empire of the 19th century. And ultimately paid for it with his life.

But that's how a legend began....

This was an interesting film staring the up & coming star Heath Ledger as Ned Kelly. Beautifully filmed in Australia with an
equally adventurous film score "Ned Kelly" kept me glued to this
shoot-em-up mid to late 1800's story line about this Irish family and
what they were forced to put up with(bad cops) and a tight
fight em to the end bunch of family & friends. Namoi Watts also has a
small role as Ledger's love iterest and is as usual, compelling.
Orlando Bloom & Geoffrey Rush are excellent here as well, all the cast do a great
job mastering their accents and dialogue. Not a blockbuster
but an interesting period film I would recommend, has a nice
moral story going on, as well as the bank robbing and their
will to live through all this, Ledger makes this film a winner.

This story is a very moving story about injustice and one man not taking it anymore. I had no idea what this movie was about when I started watching it, and was quiet suprised about the story and acting. See this movie and besure that you watch the special features about the real Ned Kelly. I recommend this movie to anyone that likes movies based on actual facts of history.

On its face, this 2004 version of the Ned Kelly story is an old-fashioned western shoot 'em up, albeit played out in the "wild west" of Victorian era Australia. In fact, I found that to be part of this film's appeal, in that it provides a rare and entertaining look at how similar life was "over there" at that time to those most of us have seen a million times in tales of the American west.

That said, Director Gregor Jordan's Kelly tale is also an allegory demonstrating again how easily a government with absolute authority and no valid system of checks and balances can be used maliciously and abusively by a corrupt few. Given the abuses of power by members of today's American government, with a corrupt core even working to override and ignore the checks and balances supposedly assured by our system, it's a good reminder of what can happen to any individual -- especially someone of unpopular origin -- when circumstances are less than perfect, as they often are.

As to the accuracy of the film's storyline, good luck determining that. While it seems to be reasonably accurate, if romanticized to accent Kelly's folk appeal, at this point it's hard to say who was right, who was wrong, and to what degree. Then again, that's a great reason to buy this DVD - it includes a Special Feature about the real Ned Kelly for more perspective on the now century-and-a-half debate over whether he was just a rowdy criminal or a Robin Hood revolutionary standing up for the common man. Probably a little of both.

At the very least, the film is well acted both by its primaries - Heath Ledger, Orlando Bloom, Naomi Watts, and Geoffrey Rush - and the many terrific Australian character actors in support roles. Nicely done all around.

As an Aussie, I grew up learning about Ned Kelly along with all the other Bushrangers but with my kids growing up overseas, I am always looking for ways to keep them in touch with their Aussie roots. This is, unfortunately, not a movie for young kids so mine haven't seen it yet but it will remain in my collection for when they ARE old enough. In the meantime, my husband and I enjoyed watching it. I liked learning more about this colorful character from our rich history and my husband really enjoyed the movie too.