2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Savage and unjustified; a film that targets the senseless and exposes their sickness..., April 18, 2008
This review is from: Romper Stomper (Two-Disc Special Edition) (DVD)
When `Romper Stomper' opens one is immediately drawn into the sick and twisted mind of Hando, leader of a group of Skinheads residing in Melbourne, Australia. This first scene depicts a harsh and spontaneous burst of violence towards a small group of Asians and is unsettling and disturbing and perfectly sets the tone for this brutal film.
`Romper Stomper' tells the story of this racist clan as they embark on a war against the Vietnamese community that is infesting their homeland. The raw and gritty depictions of violence and hatred are gut wrenching and fearless in that they don't beg to be justified or understood but clearly just want to be recognized. Director and screenwriter Geoffrey Wright manages to create a world so dark and scary that one feels almost compelled to investigate. I remember when I first witnessed this film I was appalled at its apparent lack of moral center. None of these characters are even given a sympathetic bone. I had just come down from the high that was `American History X', a film that manages to creep inside the disease of racism from an angle of understanding, and so when I saw the way their hatred was calloused and without remote justification I was taken aback. Then I realized just how brilliant this technique was.
`Romper Stomper' decides to target the senselessness of racism and it does so masterfully. As Hando and his clan fall apart from the inside out, their personalities breeding controversy and segregation from within their own ranks, you can see that this breed of human can't even coexist with their own kind. Then ending is brutally savage yet justified in its delivery. It wouldn't feel right any other way.
Russell Crowe gives what might be his finest screen performance ever, and what truly serves to be one of the finest performances by any actor; period. As Hando he is savage and ruthless, donning a cold and often unsettling exterior that breathes a life of superiority. You recognize his power; you understand he owns you and you are ready to devote yourself to him. There is a scene where he is explaining to Gabe, a young runaway who joins his clan, Hitler's words in Mein Kampf, and it's in that scene that you see who this man really is; how sick and demented and unholy his soul is. Crowe gives such a rich and powerful portrayal of a man convinsed his own imperfections are godlike.
The rest of the cast delivers as well. Jacqueline McKenzie manages to capture a sensual attraction that makes her `chink in the clan chain' all the more understandable, and Daniel Pollock, who plays Hando's right hand man Davey, delivers a knockout performances, channeling the misplaced loyalty and the confliction this man faces as the film draws to a close. His untimely death only makes this film in general all the more tragic.
In the end I will say that `Romper Stomper' is not a film for everyone to enjoy. There are many aspects of this film that are disturbing, and the fact that it desires no sympathy and really exacts no justice (not at least in an ultimate sense) can put some people off. When we as a society consider the acts of racism and hatred we like to be put at ease by either witnessing a change in a person (as in `American History X') or finding a balance in understanding (as in `Crash'...sort of) or finding the ultimate act of justice in punishment. `Romper Stomper' somewhat goes for the later, but not in a way you would expect. This may leave some viewers cold as the film never really condemns these Skinheads for their actions. Maybe that is the point though. Maybe, just maybe, we are not supposed to condemn as much as observe; and observe we do.
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0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
romper stomper, November 13, 2008
This review is from: Romper Stomper (Two-Disc Special Edition) (DVD)
this is an incredible movie that i got for an incredible price.
service was good and i plan on buying a couple of movies through amazon as christmas presents.
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