True History of the Kelly Gang** (2019, George MacKay, Essie Davis, Nicholas Hoult ) – Movie Review

Director Justin Kurzel’s 2019 Aussie outlaw epic True History of the Kelly Gang starts with a screenplay by Shaun Grant that is based on Peter Carey’s novel re-telling, totally fancifully, the story of Australian bushranger Ned Kelly and his gang as they flee from the nasty and oppressive authorities during the 1870s.

If ‘Nothing you see in this film is true’, what is the point of True History of the Kelly Gang? Ah yes, to make it different from previous efforts to tell the story on screen, apparently 20 of them, including most famously Ned Kelly (1970) and Ned Kelly (2003). Shakespeare gleefully distorted history in his ‘history’ plays and pretty much got away with it. But not everybody is going to forgive True History of the Kelly Gang for reinventing History and not being True.

Apparently the story of Ned Kelly just won’t go away, but you really wish it would. It is a horrible, dark and depressing story with no redeeming entertainment value features. Nevertheless, fascination in the tale remains. Ned Kelly is viewed as Australia’s Robin Hood, a popular folk hero except without the entertainment value, though, to be fair, even Robin Hood can be filmed as a miserable movie, look at Ridley Scott’s 2010 Robin Hood – not many merry men there either, and this film’s grim villain Russell Crowe is playing the grim hero, Robin Hood.

True History of the Kelly Gang has an exceptional cast who do as well as possible with the material. George Mackay stars as Ned, along with Orlando Schwerdt as Young Ned, Charlie Hunnam as Sgt O’Neil, Russell Crowe as Harry Power (Ned’s mentor), Essie Davis as Ellen Kelly (Ned’s mother), Thomasin McKenzie as Mary Hearn (Ned’s lover) and Nicholas Hoult as Constable Fitzpatrick. Some of the actors overdo the material, jarringly, but there is the clear impression that they are delivering exactly what is asked of them.

Complete with ripped body and mullet (!), Mackay is about the right age, and gives a particularly intense and committed performance, but he doesn’t feel quite right for Ned Kelly – too nice, too English, too young-looking – and it’s another real stretch to believe in that nice Nicholas Hoult as the viciously sadistic Constable, though both actors are mesmerisingly watchable.

Maybe Shaun Grant’s screenplay isn’t all that exciting, with story and dialogue none too brilliantly involving and rather thinly stretched over 124 minutes. But otherwise, there is impressive work to praise if not to enjoy particularly. Director of photography Ari Wegner makes the film look appropriately dark and depressing and Jed Kurzel matches that with the score. Director Justin Kurzel ensures his film packs a very nastily hard gut punch, pushing the envelope of both sex and violence.

This is all stylish, quality work. For those seeking a depressing fantasy alternate history biopic, here it is. If only it were actually a bit more enjoyable!

© Derek Winnert 2021 Movie Review

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