True History of The Kelly Gang review: The fictionalized account of an intrepid bushranger

3.5/5

What’s it about?

Justin Kurzel’s unorthodox take on Peter Carey’s novel, True History of The Kelly Gang, deviates from the title of the book from the get go. Kurzel brings to life the exaggerated version of Australian outlaw Ned Kelly who has gone down in the books of history as both - a visionary and one of the most brutal figures of all time. A hero to the Australian outback folk, a fierce gang-leader and a man true to his cause: Ned Kelly’s story is told through a letter that he is writing to his daughter from prison before his execution, narrated by George McKay who plays the older Ned.

This gripping narrative follows the turbulent life of Ned, from his youth (where he is portrayed by Orlando Schwerdt) to his life coming to an end at 25 years of age. This Australian bushranger is weaved into a highly fictionalised plot that does more than follow the emergence of Ned into a feared outlaw. It also highlights the anti-colonial sentiment that still burns bright in the hearts of the bushrangers. In a country where the lawmakers have immense power, that they do not shy away from abusing, it is the outback’s hardened residents that face exploitation. Policemen like Sergeant O'Neill (Charlie Hunnam) are clear sexual predators and Ned’s own mother sells him off to fend for herself. Violence, both inside and outside the home, is rife and Ned grows up believing that this is normal.

When Ned meets Russell Crowe’s Harry Power, the bushranger that Ned’s mother has sold him to, he first learns how to use the outback to his advantage. This is the stage in his life where he trains, kills and ends up in prison. His first stint in a jail is not his last and ultimately, the movie boils down to the most famous shootout in Australian history. Ned survives the legendary gunfight with the police where he wears a homemade armour all over his body to protect himself from the worst. Dangerously wounded, Ned is arrested. While Ned knows his fate, his sympathizers rage and protest but to no avail. Ultimately, the oppressed classes of Australia are left to the mercy of the colonizers.

What’s hot?

The cinematography and the visual delight that Kurzel has offered in True History of The Kelly Gang is unmatchable. The highly charged final battle is enough to carry the weight of the film. The opening shot of the film in itself is mesmerizing - an aerial shot zooms into a man on a horseback, donned in a red gown who is galloping across a wasteland. Ari Wagner outdoes himself with shots like Ned’s home being the only source of light, the sheer danger and uncertainty of the outback life and finally MacKay’s eyes in the iconic metal helmet.

True History of The Kelly Gang aims to make a larger comment - one that is about the incessant oppression of colonisers, the displacement of natives and their subsequent banishment, the lawmakers’ inherent corruption and the social evils that littered late 19th century Australia. And Kurzel does so brilliantly by depicting the pain of Ned’s life in each juncture. All relationships are either broken, twisted or bought and all human connections are temporary and fraudulent. Ned falls victim not just to his own circumstances, but to a larger system that is crushing the soul of Australia, is eradicating its immigrants and is unleashing unfathomable violence. The irony of all it lies in Ned turning to an Englishman towards the end to help him finish the letter, bringing the oppressor’s agenda to a full circle. It is never the coloniser who will be privy to the pain and the brutality of outback nativity, only those like Ned who get trapped in a never ending cycle that brings nothing but doom.

The performances of MacKay and Nicolas Hoult are especially memorable. MacKay adopts an Australian accent almost like a second skin and depicts a character as rooted in Australian history as Ned in an adept manner. Hoult’s role is comparatively much smaller, but his presence is enough to divert the focus of the audience from MacKay to him.

What’s not?

The film tells an important story. But the fact that the fictionalization of events slowly takes over in a way that the truth gets completely altered is a disgrace to Carey’s Booker Prize winning piece of art. The movie sits on the edge of being ridden with outlaw movie cliches and though the characters are crafted with careful consideration, they come off as one dimensional on many occasions. The popularity of Ned as a bushranger hero sometimes gets lost in the mildly monotonous storytelling that draws too heavily on violence and not enough on its characters.

Final Verdict

True History of The Kelly Gang is a brave attempt to unravel a tale so laden with cultural connotations, the history of a nation and the experience of a society as a whole. Though Kurzel’s vision falters a little in brief pockets, the film is an excellent experience altogether. Watch it to understand the state of the outback natives in a state that wishes to crush their soles and MacKay’s Ned is sure to emerge as a hero for you too.