True History of the Kelly Gang
Starring: George Mackay, Nicholas Hoult, Essie Davis, Charlie Hunnam
Directed By: Justin Kurzel
Rated: R
“Nothing you’re about to see is true” reads the opening quote on Jed Kurzel’s True History of the Kelly Gang. The film drenched in myth is very loosely based on the life of outlaw and Australian bushranger Ned Kelly from childhood to death. Ned is a poor child raised by a prostitute and a convict. When his father dies, he is mentored by his mother’s new suitor, Harry Power (Russell Crowe). Harry seems decent enough, but he’s got a dark secret (doesn’t Russell Crowe always have a dark secret?) After a shocking incident, Ned turns to a life of crime.
Justin Kurzel previously directed a highly stylized version of Macbeth back in 2015, and similar unique stylistic efforts can be found in Kelly Gang. Kurzel separates the film into three chapters that help tell the story of Ned’s life. With each moving chapter, we get a sense of how nature and nurture shaped Ned and his personality. Fire and snow are two prominent themes used throughout the film. The cool tones of snow help reflect Ned’s lost innocence, and the embers of fire reflect his rage. Justin Kurzel’s brother, Jed, composed an excellent score to the film that pairs wonderfully with each scene.
Essie Davis and Orlando Schwerdt in True History of the Kelly Gang
The screenplay by Shaun Grant has a strong focus on dysfunctional family dynamics and toxic masculinity. Ned’s greatest fear is turning into his father, a fate he cannot imagine. Yet slowly through the film, he treads down a path just like his father succumbing to the future he feared the most. Ned and his mother have a deeply codependent relationship. There are scenes between them that are downright uncomfortable to watch. While Ned is still a little boy, she declares that he’s the “man of the house” even when his father is still around. She goes so far as to sell Ned to Harry so he can learn how to “survive.”
There’s a strong theme of toxic masculinity ruminating throughout the film, illustrating how violence infiltrated Ned’s life way too early. From early childhood, he was introduced to a life of danger and crime. Instead of being allowed a normal childhood, violence was considered the norm.
How could I describe watching this movie? The moment I finished it, all I could think about was the now-iconic Billy Ray Cyrus tweet.
Much to think about, indeed. At times, too much to think about. The first act of Kelly Gang makes its way through Ned’s childhood, and it’s pretty fascinating. Some twists and turns are shocking, and Orlando Schwerdt turns in an excellent performance as a young Ned uprooted from childhood and exposed to the harsh elements of bushranging. It’s in the second act that this film becomes outright chaos. While George Mackay is compelling as the adult Ned falling deeper and deeper into an unhinged violent madness, the movie jumps through so many significant events. The leap from Ned as a child to an adult is jarring. Yet there still manages to be too much going on. Ned is known to be a bank robber and outlaw, yet we don’t see much of that happen on screen. We also never find out anything significant about other members of the Kelly Gang. Why do they rob banks? What draws them to this life of crime? A little background would be nice.
There’s an element of the plot where the Kelly Gang turns into a punk dress-wearing gang and calls themselves the “Sons of Sieve.” When they explain this to Ned, they say, “we do it because we’re rebels.” It was at this moment that I felt like I was listening to Jughead Jones of Riverdale give his “I’m weird. I’m a weirdo. I don’t fit in” speech. I realize I’m tough on this movie, but I think it was just trying way too hard to be edgy without succeeding. There’s nothing wrong with adding some style to a historical drama, but when you’re dealing with a real person, you can keep the details about their life accurate.
Man vs. Myth. Outlaw vs. Legend. Ned Kelly is a mystery. True History of the Kelly Gang tries to give its audience a 21st-century update of the Australian outlaw Ned Kelly. While there are some compelling moments to be found, the outright chaos of it all, unfortunately, outweighs the good.
My Rating: 5/10