Ned Kelly (2004)

"For Australians, the admired icon of defiance is the legendary Ned Kelly."
(Awesome)

The popular folklore of every nation harbours at least one outlaw figure that defied the authorities in a spectacular fashion and captured the hearts of the common people in the process. Scotland has the inspirational William Wallace, England the daring Dick Turpin, and America the likes of Jesse James. For Australians, the admired icon of defiance is the legendary Ned Kelly.

In the late 19th century, Edward ‘Ned’ Kelly, the son of Irish immigrants, became the world’s most wanted man, with an unprecedented bounty on his head. Such was the establishment’s fear of Ned, the government of the time passed a special law that granted ordinary citizens the right to kill the outlaw on sight without fear of any legal repercussions. Ned Kelly, the movie, charts the turbulent life of Ned (Heath Ledger) as he progresses from part-time horse thief to full-time enemy of the state and folk hero.

Ned and his family are members of a struggling underclass in frontier Australia. It takes capital and connections to carve a prosperous life out of the virgin wilderness, and the Kellys have neither. Life is hard for Ned’s people, and the occasional theft of a horse or cow adds the burden of a strained relationship with the local police.

The delicate truce between the Kellys and the law is finally broken when a drunken policeman arrives one night at the Kelly home and attempts to press himself upon Ned’s younger sister. The fiery Ned isn’t present, but the unwanted advance is halted by his little brother, Dan (Laurence Kinlan), and the frisky trooper is sent on his way after a light beating and a good scare.

In order to give the matter a chance to blow over, and to hopefully spare the Kelly family any immediate recriminations, Ned, Dan, and their good friends Joe Byrne (Orlando Bloom) and Steve Hart (Philip Barantini) decide to hide out in the hills for a few days. However, the group of young men soon discover that warrants for their arrest have been issued and that Ned and Dan’s mother has been carted off and sentenced to three years hard labour. For the newly formed Kelly Gang, life will never be the same again.

Enraged by the incarceration of his beloved mother, and not content to eke out whatever existence he can as a hunted fugitive, Ned decides the group’s fate. Formally declaring war on the authorities, the Kelly Gang set along a path of death and destruction that will last two years and end in a showdown like no other.

To be expected, Heath Ledger as the bearded Ned dominates most of the film’s scenes. As the tenth in a century long line of cinematic portrayals of the famous outlaw, Ledger surprisingly succeeds where his predecessors (including Mick Jagger of all people) failed dismally. Ledger, whose characters in such films as A Knight’s Tale (2001) and The Patriot (2000) were very much one dimensional, excels in bringing the multi-faceted Ned Kelly to life. Historians state that Ned Kelly was kind, intelligent, and philosophical, in addition to being capable of enormous rages and acts of violence. From his stirring monologues about the plight of the poor to his fervent declaration of war, Ledger has delivered it all in mesmerising fashion. It’s a performance that should help secure the 23 year old actor a place amongst Hollywood’s A-list.

The supporting cast of Ned Kelly is large, and could be cause for criticism. The film contains a number of scenes that appear to have no other purpose than to keep some of the actors happy. For instance, Rachel Griffiths, who’s best known as Brenda on TV’s Six Feet Under, is granted a five minute solo performance that’s more pantomime than serious acting, and doesn’t forward the story in any way.

However, there are some standout performers in the supporting cast. Orlando Bloom as Joe Byrne and Naomi Watts as Ned’s on-again off-again love interest are the most notable. Bloom, in particular, makes a stunning leap from his recent role as Lord of the Ring’s elvan archer, Legolas Greenleaf, to embody the devil-may-care womanizer that was Joe Byrne.

Lead by Director Gregor Jordan (Buffalo Soldiers, Two Hands), the makers of Ned Kelly strike a delicate balance between historical integrity and the eye-candy that the majority of cinemagoers expect. Purists should be pleased with Jordan’s general adherence to the truth, and the remainder of the audience will be dazzled by a stunning array of scenes that culminate in the final showdown.

Ned Kelly is the fascinating story of an extraordinary man in extraordinary circumstances. With its copious amounts of action, adventure, drama, and romance, it’s also a great movie experience. Ned Kelly earns the full five out of five.