Tom Beasley talks to Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel about his new take on the life of the most famous bushranger in the country’s history…
The story of Ned Kelly has been told many times on the big screen, stretching right back to arguably the first feature film ever made, more than a hundred years ago. Aussie director Justin Kurzel is the latest filmmaker to have a stab at the famous bushranger’s life, fresh from his searing true crikme thriller Snowtown and the video game adaptation Assassin’s Creed. George MacKay is his Kelly, with Essie Davis, Charlie Hunnam and Russell Crowe also in the cast.
Kurzel recently popped into London to promote the film and he sat down with Flickering Myth to discuss the full-on violence of the story and Russell Crowe’s sweary, musical contribution to the movie.
SEE ALSO: Read our ★ ★ ★ ★ review of True History of the Kelly Gang
TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG shatters the mythology of the notorious icon to reveal the essence behind the life of Ned Kelly and force a country to stare back into the ashes of its brutal past. Spanning the younger years of Ned’s life to the time leading up to his death, the film explores the blurred boundaries between what is bad and what is good, and the motivations for the demise of its hero. Youth and tragedy collide in the Kelly Gang, and at the beating heart of this tale is the fractured and powerful love story between a mother and a son.
True History of the Kelly Gang is in UK cinemas from 28th February.
Tom Beasley is a freelance film journalist and wrestling fan. Follow him on Twitter via @TomJBeasley for movie opinions, wrestling stuff and puns.