"True History of the Kelly Gang" is a... fictionalized history of the Kelly Gang, but not to any fault, for Justin Kurzel successfully manages to make this version of history breathe and have an actual perspective on Ned Kelly.
First half an hour we spend with the young Ned (Orlando Schwerdt), living through the dirt, despair and love of the Kelly house, and meeting his life's pivotal characters, mother Ellen Kelly (Essie Davis), mentor Harry Power (Russell Crowe) and more. Later on, as George MacKay takes over the lead, upon a chain of events, the Kelly Gang rises and falls. The journey of Ned Kelly is interesting and compelling, but the storytelling is somewhat inconsistent and exhausting, perhaps even choppy, but not all throughout. It's the middle parts that slow down a little too much, losing momentum, descending into a melodrama. Despite the flaws and notions of unfulfilled potential, Justin Kurzel shows mastery in handling raw emotions, grit and uneasiness with a sure hand, all the while keeping it substantial. Naturally, the entirety of the cast provides solid, engaging and emotional performances, have no fear of no flaws in this area. The one thing everybody's giving props for - rightfully so - is the aesthetical and atmospheric side of the "True History of the Kelly Gang". Justin's whole filmography is visually pleasantly stylish & the newest doesn't disappoint, despite the change of his usual cinematographer. This western's dirty, gritty and shows off the majestic backcountry of 19th century Australia effectively, using creative technological tricks and especially lighting. Action's (even though in underwhelming amounts) is loud and bloody, as stylized as the rest of the movie. But, even while being a visually beautiful movie, it has that indie feel, the feel of when the lack of budget is compensated with creative filmmaking tricks. Oh, and Jed Kurzel, director's brother, continues delivering effective original scores, although his "Macbeth" score is still my favorite.
To sum it up, I had higher hopes and different theories, but what I saw is a great modern western, (almost) all-around well made but not exceptional. It's one of those cases where it's almost annoying being objective. My rating: 7/10.
First half an hour we spend with the young Ned (Orlando Schwerdt), living through the dirt, despair and love of the Kelly house, and meeting his life's pivotal characters, mother Ellen Kelly (Essie Davis), mentor Harry Power (Russell Crowe) and more. Later on, as George MacKay takes over the lead, upon a chain of events, the Kelly Gang rises and falls. The journey of Ned Kelly is interesting and compelling, but the storytelling is somewhat inconsistent and exhausting, perhaps even choppy, but not all throughout. It's the middle parts that slow down a little too much, losing momentum, descending into a melodrama. Despite the flaws and notions of unfulfilled potential, Justin Kurzel shows mastery in handling raw emotions, grit and uneasiness with a sure hand, all the while keeping it substantial. Naturally, the entirety of the cast provides solid, engaging and emotional performances, have no fear of no flaws in this area. The one thing everybody's giving props for - rightfully so - is the aesthetical and atmospheric side of the "True History of the Kelly Gang". Justin's whole filmography is visually pleasantly stylish & the newest doesn't disappoint, despite the change of his usual cinematographer. This western's dirty, gritty and shows off the majestic backcountry of 19th century Australia effectively, using creative technological tricks and especially lighting. Action's (even though in underwhelming amounts) is loud and bloody, as stylized as the rest of the movie. But, even while being a visually beautiful movie, it has that indie feel, the feel of when the lack of budget is compensated with creative filmmaking tricks. Oh, and Jed Kurzel, director's brother, continues delivering effective original scores, although his "Macbeth" score is still my favorite.
To sum it up, I had higher hopes and different theories, but what I saw is a great modern western, (almost) all-around well made but not exceptional. It's one of those cases where it's almost annoying being objective. My rating: 7/10.