True History of the Kelly Gang
TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG - FILM4 + PICTUREHOUSE
Director Justin Kurzel returns from his hiding after the relatively well made Michael Fassbender box office bomb Assassins Creed in 2016 with a Peaky Blinders, punk rock infused biopic of the Australian outlaw Ned Kelly in True History of the Kelly Gang.
As an Aussie himself, it seems fitting after being burned from the most promising moments of his career after the enormously critically acclaimed Macbeth — and the promise of franchise success in the adaption of the Ubisoft video game series mentioned before — that Justin Kurzel would head back to his grassroots and immerse himself in his own historical culture. However, the end result is a shy and sure-fire distant feature that not only feels disconnected from itself but rarely shows glimpses of promise.
By far the strongest attribute of Kurzel's film is its performances. Continuing rising star and hot off the press for 1917, George MacKay is terrific as Ned Kelly. The actor's screen presence does not quite hit the demands of the notorious and controversial icons persona. However, MacKay pumps every drop of his veins into the character in a monstrous performance with outstanding emotional range. The accent rarely slips and while afforded to craft more of a visceral performance aided by a narration, MacKay nails the engulfing torment of a life lived. Russell Crowe and Charlie Hunnam show up for bloated cameos, their impact undeniably felt with incredibly vigorous and colourful roles, but just as the film begins to craft momentum with said characters, they are quickly pulled from the narrative.
Nevertheless, aside from MacKay's performance, there is little here that either excites or compels the audience to stick around. Aforementioned punk aesthetic, while somewhat effective, has trouble balancing itself in the poignancy and harrowing horrors of this icon’s life. The cinematography present is a shadow of what was on offer in the likes of Macbeth and never captures the juxtaposition between isolation and the far-reaching setting of Australia.
Made more the perplexing is the usage of strobe lights to craft a thematic mood and tension throughout. The intention is clear but the execution is a poorly implemented technique that profoundly affects the viewing in an almost visually unwatchable sense.
The edit is massively disconnected, feeling too choppy and strenuous to cover so much material and, therefore, buckles under time constraints and the pressure to bring this tale to life. The True History of the Kelly Gang ultimately feels like one long unintended blur from start to finish; scenes jump in and out of consciousness and do not have a stable connection. It almost feels as if the connective scenes have been edited out and ultimately, what is left is not an unwatchable feature but one that is severely hindered in its flow and impact.
TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG is released February 28th 2020
