Ned Kelly (2003)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Gregor Jordan

Writers:

Robert Drewe (novel)
John Michael McDonagh (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 March 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Biography | Drama | History | Western

Tagline:

A film about the legendary outlaw whose story outgrew his life

Plot:

This film is based on "Our Sunshine" by Robert Drew, a novel based on the life of Australian bushranger and icon...

Plot Keywords:

Folk Hero | Bank Robbery | Betrayal | Blood Splatter | Blood

Awards:

3 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Heath Ledger	...	Ned Kelly
Orlando Bloom	...	Joseph Byrne
Geoffrey Rush	...	Superintendent Francis Hare
Naomi Watts	...	Julia Cook
Joel Edgerton	...	Aaron Sherritt
Laurence Kinlan	...	Dan Kelly
Philip Barantini	...	Steve Hart
Kerry Condon	...	Kate Kelly
Kris McQuade	...	Ellen Kelly
Emily Browning	...	Grace Kelly
Kiri Paramore	...	Constable Fitzpatrick
Rachel Griffiths	...	Susan Scott
Geoff Morrell	...	Robert Scott
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell	...	Premier Graham Berry
Saskia Burmeister	...	Jane Jones

Also Known As:

Ned Kelly: Public Enemy No. 1 (Philippines: English title) (poster title)
Our Sunshine (Australia) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and brief nudity.

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

Australia | UK | USA | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Cinevex)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA (TV rating) | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18SG | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M (re-rating on appeal) | Canada:14A | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

Company:

Australian Film Commission, The

Trivia:

The Irish folk singer appearing in the film is Bernard Fanning.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Glenrowan Railway Station looks 100 years old with worn timber, faded paint etc. The railway line was built in 1873, so the station would be at most 7 years old.

Quotes:

Ned Kelly: Such is life.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Besieged: The Ned Kelly Story (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Morning Star - Star of Munster Laingston's Reel

Very Good but could have so much more

Gregor Jordan is going to be great. I have no idea when but he is heading places. Along with this I have only seen two other films he has directed which were Two Hands which was unreal to say the least and Buffalo Soldier which was bloody great and Ned Kelly.

When first seeing this I was excited more than I should have been because I was dying to see a new western, but I don't know whether you would call this a western as it is not set in the west like other American films, this is set in Australia telling the story of legendary outlaw Ned Kelly, a young man who never got on the right side of the law who was raised from an Irish family.

To make the film even better it is directed and starring an Australian. Heath Ledger is sporting an Irish accent in the film which is faultless.

The supporting cast is just as good with Orlando Bloom playing Kelly's best friend Steve along with Naomi Watt's as Kelly's love interest but I wouldn't even call her that as she's not even in it. Geoffrey Rush is not used as much as he should have been as the man chasing Kelly. You feel that Gregor Jordan had the key to the sweet shop in Ned Kelly but didn't take full advantage of it. Geoffrey Rush was only in key scenes but there wasn't much introduction to who he was and his interest in Kelly like in the end when he asks Kelly if he can keep an item of his and Kelly looks at him thinking `Why'. it would have been an interest to see what he really thought of him, he just acts under orders to capture him and that's it. Naomi Watts is the same. So much there but not taken.

As far as the story goes this is not such based on his biography but a novel written by Robert Drewe Called Our Sunshine which is a famous phrase that Ned Kelly's father called him. It's a strong story with terrific acting but the script wasn't long enough to make it into the epic it could have been. Sure enough there is plenty in the film to keep it's audience happy but it doesn't really give you the feel you are hoping for. It's goes down in the books of films that could have been so much more and even though this is still a very good film, it had the opportunity to be a masterpiece but if only the script was up to the task there would be a lot more people talking about this story.