"Ned Kelly" is a Australian historical drama starring, oddly enough, Mick Jagger with a beard. The film delves into the life of anti-hero folk legend Ned Kelly, from his humble beginnings to his rise to rebellious leader and ultimately, his tragic downfall. It's a gritty and stylized portrayal, not so much historically accurate, of Kelly's journey from a young man to a legend. His actions, while criminal, resonate with the audience due to the socially oppressive environment he lives in.
A central theme is the clash between the Kellys and the local establishment plus the corrupt police. The film highlights the power imbalances and the mistreatment of the working classes (Irish). Ned Kelly is pushed into a life of crime due to constant police harassment and the wrongful imprisonment of his mother. Alongside his loyal gang, he becomes a symbol of rebellion against the oppressive authorities. The film culminates in a dramatic showdown between Kelly and the police. There's a lot of period history and culture in this film.
"Ned Kelly" reflects '70s cinematic trends in spades. There's subdued editing effects, and a fair amount of folk music used as a sort of narration to advance the story. The film also captures the stark beauty of the Australian outback, providing a striking backdrop to the somewhat grim tale. There's pacing issues throughout.
Jagger's performance is a mixed bag. He's not a great actor. But he does bring a certain raw energy and charisma to the role that after watching the entire film, I think somehow works. Almost, or perhaps to an extent. I can see where they were going with this, and it almost gets there. Is this a bad thing? I'm not sure. This Ned Kelly, the character, is uninteresting, not especially bright, and not a good leader. He makes a number of bad decisions through the story. Jagger's style here pretty much nails that character though. He's an every-man that horrible things have happened to for no good reason. He responds as best he can, which is badly and inevitably doesn't end well. Maybe it works. But in addition to working, a film does have to be fun to watch... Right? The final verdict is left to the future viewer.
On the whole, good, or at least ok, not great. I can see why there was an impulse to make a more up to date version.
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