Essie Davies as Ellen, the Kelly matriarch, deserves a special mention. MacKay's performance is extraordinary - at times resembling a muscle-ripped contortionist, while in others a confused onlooker trying to make sense of his place in the world. It's a backstory that provides the necessary humanity to, if not sympathize, understand the older more ruthless Kelly, now played by 1917's MacKay. Broken into three acts, the movie begins with a young Kelly - a superb understated performance by newcomer Schwerdt - being forcibly introduced into a world of crime. Fiction it may well be, but there's a realness to the movie that rings far truer than some of the other accounts of Kelly's life. Despite its name, the movie is actually based on a fictionalized account of Ned Kelly's life - a fact conceded in the opening credits - as told in Peter Carey's 2001 Booker Prize winning novel. This retelling of one of Australia's most infamous figures is brutal, shocking, anarchic, strangely beautiful, but above all, excellent. There is strong profanity throughout, including uses of 'c-t,' 'whore,' and variants of 'f-k' and 's-t.' Characters drink and smoke, and Kelly's father is referred to - and seen - as a drunk. But Ellen is arguably the strongest character in the movie, albeit her actions are often reprehensible - she sells a young Ned to a bushranger, played by Russell Crowe. Women are generally used for the sexual gratification of men with a brothel playing a prominent setting.

None of the characters have any redeemable traits - including the police - with even Kelly's loyalty to his fearsome mother Ellen ( Essie Davies) misplaced. Gun and fist fights result in bloody scenes. After shooting dead a policeman, the older Kelly (now played by George MacKay) cuts the dead man's ear off. A dead body is seen tied to a tree with his genitals stuffed into his mouth. In one scene, a gun is held to a baby's head and in another, young Kelly (Orlando Schwerdt) is made to shoot a police constable who has been exploiting his mother for sexual acts.

The violence is graphic, gory, and often shocking - particularly when it involves children. The movie is based on a Booker Prize winning novel, and despite the title is actually a work of fiction. Parents need to know that True History of the Kelly Gang is an extremely violent yet superb portrayal of the Australian outlaw Ned Kelly. Other characters are seen drinking and smoking pipes and cigarettes.ĭid you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide. A child is given a glass of wine and proceeds to drink it in one go. One character is referred to as a drunk and behaves both physically and sexually aggressively.

The true history of the kelly gang book