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Ghosts... of the Civil Dead More at IMDbPro »
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| Index | 21 reviews in total |
18 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
riveting..., 30 January 2004
Author:
melwyn from Australia
As others have said, this is a disturbing and frightening film. For me, it
raised questions about exactly who are the barbarians in our "civil"
society
and at what point can it be said that we are no better than "them".
Some with no knowledge of conditions in modern prisons dismiss this as a
brutal movie out for shock value and nothing else, but it is based on a
true
story. One previous comment says it was filmed in NT (Australia) and based
on events that happened in an outback prison. However it was based on the
testimony of David Hale, a warder at USP Marion, Illinois, USA, who spoke
out about the management tactics and treatment meted out to both prisoners
and staff at the prison - tactics which culminated in a lockdown after two
people were murdered in one day. When Hale spoke out he was branded a
drunk,
a drug user and mentally unstable in order to discredit him. (If the
soundtrack is still available, it is worth a listen. It features an
extensive interview with Hale.)
The cast features four professional actors and two musicians (Cave and The
Reels' Dave Mason). The rest are predominantly ex-cons with about a dozen
ex-cops, ex-warders and tough types found hanging around in local
Melbourne
gyms thrown in. It was workshopped for several months before filming
began.
You will not see a more realistic picture of life in prison - unless you
are
unfortunate enough to find yourself in one.
22 out of 26 people found the following review useful:
Very powerful and disturbing, 20 May 2002
Author:
Bogey Man from Finland
As other reviewers have all said, this film by John Hillcoat, is extremely
disturbing and scary portrait of society and prison. The film is located in
maximum security modern prison in which all the most dangerous criminals and
psychopaths are locked in. There are no "heroic" characters and everyone is
bad and rotten inside. They who want to get rid of it, commit a suicide and
thus get a peace to their soul. Very pessimistic and provoking cinema, and
should be seen by all politicians and "leaders."
The film portrays a society in its collapsing point in which government's
attempts to turn things into better fail miserably, and nobody heals in this
sick and mean spirited world we live in. There is a need for violence and
violation, but nobody knows why. It feels good to kill someone and kick
others to pieces. The wicked core of human nature should be exterminated but
it is not possible, because the "good" are actually as bad inside as the
people behind the bars. The wardens are no better than the inmates and no
one is safe in the prison. The theme of Ghosts..is wickedness and total
depravity which seems not to have any limits. The sadistic events in the
prison in the name of justice only give new reasons for violence and mayhem.
The last image of the film tells it all, and is very frightening. A man is
now ready to return to society as a healed criminal....or maybe
not.
Nick Cave plays here one of the most evil and dangerous devils ever captured
on film. He is total psychopath who has no motivations or reasons, only
rage, anger and need for blood (even his own.) It is scary to see this kind
of characters in film, because we look at the mirror while seeing the film.
This really happens and exists and the character of Cave can be seen also as
a symbol to be interpreted.
Very frightening "prison" movie and pessimistic nihilism. So don't try to
watch if you prefer nice and entertaining movies. Demanding cinema and won't
leave the viewer alone very easily. 8/10
17 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
Extraordinary..., 18 December 2003
Author:
james_oblivion from Nowhere Interesting
This is one of those films that come along very infrequently. It's
incredibly powerful and profoundly disturbing. It has a clear message,
but never preaches. It is very involved, yet oddly distant. And it is
the most extreme, unpolished depiction of prison life that you will
ever see, should you be lucky enough to find it.
Co-written by acclaimed singer/songwriter/musician/novelist Nick Cave,
this film carries his mark. It is every bit as dark, gritty, chaotic,
and brutal as his music (or his novel, the cult favorite "And the Ass
Saw the Angel"). The story itself is quite loosely plotted, but
extremely layered. It's hard to take it all in with one viewing...and
each repeat viewing is an experience unto itself.
Cave also plays a pivotal role in "Ghosts" as Maynard, an
unconscionable psychotic whose violent raving pushes the already
worsening conditions of the prison to full-scale chaos. Cave's
performance is searing, bringing every bit of rage and hatred and bile
to the surface...and his entrance into the film is truly unforgettable.
The film-making here is top-notch, from a cinematic point of view. It
certainly wouldn't meet Hollywood's "standards," but I mean that as an
extreme compliment. The cold, distant cinematography sometimes brings
to mind Kubrick's film version of "A Clockwork Orange," and the way the
brutality is handled visually makes "ACO" look like "Bambi" by
comparison.
Certainly, this is one film that you should not miss. It is,
unfortunately, quite rare...but it can be found if one looks hard
enough. I will stress quite strongly, however, that this film is NOT
for everyone...but for those with strong stomachs and an appreciation
of challenging cinema, this is a definite must-see.
16 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
Powerful, bloody and important, 13 July 2000
Author:
Gerard Newham (keltic@zip.com.au) from Sydney, Australia
The title says it all. When a person is convicted of a crime, he or she
becomes, at least temporarily (and, in certain situations and locations,
permanently) dead to civil society. The men we see here are mere
shadows.
_Ghosts of the Civil Dead_ is as topical now as it was when first released
as a study in the ways that fear of crime may be exploited to justify
oppression. Only in two or three scenes is overt violence shown, yet the
movie manages to maintain a sense of menace for the full duration. As
repression within the prison becomes increasingly harsh and the few
remnants
of civilian life that the prisoners have retained are stripped away, it
becomes increasingly obvious that there can be no resolution.
In the current climate of law and order rhetoric, _Ghosts of the Civil
Dead_
remains a powerful reminder as to where this rhetoric may
lead.
13 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Not for the faint hearted. A challenging film worth seeing., 6 February 2000
Author:
monabe from Tuross Head, Australia
This film is definitely not for the faint hearted. Its subject matter is violent and brutal; the characters are bizarre; the film is graphic in its images, and pacing. At first sight this may appear just another film about violence in a prison. This, I suggest, is an illusion. Rather, the film helps us better understand the role that prisons serve in society. "Ghosts... of the Civil Dead" does not seem to be well known. I recommend it to those seeking thought-provoking movies : but be prepared for a real walk on the wild side!
10 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
One of the most graphically unsettling movies I've ever seen, 22 August 2005
Author:
philip-rhoads (philip.rhoads@lineone.net) from United Kingdom
Manages to instill in the viewer a true sense of claustrophobia and
unease. The violent scenes are some of the most graphic i've ever seen
and especially the scene with the guard in the cage gives me the
shivers of impending dread whenever i watch it. Also the use of tattoo
as punishment is another horrible thought. Cave is brilliantly unhinged
in his role and the scenes of him drawing on the walls in his own blood
will be oddly believable to anyone who ever saw some of the more
ferocious birthday party gigs of the early 80s.
A truly original movie that is only half the film that Cave's script
was meant to portray........
The soundtrack (by Cave etc) is also brilliantly effective Can we have
a DVD release please?
6 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Prisons of the future...or prisons of today??, 31 January 2002
Author:
Ksael Agnulraon (ksaelagnulraon@hotmail.com) from Adelaide, Australia
Stunning, almost horrific statement of the effect prisons have on the rest of society, Hillcoat has created a no-holds-barred, fabricated `report' on the inner-workings of an imaginary future prison that is worth seeing - if you can stomach it. There's certainly no doubting what writers Nick Cave and Gene Conkie think of prisons as Australian society's most corporal method of punishment and rehabilitation: although the on-screen activity is certainly shocking enough, what is perhaps even more so is what is not shown (perhaps because it didn't get past the censors?). Field's best role ever.
6 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
It influenced me as a child, 4 June 2001
Author:
bacoda
This film was screened on Australian TV when I was about 15. It's extremelly violent and psychological, a study in deprivation and pain. I mainly remember Nick Cave's performance (he co-wrote it). He plays a lunatic that get's moved to an already tense prison. His ranting and self-mutilation escalate the other prisoners sense of panic and chaos. Incredible acting and a very realistically frightening film. It's not fun, exciting or most things people look for as a distraction in modern day cinema, but if you're looking for something challenging and thought provoking it's well worth trying to find.
5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Scary, claustrophobic film about prison life, 6 September 2006
Author:
tbyrne4 from United States
Virtually plot less, somewhat documentary-style film about life inside
a high-tech maximum security prison in Australia. Easily the scariest
film I've ever seen about prison life, certainly the most
claustrophobic, thanks in part to Nick Cave's chilling, drone-like
score, which is a piece of work all by itself.
It's funny - most of the prison life you see portrayed in film just
doesn't seem "real" (never having been in prison myself I cannot say
for sure, of course). But it just never seems real. In watching
"Ghosts...of the Civil Dead" I was reminded of Roger Ebert's review of
the original "Jaws". When talking about the shark Ebert said "...the
illusion is complete. It just plain feels like a real shark." That's
what I can say about this film. I don't know how much of it is real
(which of the characters was played by an actual con, or whatever) but
it just plain feels like real prison life. And this is the only film
I've ever seen that I can say that about, which is also the highest
praise that I can give it.
This probably one of the most menacing films I've ever seen. Although
there is not a lot of violence shown, the odor of violence all but
oozes from the screen. Every word and every frame drips with the
possibility of violence and brutality.
The film basically shows the events leading up a "lockdown" in this
prison. There aren't any main characters (the prison is the main
character, as Cave points out in an interview on the DVD) although
there are a few little subplots here and there. Mostly the film just
lurches at you in heavy gasps and you sit and watch in horror. I know I
did.
I recently watched a documentary about life inside a maximum security
prison in Utah, and it looked stunningly like what is shown in this
film.
Highly recommended but be warned, this is a heavy film.
7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Short review and DVD info, 12 September 2004
Author:
nboldock (nboldock@hotmail.com) from Hull, UK
I saw this movie years ago when it was shown as part of Channel 4's
"Down Under" season. I don't think it has been shown on UK TV since -
to be honest I am surprised it was shown even once.
A great movie to be sure, brilliantly scripted, and of course Nick
Cave's manic performance is truly astonishing.
This movie is notoriously hard to get hold of, especially in the UK,
however! I have recently purchased a (new) copy of the Collectors
Edition DVD from an Australian retailer (EzyDVD). It is all-region PAL
format so I can play it no problem on my UK player. Dirt cheap it was
as well. There are a whole host of extras too so all-in-all a top DVD.
I thought I would pass the information on as I had been trying to buy
the film on Ebay for ages but the prices were going too high when there
were any copies on there. Then lo and behold the Net came to the
rescue. I got it shipped from Oz in just over a week.
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