Ned Kelly (2003)

An innocent man becomes one of the most wanted criminals the world has ever known.

Director:

Gregor Jordan

Writers:

Robert Drewe (novel), John Michael McDonagh (screenplay)

Stars:

Heath Ledger, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush

3 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Though recognized for heroism as a lad, Ned Kelly can not escape the stigma of being the eldest of a brood sired by a known criminal. In days when an arrest equaled guilt and a conviction, his unfair imprisonment for horse thievery puts him steadfast, in the eyes of Victorian police, on the wrong side of things for life. With a sister unable to dissuade the unwanted advances of Constable Fitzpatrick, Ned, his brother Dan, and friends Joe Byrne and Steve Hart soon find themselves labeled "an outlaw gang" by the less-than-honorable constable. It's a designation they're apt to live up to after Ned's mother is unfairly arrested and sentenced to three years hard labor. In retaliation, the Kelly Gang strikes out against the oppressive Victorian government, with ultimately tragic results and passage into Australian folklore.

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Plot Keywords:

criminal | constable | police | horse | outlaw gang | 

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Taglines:

When the law tried to silence him a legend was born.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Biography | Crime | History | Romance | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and brief nudity

Details

Country:

Australia UK USA France

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 March 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gesetzlos - Die Geschichte des Ned Kelly

Filming Locations:

Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$743,752 (Australia), 11 April 2003, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$43,704, 28 March 2004, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$74,864, 4 April 2004

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,089,857, 7 November 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Australian Film Commission, The, Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC), Endymion Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Cinevex)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Where Broadford is listed as a filming location, it was actually Wandong and Mt Disappointment.

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Goofs

All of Kelly's gang are shown wearing both front and rear armor. In reality, only Kelly had front and back plates, the others only had front plates.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ned Kelly: I was the hero of Hughes Creek. I can still see the glint in me Da's eye as he looked down at me, his hand on me shoulder. What did he call me that day? Ah, what did Da call me? That's right. He called me Sunshine.

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Connections

Version of The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906)

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Soundtracks

Saving a Life
(Traditional/Badelt)
Performed by Susie Webb, Katy Stephan and Alexandra Hill

User Reviews

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.