"Don't leave your story for the English to tell, they'll only fuck it up and steal the proceeds."
True History of the Kelly Gang is Justin Kurzel's 2019 biographical western film adaptation of Peter Carey's seminal 2000 novel of the same name. It stars George MacKay (as a young man) and newcomer Orlando Schwerdt (as a boy) in the title role, along with (Kurzel's wife) Essie Davis as Ned's mother Ellen, Nicholas Hoult as the antagonistic Constable Alex Fitzpatrick, Thomasin McKenzie as Ned's love interest Mary Hearn, Sean Keenan as Ned's lieutenant and best friend Joe Byrne, Earl Cave (son of musician Nick Cave) as Ned's brother Dan, Louis Hewison as Kelly Gang member Steve Hart, Charlie Hunnam as Sergeant O'Neill, and Russell Crowe as Ned's bushranger mentor Harry Power.It premiered on 11 September, 2019, at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released in Australian cinemas on 9 January, 2020, before being released as an 'Original' film on Australian streaming service Stan. It is set to be released in UK cinemas on 28 February, 2020, by Picturehouse Entertainment and in US cinemas on 24 April, 2020 by IFC.
Tropes:
- Abusive Parents: Red Kelly is a deadbeat and Ellen Quinn Kelly is toxic and dominating.
- Adaptation Distillation: A number of incidents from the novel are cut.
- Adapted Out: A number of characters and incidents, most notably Aaron Sherritt, Superintendent Hare, and Wild Wright.
- Alternate History: Downplayed Trope, but several key elements are deliberately changed and a fictional
- Ambiguously Bi/Ambiguously Gay: As noted by many reviewers, Ned is seen dedicating much more physical affection to other members of the gang than to his baby mama Mary, and kisses Thomas Curnow before the Glenrowan standoff. Fitzpatrick also speculates at one point to Ned whether Dan and Steve have sexual intercourse in their dresses; ironically Fitzpatrick and Ned share a lot of sexual tension.
- Armor Is Useless: Famously averted, as the Kelly Gang's trademark suits of armour protect them from the coppers' bullets and make them famous.
- Composite Character: O'Neill in the film takes the role of several different characters in the novel, including Ellen's second husband Bill Frost.
- Creepy Crossdresser: Invoked by the Kelly Gang (and the Sons of Sieve before them), who wear dresses in this film, due to Dan Kelly's reasoning in the above Arc Words; not quite Truth in Television (as the Sons of Sieve were an invention of the novel's entirely), but this is based on Kelly Gang member Steve Hart's reported real-life crossdressing.
- Death by Adaptation: Constable Alexander Fitzpatrick is shot dead by Ned at point-blank range in both the book and the film, while in real life he lived until 1924.
- Death of a Child: Jack Jones is killed by a stray bullet at Glenrowan, as in real life.
- Deconstruction: Of the Ned Kelly myth in general, as mentioned above, particularly the masculinity behind its contemporary view in the public eye.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: Dan dies in Steve's arms at Glenrowan.
- Disappeared Dad: Red Kelly disappears after his arrest before dying.
- Evil Brit: Nicholas Hoult employs a light Hugh Grant impression to portray Fitzpatrick as this.
- Evil Matriarch: Not evil, per se, but Ellen's maternity is portrayed as a very toxic influence on Ned.
- Framing Device: The narration is Ned writing his autobiography to his daughter.
- Genre-Busting: Director Justin Kurzel adds a Punk Rock aesthetic to the bushranger genre; Kurzel has likened the Kelly Gang to a punk band, and MacKay (Ned), Earl Cave (Dan Kelly), Sean Keenan (Joe Byrne), and Louis Hewison (Steve Hart) even played a few sets as a band to prepare for the roles.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Ned with Joe and Dan with Steve. Maybe.
- Historical Beauty Update: Pretty Boy George MacKay plays Kelly here.
- Historical Hero Upgrade: Averted; Kelly and his gang are not portrayed as villains but are also portrayed as thoroughly unheroic.
- Incest Subtext: Between Ned and his mother.
- It Will Never Catch On: Joe brings up an American invention called the doughnut to Ned in an attempt to get them to flee to America, and both ideas are dismissed by Ned.
- It's Personal: Of all the coppers chasing them during their outlaw days, the Kelly Gang hates Fitzpatrick the most, and Ned vows to put a bullet in him. He does.
- Last Stand: The infamous Glenrowan Affair.
- Male Gaze: At one point we see Mary's bare backside as she puts on a dress in front of Ned.
- Murder the Hypotenuse: Harry Power almost has Ned do this to O'Neill, but Ned refuses by holding Harry at gunpoint after shooting O'Neill in the thigh.
- Non-Indicative Title: As noted by a title card in the film and the trailer, 'Nothing you are about to see is true.'
- The Oldest Profession: Ellen Quinn Kelly runs a shebeen.
- Parental Substitute: Ned sees a couple of men, namely Sergeant Kevin O'Neill and Harry Power, as a substitute for his Disappeared Dad.
- Pragmatic Adaptation: The Narrative Profanity Filter is cut since, as a visual medium, we see all the unsavoury characters and violent events in full.
- Really Gets Around: Ellen, Fitzpatrick, and possibly George King. Fitzpatrick taunts the Kellys that the entire family probably does this, leading to Ned shooting him in the hand and precipitating Ned's eventual descent into the outlaw lifestyle.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Fitzpatrick gives one to Ned, taking down his sense of manhood and his seemingly promiscuous family members. Ned does not take it well.
- Timeshifted Actor: As noted above, Orlando Schwerdt plays Ned as a boy and George MacKay as a young man.
- Very Loosely Based on a True Story: See Non-Indicative Title.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: George MacKay spends a lot of time shirtless as Ned Kelly.
- The Western: The Kelly Gang and bushrangers in general are the Aussie equivalent of desperados, and the Victoria police force fill the role of the Posse.
- What the Hell Is That Accent?: Thomasin McKenzie alternates between a perfectly fine Irish brogue and a slight Scottish accent as Irishwoman Mary Hearn.
- Would Hit a Girl: Fitzpatrick punches Ellen in the face in gaol.
- Would Hurt a Child: Fitzpatrick threatens Mary's baby boy at gunpoint in front of her; The baby's subsequent crying as he attempts to question her
fluster him. - You Are Not My Father: Said almost verbatim by Dan to Ned in reaction to a scuffle soon after Ned has returned from the city (they make up soon after); this trope applies more consistently to Ned towards George King.
