SmugKitZine Tied for the best movie I have ever seen

SpecialsTarget Disturbing yet enthralling

ScoobyMint Disappointment for a huge fan!

Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Tim Kidner Firstly, my DVD version is the final disc (of 12) in the Australian Cinema Collection and is in good, clear 'tall' widescreen. Therefore I do not need to cover ground about the quality issues surrounding the transfer that other Amazon reviewers have, apart from that it's fine.Irish Daniel Morgan (a suitably way-out casting choice and performance from American acting legend Dennis Hopper) goes a bit awry and is subsequently incarcerated into a penal regime that demands 12 years hard labour from him. Here, he is raped, tortured and generally abused by officers and inmates who find pleasure in such things.Calling himself 'Smith', he is freed on parole after serving half his sentence, but Morgan is emotionally damaged and wild with anger and revenge. The film, directed by Philippe Mora, is certificate "M", for 'Mature', as it's an Australian release, is probably between a 15 and 18, over here in the U.K. Thus, it shows the natural side to bush life, as Morgan starts out a free man as a horse thief. Therefore, if such things as aboriginal methods of pulling off a snake's head to extract a 'medicine' are going to spoil your viewing pleasure, then do, look elsewhere, such as the first disc in the boxed -set, the cert U 'Picnic at Hanging Rock'.When Morgan is left for dead after a skirmish with those he was trying to steal from, the aboriginal youth mentioned above nurses him back to health and teaches him methods of survival. This is at times illuminating but also clumsy - such as Hopper's bushy, shiny false beards that can be spotted a mile off and gun wounds to a head that's obviously made of something very synthetic.These anomalies aside, this is a pretty good yarn, with Hopper well able to carry the central character. The locational scenery is often splendid and the supporting cast well able, too. Excesses in violence do occasionally mar, as they do look gratuitous, but not, say in the almost stately manner that Sam Peckinpah managed and seem almost jokey.All in all, this is a pretty good film and actually one of the best in my boxed set, which was slightly surprising.

Woodyanders Australia in the 1850's. Irish miner Daniel Morgan (an electrifying live-wire performance of remarkable intensity and conviction by Dennis Hopper) is forced to become a highway robber out of total necessity. After serving six years hard time in a brutal prison, Morgan gets released and vows revenge on those who wronged him. Assisted by his loyal and amiable Aborignine best buddy Billy (a wonderfully engaging portrayal by David Gulpilil), Morgan becomes a legendary outlaw who's a folk hero to the people and a vehemently hated wanted criminal by the police. Writer/director Phillipe Mora does an expert job of relating this potent, gripping, and often exciting tragic tale of social barbarism and injustice: the brisk pace rarely let's up for a minute, the tone is appropriately tough and gritty, there's a vivid and flavorsome evocation of the Australian outback setting, the jarring outbursts of abrupt and savage violence pack a wicked punch, and the bold and provocative central theme of racism is tackled in a gutsy and confrontational manner. Hopper's fiery impassioned acting in the lead role is nothing short of astounding; Hopper really shows this volatile and unpredictable man in a warts and all fashion (the film scores extra points for depicting the rougher aspects of Morgan's character in an admirably stark and unsentimental way), yet still manages to make Morgan a sympathetic person. The supporting cast is likewise excellent, with stand-out contributions by Frank Thring as ruthless Superintendent Cobham, Bill Hunter as the vicious, determined Sergeant Smith, Jack Thompson as the shrewd, compassionate Detective Mainwaring, Michael Pate as the cocky Superintendent Winch, and Robin Ramsey as jolly photographer Roget. Mike Molloy's sumptuous widescreen cinematography offers plenty of striking shots of the beautiful Australian landscape. Patrick Flynn's moody score also hits the spot. Among the most memorable moments are Morgan's mistreatment at the hands of his foul fellow inmates in jail (these scenes are extremely harsh and harrowing to behold), a barmaid attempting to seduce Morgan in a saloon, and Morgan crashing a posh diner at a mansion. The friendship between Morgan and Billy is genuinely touching. Well worth seeing.

winner55 The previous reviewer, who complained of the historical inaccuracy of the film, somewhat missed the point. While the film may not be true to the original Morgan's personal story, it is certainly true of the conflict between legal authorities and outlaws throughout the English speaking countries during the 19th Century. The Governor at the end asks for Morgan's scrotum to be used as a tobacco pouch; I don't know if this happened to Morgan - but it happened to Nat Turner. Jesse James' corpse went on tour briefly as a carnival attraction before his family intervened; so did the bodies of Bonnie and Clyde in the 1930s. In Canada, one Indian outlaw was so feared, they used cannon to get at him in his last house rather than face him with small arms. Public hangings came to a halt in Great Britain because the crowd got raucously drunk and lecherous after-wards. The fact is, outlaws became legend because government agencies and private interests, as well as the perversity of the general public, made them so.Like Bonnie and Clyde, part of the function of this film - which is really more a 'docudrama' than an adventure film or simply another crime film - is recording what was said of Morgan once he became infamous. Of course most of it was lies - people want their fifteen minutes of fame, even if it's just for bumping into an well-known outlaw.That said, this film suffers from two major problems. First its low budget - it is clear from certain set-pieces that the film had high ambitions.. It is unfortunately clear, from the quality of the film-stock used (and its unevenness) and the awkward uniforms of the provincial police, that there just wasn't enough money to fulfill those ambitions.The second major failing is that the lead is given over to Dennis Hopper, a 'cult' actor of very limited range. He simply isn't up to it. His dialect is terrible, and he utterly lacks either the panache of a flamboyant outlaw, or the angst of a socially driven one. In fact we end the film not knowing much about Morgan, which makes all the broad lies about him believable. And that's a weakness - he needs to be a factual counterpoint to his own legend. Hopper cannot give us this, it's beyond his capabilities.Nonetheless, its an interesting film to watch, even as merely a curio. It was a risky film to make; Australian film industry had not yet attained 'world-class' status, and the strictly Australian subject-matter is certainly interesting. There is also some interesting cinematography, and the story has an odd draw to it even if its promise is never fully realized.Not a classic, but hardly the disaster some have remarked it as.

westchamp This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. There is not a shred of historical accuracy, in fact reality is reversed. Just one example: Morgan preyed on the few ethnic Chinese he encountered. The acting is over the top, the script is a poorly written lie. I have never seen worse fake beards.Hopper arrived in Australia and reportedly only would make the film if the script was totally rewritten so he could be a hero. Since the script was ten made up on the fly, the may explain how bad it is and how disjointed the movie is.Any movie about Ned Kelly is a lot better than this film.