OT: Ping our Aussie contingent RE: Ned Kelly

[HornedFrog Purple]

I was just curious after watching the movie "Ned Kelly" with Heath Ledger how Ned Kelly fits in with Australian culture. Is he an icon comparable to our American ones such as George Washington or Davy Crockett? How much of his story is truth and how much is legend?

If you would please elaborate on Ned Kelly, he fascinates me. Thanks!

[MrBug708]

Had this movie ever come out in the Theatre's? I thought it was pretty cool when I rented it, but had never herd of the movie nor the character

[HornedFrog Purple]

I don't know about the theatres but I don't even know what is in theatres now.

Ned Kelly was a real person and I had heard of the Kelly Gang before. The only parts I have been able to confirm was Ned Kelly was an outlaw, had the highest bounty offered by Victorian England, was of Irish descent and was executed at the age of 25.

The rest of it is the fuzzy part. Whether his mother was imprisoned etc. Kind of like the Billy the Kid legend.

[JeeberD]

Just got that movie in the mail today from Netflix. Only reason we picked it was because the girlfriend is infatuated with Heath Ledger.

Glad to hear that it's a good flick... :)

[Mac Howard]

Billy the Kid is probably as close as you're going to get to Ned Kelly. He was real and was probably a cop-killing thief but as a man who reacted reasonably successfully against government authority in his time he is romanticised by some Australians as a epitome of the Australian larrikin. Sometimes he's likened to Robin Hood but there's no evidence at all that he ever gave anything away to anyone at all (not that there's much evidence Robin Hood did if he existed :rolleyes: )

[mattwakeman]

Speaking from a British perspective the man was nothing short of a crim. I shall go no further for I fear the wrath of Aussies since they are everywhere ;)

[Glengoyne]

Speaking from a British perspective ...

I stopped reading right there. I mean when a guy gets unreasonable right in the first sentence.;)




















My apologies if you hadn't read the Garrison Keillor thread the other day.

[Mac Howard]

Just watching the film as I write. It's a reasonable "western". I'm not at all sure how real the background is but the film would not be convincing without it. I suspect (even as a Brit) that there's a ring of truth in it.

Also you must remember that the British were as hated then as Americans are now, probably for the same reasons. ;)