Australian cinema at its best

ROMPER STOMPER(1992)

Directed by: Geoffrey Wright
Writing credits : Geoffrey Wright

Cast:
Russell Crowe .... Hando
Daniel Pollock .... Davey
Jacqueline McKenzie .... Gabe


The DVD cover screams STUNNING and INTENSE. Romper Stomper is exactly that.

Russell Crowe(Hando) heads a team of neo nazi skinheads who are enraged at the influx of Asian immigrants into Australia. The story follows the grim events that unfold in the life of the gang members who get involved in a turf war with the immigrants. The movie is complete with disturbing scenes of hate crimes, graphic violence and sex.

Due to similarities in theme, comparisons with American History X are unavoidable. But it would be something tantamount to a hatecrime to compare Romper Stomper and American History X. (There are huge IMDb threads about it!)


AHX is polished, packaged and glossy, sometimes kind of sugarcoats the brutalities(there was room for a lot more). Some minor flaws apart, American History X is definitely a good movie. Edward Norton is brilliant as the protagonist in AHX. However, towards the latter part of the movie, he is depicted as undergoing drastic changes in his beliefs after a stint in prison. The reasons for his menacing skinhead character reforming are quite weak and frankly, very Hollywood. Somewhere the directors wussed out. [sensiblystoned, Edward Norton rules as always :) . I was in total awe of AHX before I watched Romper Stomper. I could be wrong, but in my opinion, the movie didn't quite make the cut.]


Romper Stomper is raw and a relatively more accurate portrayal of the ruthless skinheads without being too preachy. It is dark, ugly and in your face. The lowbudget feel and the camera work add to the realism. The authenticity in costumes and dialogues are startling, maybe something you can relate to in your rebellious days(if you were/are one!). The creators have done their homework a lot better than the AHX guys.

If there was a flaw, it would be that the some of the characters are not well developed. Not much is known about Hando. Not much is known about the origins of most of the other characters either. They're just thrust on screen leaving the viewer to imagine their past, which I think is good in a way too. It doesn't hamper your viewing experience but a little more history on the characters would've helped.


Russell Crowe gives one of the finest performances of his lifetime. Its a wonder how this movie went unnoticed because it ranks high up there with Gladiator, Beautiful Mind and Master&Commander when it comes to his acting abilities. If you're a Crowe fan, this is a must see! The actors who play Davey and Gabe give out powerful performances as well.


To sum it up, if you're not too much of a prude to handle the theme, you won't be disappointed. You will emerge shocked, disturbed and sickened.


Verdict: Must watch.

P.S: Sorry for the image-heavy post.

The ending will take you by surprise

Title: The Life of David Gale (2003)
Director: Alan Parker
Writing Credits: Charles Randolph

Usually im not a guy who tries to outthink the screenplay and guess the plot. I prefer to let the movie play itself. But im quite sure even if I tried to guess the plot it would have been fruitless for this movie.

When this movie was suggested by my friend one fine saturday afternoon I was groggy and bleary eyed (too much drinking on friday nite, as usual) when it started playing out. But at the end of it, I was sitting up and most definitely wide awake. I had absolutely no idea what the movie was about but it had a very strong cast including Kevin Spacey, Laura Linney and Kate Winslet. The movies starts off with Kate Winslet, a reporter for a magazine being asked to cover the story of a death row criminal, Kevin Spacey for the rape and murder of Laura Linney. Both Spacey and Linney, professors at the local college are ardent death penalty activists. Why would Spacey rape and murder Linney, nobody knows and hes willing to talk only to Winslet about his story. The story unravels as Kevin Spacey reveals parts of his story and leaves Kate Winslet to figure out the remaining and solve the mystery.

The movie is to be strictly viewed objectively, as your stance on death penalty maybe conservative or liberal as is the case. Conservatives are likely to find this movie distasteful in all aspects. True movie viewers would love this movie for its treatment and the strong portrayal of all the characters in the movie. And the ending is the bonus. Personally this movie had one of the best endings I had seen in a long time. Period.