Synopsis:
In mid-19th-century Australia, bushranger Daniel Morgan (Dennis Hopper) partners with an Aboriginal man (David Gulpilil) while attempting to evade capture by Superintendent Cobham (Frank Thring), Detective Manwaring (Jack Thompson), and Sgt. Smith (Bill Hunter).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Australian Films
• Biopics
• Dennis Hopper Films
• Folk Heroes
• Historical Drama
• Outlaws

Review:
Dennis Hopper played one of Australia’s best-known “bushrangers” (i.e., outlaws) in this semi-fictionalized biopic of Irish-Australian Daniel Morgan, referred to here as “Mad Dog”. Writer-director Philippe Mora — working from a book by Margaret Carnegie — effectively tells the arc of Morgan’s life, from an opium-loving gold-seeker hanging out with Chinese workers:

… to a prisoner enduring inhumane treatment:

… to life on the run from various lawmen who are determined to capture him at any cost. Along the way, his life is saved by Aboriginal Billy (Gulpilil), who teaches him how to make roasted snake:

… and he decides to “go Lincoln” in his appearance after seeing a picture of the American president.

Hopper’s performance is appropriately unhinged, showing precisely how a man like this — originally peaceful, pushed into crime by trauma — could survive for as long as he did while developing somewhat of a folk-hero following. Working with production designer/art director Bob Hilditch, Mora presents a credible view of mid-1800s Australia, in which survival is harsh and class/racial differences are stark. This so-called “Ozploitation” film remains worth a look.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Dennis Hopper as “Mad Dog” Morgan
  
• Strong supporting performances across the cast
  
  
• Fine cinematography
  

Must See?
Yes, for Hopper’s performance and as a powerful early Australian flick.

Categories

• Good Show
• Noteworthy Performance(s)

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Spinning Image Review
• Time Out Capsule Review