'The Story of the Kelly Gang' is undoubtedly one of the cinema's most significant achievements, and certainly the most revolutionary title ever to have come out of the Australian film industry. However, it startles me to discover just how obscure the film has now become; indeed, much of our country's cinematic output has long vanished from public knowledge, an unfortunate consequence of our ever-growing reliance on Hollywood. In my efforts to rediscover many of Australia's forgotten classics, I'd decided that I might as well start from the beginning: released on 26 December 1906, 'The Story of the Kelly Gang' told the thrilling story of Victorian bushranger Ned Kelly and his comrades, and is more than likely the first feature-length film ever produced. Though only fragments of the film now remain, the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) have done a remarkable job of compiling and digitally restoring the surviving scenes, with the DVD released earlier this year. Also included is a fantastic 200-page booklet "The Story of the Kelly Gang: 'The Picture That Will Live Forever'" written by Ina Bertrand and William D. Routt, which includes in-depth analysis, historical information, original advertisements and reviews. It would be foolish to allow such a brilliant resource to go to waste, so much of the information in this review has been derived from the booklet.
There are very few Australians who haven't heard the story of Ned Kelly (1855-1880). Kelly and his gang bushrangers were at one point the most wanted men in the country, becoming national legends in the process. At dawn on Monday 27 June 1880, after a courageous stand-off at the Glenrowan Inn, Kelly emerged wearing his home-made plate metal armour and helmet, still firing at police, before being shot down and arrested. He was executed for his crimes 11 November 1880, his final words reportedly: "such is life." Throughout the silent era, the subject of bushrangers became of staple of Australia cinema; it presented many of the same components as the American western, which had first come to light in 1903 with Edwin S. Porter's 'The Great Train Robbery.' Not only was 'The Story of the Kelly Gang' one of the first bushranger pictures, but it was also the world's first feature film. There has been some debate, of course, over the definition of a "feature," and, though some recorded boxing matches ran for longer, they did not possess a standard narrative. With much of the film lost in time, the original running length of the film is now uncertain, with some suggesting forty minutes and others more than an hour. Several commentators have claimed that the filmmakers deliberately stretched the truth in their advertisements to entice larger audiences (indeed, the film travelled the world for more than twenty years and achieved phenomenal commercial success).
Until recently, it was believed that only ten minutes of the story had survived. However, in 2006, an additional seven minutes was discovered in the British National Film and Television Archive, and thanks to the efforts of the NFSA and the Haghefilm preservation laboratories in Amsterdam everything has been meticulously restored for our viewing pleasure. On the newly-released DVD, there are two versions of the film: the first is the seventeen-minute "restored version," which basically presents the story as it now survives, with a pleasant piano accompaniment by Mauro Colombis (and an experimental soundtrack by Endorphin that I wasn't game enough to try). The second is a "study version," which combines the remaining footage, new and original intertitles, advertising materials, posters and the original programme booklet in an attempt to reconstruct the complete narrative of the 1906 film. This one, running for about half an hour, certainly lends the film a more complete structure, allowing you to appreciate the gravity of the filmmakers' achievement.
'The Story of the Kelly Gang' was written and directed by Charles Tait, with many members of his family playing key roles in the story. Though various sources have suggested different names, film historians have generally agreed that the following casting decisions are likely: Ned Kelly (Frank Mills), Dan Kelly (Sam Crew, John Forde, Mr. Marshall), Steve Hart (Jack Ennis, Mr. McKenzie, Norman Campbell) and Joe Byrne (Will Coyne). It is also probable that, at least in some scenes, the role of Kate Kelly is being played by a man in drag. The film, due to the perceived glorification of criminals, caused much controversy upon release, and it was banned in Benalla and Wangaratta in 1907 and again in Victoria in 1912. The film-making technique is a product of its times, completely devoid of close-ups, and the camera, despite a few primitive panning movements, almost always remains static. However, the convincing use of props and costumes, and the somewhat laid-back demeanour of the actors, lends the film a certain authenticity. Despite the excellent restoration work, many of the remaining scenes have unfortunately decayed beyond repair, and, particularly during Ned Kelly's climactic stand-off, the image has a tendency to strangely distort. Nevertheless, the historical importance of 'The Story of the Kelly Gang' is enough to overlook these technical imperfections, and I relished the opportunity to enjoy a true landmark of Australian cinema.
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