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Ned Kelly
Ned Kelly film poster
Directed by	Gregor Jordan
Produced by	Tim Bevan Catherine Bishop Liza Chasin Robert Drewe Eric Fellner Debra Hayward Lynda House Timothy White Nelson Woss
Written by	Robert Drewe (novel) John M. McDonagh
Starring	Heath Ledger Orlando Bloom Geoffrey Rush
Distributed by	Focus Features UIP
Release date(s)	27 March 2003 (Australia)
Running time	110 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

Ned Kelly is an Australian film directed by Gregor Jordan. The movie portrays the life of Ned Kelly who is a well-known bushranger in Australia. The film is mainly based on Robert Drewe's book Our Sunshine.

• Heath Ledger – Ned Kelly
• Orlando Bloom – Joe Byrne
• Geoffrey Rush – Francis Hare
• Naomi Watts – Julia Cook
• Philip Barantini – Steve Hart
• Laurence Kinlan – Dan Kelly

The film tells his life as a bushranger in north-east Victoria, where he lived all his life. He, his brother Dan, and two other men — Steve Hart and Joe Byrne — formed a gang of Irish Australians in response to Irish and English tensions that arose in 19th century Australia. The film starts out with a mysterious setting of a young Ned Kelly, rescuing a young boy from drowning. The film then pans to the beautiful Australian wild and Ned Kelly talking about his father. He then wakes up from sleeping in the Australian wilderness, to see a beautiful white mare. He rides the horse into town, only to be arrested for supposed horse stealing. The horse, that he supposedly stole, was actually stolen by Wild Wright, Ned's friend, but wandered off until Ned found it and was innocently imprisoned.

Three years later, Ned is released from prison. He comes home with a warm welcome to his Catholic Irish family. Ned and the rest of the family, are seemingly working to get ahead in life, as he puts it, by farming, owning horses, and working. One night at the bar, Ned's sister, Kate, gets up to have another drink. A local Victorian police officer, named Fitzpatrick, offers to buy her another drink. But after several attempts, Kate insists she doesn't want one. Ned comes in telling Officer Fitzpatrick that she doesn't want one from the likes of him, and hostilities ensue when the fellow officers believe Ned, "acts as if he owns the place." Getting back at Ned Kelly, the Victorian police steal Ned's horses. Ned, his brother Dan, his friends Steve Hart, Joe Byrne, and Wild Wright, investigate the matter, and steal back their horses. Fitzpatrick arrives one evening at Ned's house, while he's away, to see Kate, only to be told that she doesn't want to see him. Officer Fitzpatrick tells them they have warrants for them, for horse stealing. A fight ensues, and Fizpatrick rushes back to the police office, telling the other officers that Ned Kelly shot him.

The Victorian police then arrest Ned's mother, and Ned, Dan, Steve, and Joe become outlaws and run from the law. They meet with the Victorian police in the woods, and kill Constable Lonnigan, along with two other officers. For years on, Ned, Dan, Steve, and Joe, now called the Kelly Gang, avoid capture, living in the wild, often without food. The British Empire sends in Francis Hare, who arrests many people to possibly force out where Ned Kelly might be, including Joe Byrne's life-long friend, Aaron Sherrit. Aaron Sherrit, being told that they don't want to harm his friend Joe, but only wants the Kellys, gives them a location where they might be. Joe Byrne finds out, and arrives one night at his house wearing a dress and armed with a loaded shotgun, and shoots Aaron, killing him.

Along the end of the crusade of the Kelly Gang, they take over the town of Glenrowan, winning the trust of the townspeople there. Lieutenant Hare and the Police force are set to capture Ned at Glenrowan, and a large battle with many casualties ensues. The Kelly gang uses an armor, which covers their entire chest, stomache, and head. Joe Byrne is shot inside the local pub, and dies. Morning passes, and the officers are wondering where Ned and Dan Kelly, and Steve Hart are. Dan and Steve then shoot themselves in the head, committing suicide. Ned wakes up from having a dream, and even though gravely injured, continues to fire at the police. He finally is shot to the ground, where the officers gather around him.

Loaded on a train, a medical officer takes away Ned's beloved green sash and gives it to Lieutenant Hare, asking him if he may have it. Ned then shakes his head while Lieutenant Hare takes away the green and gold sash the train steers away. It was noted that even with a pardon which had a petition of 32,000 signatures, Ned Kelly was hung on November 11, 1880.

Gross worldwide takings: $6,371,899

• Official site
• Ned Kelly at the Internet Movie Database
• Boxoffice information

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