Mad Dog Morgan
An interview included in the extras of this DVD confirms the story that David Gulpilil went "walkabout" during the making of this film, to ask the kookaburras and the trees about his co-star, Dennis Hopper. Apparently, they told him Hopper was mad. This will come as no surprise to anyone who saw Apocalypse Now, which was made a few years later, or Betty Blue, for that matter.
The interview with Hopper, conducted by the film's writer/director Philippe Mora, begins slightly awkwardly, but the initial unease gives way to an extremely informative interview, with a surprisingly subdued Hopper providing thoughtful answers to Mora's interesting questions about this particular production, method acting and even art.
Mad Dog Morgan was made amid the flurry of historical dramas that were filmed during the seventies. Boasting an impressive cast of Australian film stalwarts of the time, there are many ways to enjoy this film..
At its heart, it is the story of a disillusioned, illiterate son of Irish migrants, whose desperation at not being able to forge a living from gold prospecting, turns to crime. Once he has experienced the barbarism of prison life, he is even less inclined to lead a straight life, and becomes a notorious, wiley bushranger who eludes capture from the authorities, who are more incensed by his canny evasion, than by his crimes, it seems. And by the film's end, it becomes apparent that the audience should feel some degree of compassion for the central character, despite his increasingly erratic and violent behaviour.
In fact, Morgan did exist. But whether he was called Mad Dog or Mad Dan, is still a matter of debate. Allegedly, he inspired the likes of fellow bushranger Ned Kelly. After his death, parts of his body was used in a most distasteful fashion. It's easy, watching the film, to think that this is just a twisted extra, added to mortify the viewers, but in fact, it is true that various parts of his anatomy were utilised in a most gruesome and vulgar fashion.
So, in one respect, this film is another historical tale from the annuls of Australia's past, with shots of the bush, accompanied by the familiar sound of cicadas, and more accents from the British Isles than the Melbourne Comedy Festival. But there's more to it: the cast is extraordinary - a veritable who's who of men who worked in cinema (and television) at the time. Additionally, there's a wicked pleasure to be had in its sly humour, and occasionally unintentionally funny aspects, such as Frank Thring's character, full of contempt, and an appearance by Graham Blundell, playing an Italian. Then there are local references, familiar to those who have visited country areas of Victoria, where Morgan was active.
But even if none of those things interest you, Hopper's performance in the lead role is bound to lure you to this DVD.