What’s the word on this film? Any good? Worth picking up?
Looks pretty violent…
Stars Dennis Hopper and won the award for best Western at Cannes Film Festival in May 1976
MAD Dog Morgan, written and directed by Philippe Mora, is an idiosyncratic, intriguing, vividly atmospheric example of 1970s Australian cinema. Mora persuaded Dennis Hopper to play real-life bushranger Dan Morgan, who is depicted as a man caught up in the brutality of frontier life on the goldfields, an outsider from the moment he comes to the aid of a Chinese man attacked by a mob. David Gulpilil is the Aboriginal man with whom he forms a close alliance, and who helps him escape the forces of the law. Hopper was famously out of control and over the top at the time of filming, although he turned in a striking performance, in a movie that echoes the increasingly troubled, chaotic, rampaging state of mind of its central character.
If you are thinking of picking up Troma DVD, don’t. I’ve heard it’s terribly cut (adios all violence) and fake widescreen (fullscreen version with black bars). Australian DVD isn’t perfect either but at least it’s uncut and 1.85:1 (should be 2.35:1).
The film is like many other Hopper films from 60s to 80s, interesting in many ways but not very good. I should probably watch it again since I don’t remember much of it…
Hopper’s beard looks a little false to me at times. Hopper is interesting to watch though, but at times seems to be taking the piss out of the character. Maybe he was a little drunk, as in the interview with Hopper on the disc I viewed he did admit to having a spot of rum during filming. I did like moments of the film, but at times I just thought the film was repeating its self.
