Mad Dog Morgan ★★★
BETWEEN his appearances in two classic films -1969’s Easy Rider and Apocalypse Now in 1979 – Dennis Hopper popped down to Australia to make a little movie called Mad Dog Morgan.
Philippe Mora’s film isn’t a classic, but it’s an extraordinary oddity that has so far stood the test of time, mainly due to Hopper’s eccentric performance as the notorious bushranger Dan Morgan.
The stories of Hopper’s alcohol and drug taking during the shoot are legendary, including the claim that he was arrested and deported soon after filming had ended.
But Hopper’s entire filmography suggests he probably would have played Morgan in the same way even sober.
In 1850s Victoria, the Irish-born immigrant Morgan is already wary of the authorities when he survives a bloody massacre of Chinese on the Goldfields. He turns to crime but is quickly arrested and sent to prison for six years where he is tortured and raped.
After being released on parole he becomes a bushranger who roams the settlements stealing at will but also helping the odd person or family poorer than him.
Like Ned Kelly, depending on the interaction, Morgan is reviled or embraced by the public, but the authorities are hell-bent on bringing him to justice at the end of a rope.
Many technical aspects may be lacking, particularly in the editing and continuity of the script, but the energy with which the locations are shot, including much of the actual country where Morgan roamed, helps create a strong sense of the atmosphere at the time.
Apart from Hopper, the film features a who’s who of Australian acting talent at the time, including David Gulpilil as Morgan’s best friend and fellow bushranger Billy, Jack Thompson as the main police officer hunting Morgan, the extraordinary Frank Thring as Superintendent Cobham who claims he will make a tobacco pouch out of Morgan’s testicles, along with the likes of Bill Hunter. John Hargreaves, Michael Pate, Graeme Blundell, John Derum, Norman Kaye, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Bruce Spence and Roger Ward.
The film bombed at the box office on its initial release but has built a following over the years.
If you have more than a passing interest in the Australian film industry, seek this one out.
Watched on Prime.