The Ned Kelly Films: A Cultural History of Kelly History

This book explores the extent of this infamous outlaw’s onscreen presence covering all films made about Ned Kelly. It recognises the importance of these films in circulating Kelly history to new generations but also how they re-work and rewrite popular history. It analyses why historical films are regarded as a form of ‘bad’ culture. One of Australia’s most notorious outlaws, Ned Kelly led one of the most spectacular outbreaks the tradition of banditry has ever experienced culminating in a siege at Glenrowan on 28 June 1880 where he was eventually captured and later executed at Melbourne Gaol. Immortalized in a series of onscreen productions Ned Kelly has since become one of the most resilient screen presences in the history of Australian cinema. While most cultural representations of Kelly, from the penny dime novels to the comics to the branding of the Glenrowan site, are considered lowbrow only the films have been criticized for not offering a more serious interpretation of Kelly and the historical context. Covering all nine feature films, three miniseries, and two TV movies Gaunson provides a comprehensive study of all Kelly films that have been made as well as addressing the central question of the value we can place on such ‘bad’ historical cinema. By approaching Kelly films from this perspective Gaunson offers new historical insights about the textual characteristics of the cinematic material as well as their relationship with broader cultural histories.