While a sense of righteous anger is definitely being felt by the Irish people towards those that took part in Wednesday's Oireachtas golf event in Galway, it's somewhat fitting that Amazon Prime has added a new film about another man of Irish descent that raged against the machine, Ned Kelly.
For years, Kelly has been portrayed as a Robin Hood-type figure that was viewed by many Australians as the personification of the plight of workers that had their rights and freedoms downtrodden by wealthy landowners during a period of economic hardship.
To many, Ned Kelly, the son of poor Irish Catholics, was a heroic anti-establishment figure who fought against the corrupt British colonists of the 19th century.
Throughout their life, the Kelly gang perpetrated a series of daring robberies in the Victoria–New South Wales borderland that captured the imagination of the public.
The Australian government even lauds the bushranger as one of the country's "greatest folk heroes" on their website.
The website states that: "There's no denying that Ned Kelly was a notorious criminal, feared around Victoria and beyond as a robber and murderer. Despite this, he had many sympathisers who believed that he was a symbol of the Australian spirit – an enduring underdog with the courage to challenge the authorities."
Despite being wanted for killing policemen and conducting armed robberies, the outlaws frequently enjoyed public sympathy.
However, other people viewed Kelly as a vicious thug who murdered three police officers.
In Justin Kurzel's film the True History of the Kelly Gang, the director takes a new look at the legendary Irish-Australian outlaw.
The plot synopsis states: "Set against the badlands of colonial Australia where the English rule with a bloody fist and the Irish endure, Ned Kelly (George MacKay) discovers he comes from a line of Irish rebels called the Sons of Sieve, an uncompromising army of bandits immortalised for terrorising their oppressors back in Ireland.
"Nurtured by the notorious bushranger Harry Power (Russell Crowe) and fuelled by the unfair arrest of his mother, Ned Kelly recruits a wild bunch of warriors to plot one of the most audacious attacks of anarchy and rebellion the country has ever seen"
At present, the film holds a 75% rating on Metacritic and 79% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Given the fact that it leans heavily into the Western genre and is a revenge tale against colonial oppressors, we've a strong feeling that fans of Lance Daly's Black '47 will really like this one.
These critics agree:
Rolling Stone - "Mick Jagger and Heath Ledger have previously played Australia's 19th-century Robin Hood. But George MacKay tops them in this punk-rock take from Justin Kurzel that blows the dust off history to create something thrillingly transgressive."
Time - "What Kelly Gang lacks in historical accuracy it makes up for with brash punk energy."
The Times - A stylish, intensely guttural and testosterone-soaked adaptation of Peter Carey's Booker prizewinning novel that, at its most affecting and disturbing, unfolds as a primal cinematic scream.
The Hollywood Reporter - "A raw rebel yell of a movie that combines visceral violence with a kind of delirious, scrappy poetry.
Empire - "A compelling, grubby outback Western revealing the ragged reality behind a folk hero. Terrific performances, incredible visuals, and a reassertion of Justin Kurzel as a bold filmmaker most comfortable dealing with discomfort.
True History of the Kelly Gang is now available to watch on Amazon Prime.
Take a look at what's in store.
Clip via Transmission Films
