Category: Western
In 1974, Australian author Margaret Carnegie wrote Morgan: The Bold Bushranger about the life of notorious outlaw Daniel Morgan. Around this time, documentary filmmaker Phillipe Mora wanted to move into narrative filmmaking and chose to adapt Carnegie's book. After writing the screenplay, Mora acquired a budget of $400,000 from the Australian Film Commission and some private investors. Mora and producer Jeremy Thomas wanted to hire Stacey Keach, but they ultimately went with Dennis Hopper. Hopper had been blacklisted from Hollywood due to his drug and alcohol abuse, so he took whatever jobs he could. Despite a rough shoot, the film was finished and released in Australia and the US in 1976. Due to copyright technicalities, various low-budget companies were able to license the film for home video, including Troma. After releasing heavily edited versions on VHS and DVD, Troma released Mad Dog Morgan uncut in 2009.
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Rating
Synopsis
In 1850s Australia, Irishman Daniel Morgan (Dennis Hopper) is looking to strike rich during a gold rush. Failing that, he turns to a life of crime, only to be arrested and sentenced to serve a six-year sentence. After being brutalized and raped in prison, Morgan emerges a broken man and becomes an outlaw looking to plunder. With his aboriginal accomplice Billy (David Gulpilil), Morgan tears through the Australian countryside and becomes a local legend. Meanwhile, Superintendent Cobham (Frank Thring) enlists Detective Manwaring (Jack Thompson) to track down Morgan and bring him to justice. As tensions mount, Morgan's legendary status continues to grow as more and more people talk about his exploits. However, it's only a matter of time before the long arm of the law catches up to him. While his grip on reality continues to slip, Daniel "Mad Dog" Morgan continues his rampage in pursuit of fortune.
Review
Mad Dog Morgan is one of the most beautiful, brutal, and mind-bending movies I've ever seen in quite some time. For such a small budget, what Phillipe Mora and his crew accomplished is spectacular, especially given the filming conditions. Much of the film was shot in the eastern Riverina and northeast Victoria to give it some authenticity. With cinematographer Mike Molloy, Mora takes full advantage of the locations and stages some beautiful landscape shots. Contrasting with these gorgeous long shots are scenes of brutal violence that, while not overly graphic, are disturbing. From the Chinese camp early on being burned to the final standoff with Morgan, there are some memorable set pieces. It reminds me of how Heaven's Gate had gruesome violence set against beautiful landscapes on a fraction of the budget. Thankfully, the shoot of this film was nowhere near as problematic as Michael Cimino's infamous flop.
While the rest of the cast does a great job, Dennis Hopper is on a whole other level. Hopper gives one of his best performances as Daniel Morgan, who goes from innocent everyman to a crazed outlaw. Granted, it's not the most historically accurate depiction of Morgan, but his performance is impressive. His right-hand man, David Gulpilil, has excellent chemistry with Hopper and helps balance out the insanity. Jack Thompson also delivers as the stern police detective hellbent on either capturing or killing Morgan. It's worth noting that a pre-Mad Max Hugh Keays-Byrne and a pre-Road Warrior Bruce Spence have minor roles. My only main gripe is that, despite its hour and 42-minute runtime, it can sometimes feel slow and disjointed. Despite that, Mad Dog Morgan is an underrated Australian Western that will stick with you long after the movie ends.
Buy Mad Dog Morgan from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3V3PMyk.
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