ROMPER STOMPER (1992)

 

Written & Directed By: Geoffrey Wright

Cinematography: Ron Hagen

Editor: Bill Murphy

Cast: Russell Crowe, Jaqueline McKenzie, Daniel Pollock, Alex Scott, Leigh Russell, Dan Wyllie, Josephine Keen, James McKenna, Eric Mueck, Frank Magree 

Violent tale of white supremacist skinheads who spend their time beating up anyone who isn't white or who doesn't comply with their version of acceptability. In the end, Hando and Davey will clash violently of a disagreement of principles.

It has taken me 30 years to finally watch this film that came out when I was a young teen . I remember it had a lot of buzz around it and controversy. This was the first time I heard of Russell Crowe as an actor. This was before the Hollywood starring films. 

This was not the beginning, but when I was really getting a little bit more intense into my love and study of movies and especially independent Cinema so I remember reading about this film, and this was when I was starting to read the film magazine film when it was still at newsstands. that was just one of the movie magazines I was reading at the time there was like movie line premiere, The Hollywood Reporter, entertainment, weekly, and any other magazine I could really get my hands on.

FILM THREAT was your key into the underground as well as the village voice. Those of us in New York was getting advance on these upcoming films and this was definitely one of them. 

I have to say it now I can see where it had all the hype at the time and watching it now it’s a punch. It’s not quite the knockout that it might’ve been back and its day. 

Is certainly grimy and dirty, dealing with racist, skinhead, and Australia, and this in particular their day-to-day life of harassment and violence . they are certainly the main characters we follow. They end of themselves are more side characters happen to get tangled up with the character of the film, which is. Gabe played by Jacqueline McKenzie

She is a character who seems to go from one bad situation to the next. It’s more of her survivors as she seems to go to men who seem like they can protect her and give her a place to stay as long as she is willing to do what they need for the time being before their own vices take over , and she just seems to be secondary. She seeks to get away her abusive father. though, you can’t tell exactly if she’s the epitome of their downfall or came along when they were on a downward trajectory and only helped to accelerate it.

We see her and the gang own stories before they eventually collide, and she finds her way into the gang as the current lover of their leader played by Russell Crowe. what eventually ends up misplaced emotions, dooming the romance as it soon becomes a love triangle. when the leaders right hand man fall for her, and she realizes it and doesn’t turn him away. though later in the film once the two of them pair off and crows character finds out about it he feels betrayed, but you’re not quite sure by which one, or it might be both even though there seems to be a little homoerotic going on between him and his right hand man. towards the end, it is like they are trying to out strengthen one another to see who has more power and influence.

this all happens very fast before any of them can really think about it as the film only examines a few days in the life of these characters in which everything seems reckless and those supposedly trying to be a community and protect it like all they really do is destroy.

The film doesn’t paint their victims as entirely passive victims they fight back as it seems like the minorities they are rebelling against or truly jealous of the Asian community. who all seem to be prospering and more successful than that which is more of the problem this jealousy leads them to believe that they themselves are being looked down upon people of color.

The film is ultimately a tragedy for most involved. It doesn’t pass judgment on the characters. It doesn’t celebrate the characters though mainly the skinheads are who we follow.  while the film brought to Russell Crowe who is certainly violent and Carismatic in the lead role, the performances are Jacqueline McKenzie and Daniel Pollock the later of whom sadly died before this films premiere. It’s a shame as he would’ve gone onto bigger and better certainly.

While here Russell Crowe just had more of the star-making magnetism 

though I give Jacqueline McKenzie a lot of credit as she has what at first seems like a typical role but in the end has the harder role as she’s a survivor what comes off as emotions at times might just be manipulation so it’s hard to tell what she truly believes and feels and what she’s just showcasing to get her way and stay protected.

The film has a few graphic sex scenes that supposedly are real as they definitely come across as realistic, but they are also very well edited so as to not seem as pornographic.

while the film deals with racist skinheads, it doesn’t revel in any of their beliefs radiology as it’s not the main focus. The main focus seems to be the dynamics of this gang and their behavior so there is plenty of violence. It never feels exploited, but it can be shocking at times. ask for skinheads who seem to shun those different than them or outsiders who seem to be growing to be outsiders their own town and Goths and punks into the revelry with them, though that might be more of a sexual thing as the punks and Goths are female.

Director Geoffrey Wright truly came through with a dazzling debut. While he has made other films that are memorable for their own reasons, they never reached the strength of this film.

Grade: B