The Story of the Kelly Gang

I have never had this story confirmed, but by my Great Great Uncle told me once that they shot a Ned Kelly film on his family's property in Victoria. The story goes that the actress playing Ned's love interest couldn't ride a horse, so they had to get a stunt double. One evening, there was a spectacular sunset, and they wanted to get a picture of Ned Kelly and girl riding off into the sunset. However as the stunt double had already left, my great great aunt took her place.

I am unsure of the accuracy of this story, however my uncle's mind is as sharp as it ever was, the property was in the right part of Victoria and the dates fit (he was born in 1916, youngest of 8 and his elder sisters were much older).

While in Canberra on a school trip we went to visit screen sound Australia. While there we saw what is left of this film. Although it would not interest many people anymore, I can tell you now it was probably one of the best films of it's time. Using different film techniques of the time makes this film enjoyable to watch. This film defiantly tells the true story of Ned Kelly in a way that will never be done again.

Sadly there is only about 6 minutes left of this film and the only possible way to see it is to go to screen sound Australia but if you ever happen to be in Canberra, go there and see it, I can assure you, you won't regret it

Known as the oldest feature-length film in the world (it ran for around an hour at a time when most films were little more than a few minutes long), sadly little now remains of Ned Kelly and his Gang. I haven't been to Canberra as most of the other reviewers seem to have done, but I watched three clips (totalling around three minutes) on the internet (look it up on YouTube or Google Video if you're interested).

The section which shows Kelly's capture has deteriorated badly to the point where most of it is impossible to see, but the scene in which an unfortunate policeman pays a visit on Mrs Kelly is still intact. What is clear from this scene is that the acting is very much of the exaggerated gesture school of acting, and I can't help thinking that watching the entire film probably wouldn't be the most enjoyable way to spend an hour.

This is the original n the first account of Ned Kelly and his gang as the last of the bushrangers. The movie depicts the adventures n demise of the Kelly gang. The original film was over an hour at a time when films rarely exceeded few minutes. The restoration is now 20 minutes long n the print of the hotel scene is blurry n one cannot make out what's going on, so u can say only 17 mins is the proper print which is worth it. Considering it is the world's first feature-length film, movie fanatics needs to c the restored 17 mins before that too fades out. The film starts with the scene of constable Fitzpatrick who is visiting the homestead of Kate Kelly n ends with the shootout n Kelly's last stand. The scene of the last shootout between Ned n the police is shot from the viewpoint of the police as Ned advances n was something of a technical invention. They have used the original bulletproof armour n helmet made by the real outlaw Ned Kelly.

"The Story of the Kelly Gang" is a fascinating piece of film history. Released in 1906 and directed by Charles Tait, it's the first feature film ever made, telling the story of Ned Kelly, the Australian outlaw.

You can't really rate it like a regular movie. It's not about being good or bad; it's more about its historical significance. Most of the film is lost, so what remains are just fragments. Watching it now, the acting and storytelling feel very different from what we're used to.

But that's what makes it special for me. It's a glimpse into the early days of cinema and shows how far filmmaking has come. It's more of a historical artifact than a movie you watch for entertainment. It reminds me of the origins of the movies we enjoy today and is an important part of film history.