THE LEGEND OF BEN HALL

Australia, 2015, 140 minutes, Colour.
Jack Martin, Jamie Coffa, William Lee, Joanne Dobbin, Adam Wlilson, Erica Field, Callan Mc Auliffe, Arthur Angel, Jordan Fraser-Trumbull, Gregory Quinn, Andy Mc Phee, Lauren Grigson.
Directed by Matthew Holmes.

While the automatic response to hearing of an Australian bushranger is Ned Kelly, many will remember that there has been Captain Starlight, Frank Gardiner and Ben Hall. There are also the film memories of various versions of Robbery under Arms with Captain Starlight, the different versions of Ned Kelly as well as Mad Dog Morgan.

For Australian audiences, The Legend of Ben Hall provides a great deal of information about the bushranger, his life, his actions, and interestingly so. He was active for three years in the 1860s, finally killed in an ambush in 1865. While the film does provide a background, especially introducing various characters and their life stories, the action of the film takes place in his final months from 1864 to 1865, his operating in western New South Wales, around Forbes, then his activities south of Goulburn in such towns as Collector and Bredalbine, with the attempted robbing the gold coach at Majors Creek in the Araluen Valley.

This reviewer was particularly interested, remembering that a great-grandfather arrived from Ireland in 1864, made his way to Araluen and was proprietor of one of the hotels, 42 of them, in this town on the southern goldfields. Audiences of Anglo-Celtic? descent from New South Wales will also have ancestor connections.

The film looks particularly good, taking advantage of the location photography, the paddocks, the gum trees, the wooden huts, the small and ramshackle towns at the beginning of their history and, instead of the transition from one scene to another with a fade to black, there are frequent transitions to beautiful landscapes, beautiful skyscapes, enhancing the mood of the film.

It takes a while for the film to explain why Ben Hall became a bushranger, mainly the clash with the police, the traps. We are told at the end that he took part in 600 or more raids and hold-ups but never killed anyone.

Jack Martin is a strong screen presence as Ben Hall, tall, sturdy, with a polite accent and, frequently, manner. He is a criminal, eventually to be declared an outlaw by the colonial government. He still has feelings for the wife who left him for another man, for his young son, whom he seeks out and abducts (some echoes of domestic violence in these sequences).but still cherishing his wife and carrying her picture, wanting to give some of the proceeds of his robberies for the education of his son.

At the opening, we see the traps pursuing Ben Hall and his old partner with their ability to run away and hide amongst the gum trees in the bush. This happens frequently enough. And, unlike most of the movies, the bushrangers and the traps fire lots and lots of shots with very few kills.

Ben Hall is joined by his partner, Jack Gilbert (Jamie Coffa) whose performance may be very accurate but who creates a character who is incessantly annoying, irritating, Canadian who has no moral sense, relishes the robberies and ambushes, has no scruple concerning killing. He recruits a young man, John Dunn (William Lee), rather gawky, inexperienced, prone to nervousness and accident.

The film is rather a long one, giving the audience plenty of time to appreciate the characters, see them in action, in their interactions with each other, an interlude in the town where Ben Hall has taken up with a prostitute and his associates take up with two sisters there, going to a dance, locking the doors and taking the guns, but tricked by a storekeeper, former policeman, to betray them and, viciousness takes over as they burn down his store.

This was the period of the Civil War in the United States and the famous outlaws were to start their exploits after 1865. The Australian outlaws were simpler and more straightforward than their American counterparts, and this film reminds us how different Australian society was from America in the 19th century, and the action taking place in the bush rather than the American plains or deserts. but, criminals nonetheless.

There is an aboriginal presence in the film, two trackers who work with the police in pursuing Ben Hall and his gang.

The film and its writer-director, Matthew Holmes is to be commended for taking audiences back into life in the 19th century, the bush and the settlements, the role of the police and the bushrangers.

1. Audience interest in Ben Hall, Australian bushrangers? The 19th century? The 1860s?

2. The title, the focus on Legend? The iconic representation of Ben Hall yet an outlaw?

3. Audience knowledge about Ben Hall, in Australia, overseas? About New South Wales, the settlers, the towns beginning, the gold rush, crime and robberies, the role of the police and the trackers?

4. The location photography, the Australian bush, the gum trees, the paddocks, the wooden huts, the towns and the buildings, shops? The landscape photography, the skyscapes and the beauty?

5. The introduction to Ben Hall, the presence of Jack Martin? Tall, strong, his more educated speech? The explanations of why he was a bushranger, the encounters with the police, trapped, helping Frank Gardiner, the life of crime, the robberies, outlaw status, riding with Jack Gilbert? His marriage, Biddy, falling out of love, going off with the rifle, taking Henry? The hurt Ben Hall?

6. The initial attack, almost captured, Ben and Jim running away, able to hide in the bush? Jim wanting to go to Victoria, Ben not wanting to go, his quest, to find his wife, his son, and always carrying her picture? The story, his confrontation with Biddy, meeting his son, taking him, the threat of domestic violence? Taking the boy to his brother, entrusting him to their care? The later legal action against the brother, his mother getting him back? Men's anger?

7. Jack Gilbert, his look, voice, amoral, cavalier, psychopathic behaviour? The robberies, the world owing him a living? Canadian background, the thrill to dangers, Ben and his plan to go to America? The robberies to pay for the tickets? The friendship, Jack Gilbert recruiting John, John is 18, awkward, with his grandfather, his ambitions, grateful to ride with Ben?

8. The collage of the robberies, the robbers not wearing masks, the range of people, well-dressed, wealthy, the woman pleading for her jewelry? The man defying Gilbert and calling him a coward?

9. The three, going into the town, Ben and his relationship with Christine, the night with her? Gilbert and Allen? John, his awkwardness, with Peggy? The irony of her giving birth to a son as he was about to be hanged? At the dance, going to the shop, the encounter with Morris and his wife, taking his money, at the dance, the band, the dancing, locking the people in, Morris and his plot, to let the horses loose? The confrontation, Ben and his anger, burning down the store? The arrests of the women as accessories?

10. The outback towns, Ben and the group going shopping, the boy as hostage? His father, the policeman, coming with his gun, with his other son? John Dunn, fearful, shooting him? The pressure on the group because of the murder?

11. The police, their pursuits, the officers, the sergeant in charge of the chase, Billy the tracker? The discussion about the laws and declaring them outlaws?

12. The plan for the Majors Creek Gold robbery? Recruiting Dan Ryan, his wearing a mask, the attempt? The the four and the robbery being thwarted? The escape?

13. Ben and his decision to go to Queensland, the money for the tickets, his saving up money, his decision to go to see Henry, giving his wife the money, still loving her, the kiss? His threat to her husband? Not to waste the money?

14. Connolly, his wife, friendship, support, the wife loving Ben? The decision about betrayal, going to the town? Gilbert and done, the camping, seeing the stockman, their fear, moving? Ben making camp, the soldiers, keeping vigil, his waking, the attack, been running, shot?

15. His corpse, the viewing? The reports – the officer angry with the sergeant, the sergeant being vengeful? The decision of justified homicide?

16. The postscript, Gilbert and his being shot, done arrested and his hanging?

17. The information given about them? The Australian bushranger heritage of the 19th century?