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True History of the Kelly Gang (2019)
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"My dear child, "I know what it is to be raised on lies and silences. "That is why I write to you now. "So you do not grow to confuse fiction for fact "and view your father in an unsavoury light, "as I did mine. "You see, your grandfather were a son of Ireland, "a Son of Sieve, "ripped from his home by his English oppressors "and transported to the prisons "of Van Diemen's Land, Australia. "I do not know what was done to him there, "as he never spoke of it, "for he were a man who chose to keep secrets from his kin. "But I've come to learn "secrets shackle one tighter than any chain "and lies fester long after their invention, "so as you read this history - my history - "know that it is for you and will contain no single lie. "May I burn in hell if I speak false." Fucking birds! Ned. Get away from there. "She always said it were a mother God made her to be. "Ma sought to protect us "like a mia-mia shelters one from the rain. "There weren't nothing she wouldn't do for her own." Are we done? I always pay in full, Ellen. That should buy you a month. Keep your little shebeen open for business. Now I'll get you a bottle. Do you like it out here, Ned? Living amongst dirt and disappointment? Yeah. What do you like about it? It's quiet. Is that what your dad was in search of? When I see him galloping across Horn's paddock in a lovely red frock? Quiet? He never. Aye, he did. Cross my heart. What would you suppose would possess a man to dress like that? Off to serve his fancy-man husband, I suppose. You're a good lad, Ned. "Sergeant O'Neil's words lay inside me "like the egg of a liver fluke, "filling my imagination with vile thoughts "that bred like maggots. "When I chose to share them aloud, "my sister Kate led me to a pile of rocks "she would play atop of." "It was there I discovered my father's secret. You're not to worry about what your da done or who he is. You're a man now. You're my little man. You'll be everything he isn't. You shouldn't let that sergeant in our home. Yeah, there once was a time where he wouldn't. No ink can tell the story Of how we came to be Our songs are written in the blood of rogues... That's for customers, not drunks. - They just scatter... - They pay. In the ashes and the dogs... Where's the meat? - But crying is... - Your family's hungry. ..for babies and for widows... They should know their elder sister died in her crib because her da failed to provide... Stop scaring the children, woman. You were to bring us beef. You want to know where your meat is? Here's your fucking meat. Don't you dare. Don't you fucking dare! You get out! You filthy pig! Get the fuck out! Stupid, filthy fucking animal! You fucking animal! Now we've got beef. You good boy! There's the little butcher. Hey, we're going... We're gonna feast tonight. Dunk. One for the growing baby. Thanks, Ned. And a nice, dripping slice... ..for the man of the house. And a juicy morsel for the woman he loves most in the world. On the count of three, we're all gonna thank your brother Ned for feeding us this night, hey? One, two, three. Thank you, Ned! Thank you, Ned. Little butcher! I'm the butcher! There were no branding there. Away, now, John. Tell the truth. Why this big hole? I made a whip from it. Did you? You know, Bob, John made a whip! Good fellow. Then go and fetch it. Do you know Acts 7 and 8, John? Our Crown laws prohibiting the duffing of a man's livestock? I got nae choice but to lock you up. I can't go back in there. Aye. That's why it's such a great shame. I done it. I don't believe that for one minute. I mean, look. This cow's bigger than you! - But it was me. - Shut up, Ned. Lock me up. - I killed that cow. - Now, listen to your dad. I did it! - Away, then, John. - I did it! Get a blanket, pannikin and spoon. Got a long ride, my little gyppo. Come on, Ned. It was me. Don't you go bringing your cock around here anymore. Now, that upsets me, Ellen. No, I don't like that at all. "My father did not speak to me again from that day on. "And I soon became a very serious boy "who wore his guilt heavy, like a cloak. "But for the briefest of moments, "that all changed when the boy fell." "His name was Dick Shelton. "He came from a home worlds away from mine, "full of riches I ain't never seen before. "People no longer saw me as a thieving Kelly. "I were a hero." Here's some of my boy's clothes. My angel sent by God. "Ma always said I was like the fastest racehorse. "She said it was blood and breeding what mattered most." Your boy has given me back my son. What bothers you about that? Nothing. On the contrary. I've come to show you my appreciation. For Ned. That's very fine work. Thank you. My son attends a school in Seymour, and I've spoken with his headmistress and she's open to the idea of Ned boarding. I would pay for it all. You want to take my Ned from me? I'm sure you'd agree a child's education is of utmost importance. I didn't go to no school with straw hats. No. No, but...if Ned did, who knows what he could be? All I ask is for your sanction. My Ned is a thoughtful and considerate young man. I done that. You may be able to live without seeing your boy every other day, but family means more to me than that. I was merely trying to... I know what you were trying to do. You English have been doing it ever since you dragged us here. Trying to bleed our culture out like you did the blackfella before us. Thank you, but I'd just as soon teach my son a lesson in family loyalty than any from your fancy books. You'd object to your child having an education? Only the Lord should take my children from me. Not no Englishman. So, unless there's...something else you'll be wanting? You got your son. You leave mine alone. You mind your step, now, Little Miss Riding Hood. What does it say? Let's read it. It says, "To Edward Kelly, "in gratitude for his courage, "from the Shelton family." Da! Da! Da! Da! Da, look what they gave me! Da! Da! "When I reached the door of my father's cell... "..I was too full of a peculiar sense of pride "to find it odd that it were left open." You done this. I swear it wasn't me, Ellen. I found him like this. Yeah, Ned, come here, boy. Don't you fucking touch me! You have to be strong now. For your ma. My condolences. I'll look in on you more now that John's gone. Stuff 'em with possum skin, they'll fit. You'll look after me. "I were too guilty to admit "life without Da had become in many ways more pleasant. "But my mother were not long without suitors. "Worthless men who closed around her "like yellow dingoes on a chained-up bitch. "But Ma sought one to protect us. "Ma sought one to make me a man." Ned. Why don't you go into town... ..and get a shoulder of lamb, and I'll roast it up for everybody when you get back? Fuckin' hell! It's Harry Power! The man, the myth, the legend! Are you still alive? Are they for me? Oh, you've still got your sense of humour. They're for the widow Kelly. Go and get those flowers, Ned, so the officer doesn't have to get off his horse. How are you keeping, Ned? Are you alright? Tell Ellen I sent me best. Aye, it's always a pleasure, Harry. You look good. You've put on some weight. Fuck off. Chuck 'em in the fire. Oh, yeah. For curiosity, convicted Sent to heaven on earth for my sins I wanna start fresh and have no regrets There's one in each town who won't let you forget Our soldiers ain't as bad as our coppers Our soldiers will earn their pay But a trap's gonna take Anything you can make He'll eat your wife's pussy off your dinner plate He's a cunst, he's a cunst, he's a constable cunst He's a cunsty little cunst of a constable cunst. You know what I'm talking about, don't you? I'm serious. They're out for themselves. Not for you. Be smart. Shall we sing? He's a cunst, he's a cunst He's a constable cunst He's a cunsty little cunst of a constable cunst He's a cunst, he's a cunst He's a constable cunst He's a cunsty little cunst of a constable cunst. Whoo! Are you sure you're not hungry, Harry? I always have appetites, Ellen. I've just... ..grown accustomed to being denied the satisfaction of them. Hmm. We'll have to see to that. How'd you fancy some of my lamb? I dream of lamb like yours, Ellen. Pink. Tender. Harry's gonna bring some cattle down from the north. I said you'd go with him. He'll pay you well, you know? But who's gonna look after this place? Huh! Me and your brother, we'll look after it. We'll still be here when you come back. You go out there and be a big man. You go out there and show the world. Home, sweet home. Why has that got no windows? Friends will leave you, women will grow tired of you, dogs will up and die. Bullock Creek has never let me down. Up here, fuckin' Ali Baba. Who's he? He's an Arab lad. With a secret cave. Is this your secret cave? No, sunshine. It's ours. What are you writing? I'm writing my story. When a man farewells this world, all he's got left is his story. Don't leave it for the English to tell it. They'll only fuck it up and steal the proceeds. Can you read me some, Harry? "Bullock Creek, sometime in August. "A pleasant enough day. "Angry bunions, swollen veins. "It is the queerest thing to age. "I have myself an indentured servant, "an apprentice to my trade. "My companion and my right hand. "Ned Kelly is his name. "The finest shot of a cockatoo in this victorious state." I like that. It's good. Now I'm gonna write about your horse riding. This shouldn't take long. "Here rests Dan Morgan. "He took a man's livelihood." "We took the scoundrel's manhood." What did he do? Ask him. This is you. Stepping out of your mongrel life into something new. I like 'em. Thanks, Harry. You look like a fuckin' prince, sunshine. Read the menu. - See what you want. - What can I get you, Mr Power? - How are you, Fred? - Good to see you again, Harry. No food for me. I've got a stricture in my gut. Makes shitting a fuckin' nightmare. - Oh, still? - I'll just have some wine. Maybe I'll have some whiskey a bit later for dessert. OK. Yeah. - Harry. - Cheers, Harry. What do you reckon? Roast beef and pudding, or pancakes? Why don't you have both? A man who hasn't had roast beef AND pancakes just has not lived. Your glass there, Harry. - Here we go. - Thank you. Just fill her right to the top there, Fred. And leave the bottle, thanks. If you're gonna dine with me, you're gonna drink with me. Ahh! Stay with the horse. Get up! Get along! Get up! Get up! Is that your friend? There is no friend. There's no cattle. It's just us. Go on, get up, you bloody useless...! - Get up! - Stay here. Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Move that horse! Move it or we'll shoot it! Move the horse or I'm gonna shoot the fucking thing! Understand? Are you slow, son? Now, what's its name? You ARE slow! You're slower than a wet week! Standing there shaking like a cat shitting razor blades! If you don't tell me its name, you'll be shaking in a minute, because I'm going to shoot it right in the head! Pick up the guns! That's the business, mate. That's what we do. You're a bushranger. You lucky little bastard, eh? Flamin' fuckin' pancakes. Who gets that? I don't want your FUCKING PANCAKES! I want to go home! Home, my arse. I, Harry Power, bought you, Ned. Purchased you. Your mother sold you to be my little helper. Ma wouldn't do that. You'd be surprised what a mother would do. 15, you cost me. And you're gonna fuckin' earn that back. Follow me. I've got something cooking upstairs you're gonna enjoy. Just like that. Now, don't move. Don't move. Come on. Fucking hell. You feel that? Feels lovely, doesn't it? Stand up. Fucking hell. Close the door. What the fuck do you want, Harry? Just a little private word. It couldn't have waited two minutes? In front of the lad? This is indecent. Well, out with it. What's this about? This is about your pizzle, Kevin. And you making a mockery of this boy and his family. He's a sergeant, Harry. He's a cunt, is what he is. Now, I told your mother no-one can ride with me if they can't pull the trigger, so get your gun out, Ned. Lift it up. Aim your fuckin' gun! Are you here to make a murderer of the lad, mate? Fuck you, cunt! I am not... What are you doing with me, cunt?! - ..your mate. - Fuck! Nice bit of sausage you got on you, Kev. Must take a big vein to get the blood down to that fuckin' pizzle. When we shoot it off, I bet there'll be an awful lot of bleeding. - Oooh! - Luckily for you... ..I've applied a tourniquet. - This isn't funny! - Get up. You'll rip me fuckin' bollocks off! - Take it easy! - Get up! Righto, Ned. Shoot his cock off. I'm tellin' you, your life will be as wretched and forgotten as this old bastard! - Shoot his cock off! - Fuck you, Harry! You smell that? That's fear. Stinks, doesn't it? Now... ..shoot him. I told your mum I was gonna make you a hero. Shoot his cock off. Mate, divven't listen to him. Let's just calm down for a minute. Just do us a favour, yeah? Just...take your finger off that trigger. Go on. Make a name for yourself. Take it easy. Don't be a coward like your father. I ain't nothing like my da. That's right. Arggh! You fuckin' shot! Fuckin' shot us, Ned! What the fuck are you doing, Harry?! I'll kill you if I have to. Put a bullet in Harry... ..the same way you put one in O'Neil. Go on, boy. Go on. Ned. Divven't fuckin' do it, mate. You've gone too fuckin' far this time, Harry. I'm gonna have your fuckin' necks for this. "Asking me to pull that trigger "were the only time Harry Power were ever really truthful. "His arrest came swiftly "and, I'm sure, was met with little opposition. "For a man can never outrun his fate, "nor the crimes of his past." It can go like that. That's good. He said you can keep your 15! What are you doing here?! So you come back with nothing? He was to teach you. Teach me what? To kill men? To survive. Ain't it bad enough you sell yourself? You had to go and sell me too?! Don't you touch me! Nothin' comes free in this world, son. Nothin' is free. Something should. - Don't you touch me! - Get inside! You get inside, then! Where's your da's boots? What have you done with them? I shot him, Ma. I shot the sergeant, but I couldn't kill him. I didn't mean no harm to come to you. I'm scared, Ma. I'm really scared. Shh. He'll come for you. But you're strong. And he's weak. Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen. "I don't know how I were arrested by Sergeant O'Neil "and taken from my family. "I were but a child. "No razor had yet touched my upper lip, "yet I were already travelling full tilt "toward the man I would become." Kill the Irish cunt! This what you want, huh?! You know what you are? You're a dancin' fuckin' monkey! - Now, get the fuck in there! - Alright. Get the fuckin' bastard! Pummel him, Neddy! Fuckin' Irish prick! Do you not want more of that?! Yeah, fuck you, you Pommy bastards! "Following my incarceration, "I tried to carve out an honest, simple life "far from the dirt and disappointment "of our selection. "I was a child no more. "Although, in truth, I do not know "what childhood or youth I ever had. "All my life, I'd wished for a mate, "and I had found one in Joe Byrne. "He were a bright fellow with a taste for dark gum "and a partiality towards my company." Hey, Joe. Give me back my book, Joe. Give me my book back. Read me a line, Ned! You read me a line! I'm not gonna read you a... "Maybe we are not such fools as we look. "But though we be, we are well content, "so long as we may be two fools together." Mate, that's fuckin' beautiful. That's fuckin' beautiful! They're talking about us there, aren't they? - Eh? - They might be, Joe. I think they are. "It had been 10 years since I'd been there, "but that cell where I bled were just as I remembered it." "I had done my best to remain far from my family's selection, "to pretend I were more than just a Kelly. "But my kin were never far from my mind, "my mother's call always in my ear. "The longer I stayed away, the louder it became. "Until one day, I were home. "My family were grown..." It's alright. I'm back. I'm home, Ma. "..Dan and Kate no longer the children I had left behind. "And my ma had taken herself a lover "young enough to be myself." "The land I'd once laboured on "had now become a stranger's territory." You abandoned us. I was always gonna come back. When we're all in soil? I've got money now. Don't want your money. Who's the young fella dressed like a clown? George and I are to be married. - He's from California. - Yeah? So, where are those horses from? Don't matter where they're from. What say you help he and Dan escort them across the Murray tomorrow? George says there's more where they come from, too. A great big mob of them on James Moody's property. Them horses are stolen? Nah, I've come to farm, not steal. And your boy husband shouldn't be talking Dan into duffing, neither. George King has taught your brother to be a man. Like Harry Power was to teach me? You know nothin' of my life! You ain't been here. There ain't a thing on this land for a woman but loneliness. When have you ever been lonely, Ma? Da's bed were barely cold before you were screwing men in it. You're the one who turned your back on this family, not me. - I never turned. - Oh, no? I was taken. Years cut from my life 'cause of you! And where have you been since? Where have you been? Promise me you'll help your brother with those horses. You're never to abandon your kin again. Promise me. I missed you. My boy. Oh, he's not that bad, Ned. - You like him, do you? - Yeah, I do. He's, uh...he's good to Ma. He's a fucking great thief. Why don't you come with us? It'll be great. Take you out, show you the ropes a bit. He knows what he's doing. Nah, I'm not stealing shit no more. We make a lot of money with him around, huh? - You've been making money? - Yeah. Yeah, we've been... we've been making money. - Yeah, we have. - Who are you? Steve. It's the ugliest fuckin' thing I ever seen. You come ridin' with your brother and I, you don't have to be out there looking for stray nags. Yeah? Why would you need me? I think you'll say anything to have yourself a home. Ned, I intend to slap a white dress on that woman, walk her down the aisle, and then, just for one moment, pretend that you didn't come kickin' and screamin' out of that pussy. She told me what she did to you. Sold you off to a thief. Reminds me of a dog that I once had. It was a mangy old thing. And I am a cruel bastard, so I would whip it every which way. I'd beat on him just for looking at me. So, I figure if you hate on something for long enough, well, he just comes to love you anyway, just for those few moments when you don't. That's a good story, Yankee boy. I'm gonna be your daddy. Hello, brother. Get it off before I burn you in it! Fuck off, Ned! Why are you wearing a fuckin' dress, Danny? Wouldn't you like to fuckin' know, Ned? Whose horses are they?! Whose horses, Danny boy? - Don't fuckin' call me that! - Yeah, whose are they, Danny? - Fuck off back to the city! - Yeah? You're not my fucking da! Yeah? Neither's that Yank guy stood there. Is this what you're teaching him, eh? Is this your doing? Where the fuck have you been, huh?! Where have you been?! Why are you wearing the fuckin' dress?! - Where'd you get the dresses? - What are you talking about? Where'd you get the dresses, Danny? Wouldn't you like to know?! Oh, you're an outlaw now, are you, Danny? Yeah, no, go on, shoot me, then. Shoot me. Fuckin' shoot me. Shoot me! If you're gonna use it, shoot me, Danny! Dan, get inside! Get inside now! Son, you don't like it here... ..you go. - You go. - Yeah. I will. Hi, Ned. Dan. Where'd you get 'em? I took 'em from Miss Robinson's. Why? 'Cause I wanted them. Missed you. Missed you too, Danny. Don't fucking call me that. Bullshit. Take me to America. I will. I will. Ohh, they're my fuckin' dresses! You fuckin' thieving Mick bastard! Your brother fuckin' did it! He's always fuckin' pissin' off with my dresses! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Vera! - Vera, no! - I know what goes on! I'm fuckin' returning them! Thieving Mick bastard! I'm bringin' 'em fuckin' back to ya! And this one's my favourite ball gown, you mongrel! - Shhh! - You've fuckin' ruined them! I'll offer you three guineas for them. They're worth twice that. Five and you're doing me a favour. OK? - Oh, darling. - Mm-hm? Now, go fetch some company for our visitor. No, I'm not stayin'. Oh, you don't care for women? Only their dresses? Yeah. Kelly, you cunt! Molly, darling, come with Vera. Which Kelly are you? Edward. People call me Ned. Oh. You're the child assassin. I've heard tall tales of you, Ned. I'm Constable Alexander Fitzpatrick. It's a pleasure to meet you. I saw you fight the other night at the Governor's. You're... You were very impressive. Do you box often? I don't care to. Just gonna have a drink. Do you want to join me for one? No, I don't fancy the taste. What, an Irishman who cares not to drink or fight? That's a bit novel. Are you charging me with larceny? No. If you prove to me that thieving's not your only vice. Cheers. Come on, now. In you go. Perfect. OK. Molly, you're with me. Everybody else, let's get out of here. Come on. Wakey-wakey. Move. Come on. Come on, girls. Get movin'. Offer her one as a gift. - What? - The dress. I'm Mary. I'm Ned. Thank you, Ned. You're Irish. Where are you from? I was born in Beveridge. Oh, so you're a colonial? Yeah. I don't right know what I am. I'm from Templecrone. How is it? - You look lovely. - That's just the dress. No, it's not. Can I undress you? Are you cold? - Why do you ask? - You're shivering. I'm alright. Can I kiss you, Ned? You haven't kissed a lot, have you? Should we try something else? Ned? Ned? Ah. Thought you'd never be done. Come on. Let's... Fine if you don't drink, but how about a little smoke? Come on. A smoke's nice after. Oh, no, not again. Have you ever fucked... in a dress? It's nice. Kind of feels like you're, uh... ..you know, breaking the rules or something. Do you think that's what Dan and his friend were up to? Fucking in their dresses? How was Mary? - She was alright. - Yeah? You're not going to... get attached, are you, Ned? Otherwise, I've done you a big disservice. Mary's character's not one of a wife's. You don't want to take this place home with you. Robinson's, it's... ..just a place to seek sanctuary from life's monotony. Do you hate...do you hate me? Well, is it because I'm British or because I'm a trooper? I ain't never met a man like you who didn't want to take something from me or my family. Yeah? Well, what would I wish to take, Ned? No, I ain't figured that out yet. Alright, this one's for my little Ellen! Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh Whoo-ooh-ooh-ooh One night, as I lay sleepin' With my wife and child aside me A vision stood inside the bedroom door... This is your heart line. Your head line. Your life and head cross, so that means you're very strong-willed. - Mm-hm. - And then... You have very soft hands, by the way. And then, um...and then this heart line, it's quite curved. You see how it's quite curved across there? Yeah. That's actually a state... uh, actually... ..a sign of being quite promiscuous. Would you say that's right? And I dreamed I saw a raging fire And I thought I heard an angel cry... Have a...could I have a little kiss? On the cheek? Tumble, tumble, tumble I go blind with the power And I don't know if I... Is that man to be your new da? I have no say in who my mother lies with. What about in who Dan rides with? What are you talkin' about? He's a thief, you know, George King. And it appears so too is your brother, Daniel. Relax, Ned. You and I are friends. Although, I do have a warrant for Dan, I'm afraid. Fuck. I'm suggesting an agreement. - Oh, yeah? What would that be? - Your sister, Kate. I find her to be the most remarkable young woman. I was wondering if you thought she would... ..see me, socially. The devil's hands are soft and clean... If she would, I'd be most grateful. So grateful that I'd explain to the Commissioner that unfortunately, the evidence we have is not enough to convict Dan of the alleged crime. Hey! Tumble, tumble, tumble... What do you say? Are you saying Dan will be a free man? - Yes, a free man. - I'll think about it. I don't know if I'm dreamin' anymore. Thank you. God save our gracious Queen Long live our noble Queen God save the Queen Send her victorious... Ma? This is Mary Hearn. Pleased to meet you, Mary. This here is my fianc, George. Pleased to meet you. Why are you lookin' at me? I-I ain't lookin'. You two know each other? I ain't never met her, no. I hear you work at Robinson's. I'm gonna go get a drink. Kiss me before you go. I don't work there. They just took me in after I gave birth to my son. Vera Robinson don't take in no girl who doesn't earn her a quid. I told you, it's not like that, Ma. That's a lie. Mary's come to get to know you. I sometimes help with the chores. I bet you do. Pretty thing like you. You've got one of them cunts men fall in love with. Don't you fuckin' dare! Don't you fuckin'... Ellen! Jesus Christ! Have you lost your goddamn mind?! You and your filthy slut have turned my mind mad! Arggh! I thought you loved me! How was I to know she had my bastard kid?! I got you a horse. Were they all out of dresses? Want to hold him? - Can I? - Mmm. Oh, he's got chubby legs. He eats a lot. Oh, how are ya? Hey? Why'd he leave? You plan on marrying that girl Mary? Raising her baby as your own? I'm happy for you, son. You all deserve a good life. Yeah, what happened to your face, mate? I got swooped by a magpie while cycling and used my face to stop in a tree. - A magpie?! - Yes. Everything in this fucking country is trying to kill us. Kate, I got a little... I got a gift for you. I hope it fits. It's, um... I wasn't too sure. - Can I try it on? - Mmm, yeah. It's pretty. Wow. Yeah, no, it fits perfectly. Look at that. Would have cost a pretty penny. - What do you think, Ma? - It's beautiful. I think you're a lucky girl. Let's have a twirl. Wow. What do you say? - Thank you. - Mm-hm. Yeah. Can I have a little kiss? Thank you. Sit. Have a seat. Take...take a seat. That's it. Did you speak to your man about Dan? Yes, I did. What did he say? He, uh... He couldn't persuade the Commissioner. I like the lace. Couldn't persuade him to what? To have you walk free. - But you promised us. - I promised I'd try. You should still be grateful, though. I got it down from a year to only four months. Four months?! I'm not going to fucking jail for four months! - Get your hands... - Hey! Hey! Get your filthy hands off of me. - Dan, that's enough! - You fucking lied to us! Get off me! I don't want to go to fucking jail! - A year and four months now. - Oh, shit! Get out. Fuck, what is it with you Irish? Too stupid to even help yourselves. I think it best you go. - I'm leaving. - Fucking go! Where's George this evening? Our Yankee friend? George King ain't here no more. Oh, right. A shame, isn't it? Hmm? For the... ..boy not to have his father around, don't you think? What are you talking about? Ned... Come on. George King liked to visit Mrs Robinson's too. Where do you think the boy came from? Come on, Mary. Whose...whose is it? Don't listen to him. Did no-one... No-one told you? Scoundrels. None of you thought to tell him? Really? Oh, my God. I'm so sorry, Ned. I'm just so sorry. I didn't mean to... Get the fuck out. I'm as mad as you are, Ned. Honestly. Is there anyone in this room that American hasn't fucked? - Shut up! - 'Cause he's fucked you. - And he's clearly fucked you. - Shut up! - Did he fuck you, Kate? - Fucking limey... - He fuck you before I could? - ..son of a... Oh, fuck! You stupid bitch! Holy shit! Oh, Neddy, you just shot a copper! You shoot him! You shoot him! Shoot him like the fuckin' pig he is! Ned, don't do it. He's not worth it. Don't do it. Shoot him! I tried to warn you. - Yeah? - Tried to warn you about her. I tried to warn you about the baby. You tried to warn me of shit. At Mrs Robinson's. I told you. I told you not to bring her home. Look, this isn't you, OK? This isn't you. Put it down. You're killing them all. If you pull that trigger, you're killing everyone in this room. You shoot him like a pig, Ned! - You shoot him! - No, Ned, don't! Ned! They'll take us all for fools! They always have! - Neddy, put it down. - Shoot him, Ned! - Ma! - Shoot him! Ohh! Get the fuck out of my home! Are there no men of substance in this godforsaken country?! You just let every trap in the state know he can have his way with the Kellys! Pack your things now! I'm not going and leaving my Kate behind for that blue bastard that's out there! That you sold her to! Be who you are meant to be! Come on, Ma. Come on. You're a Son of Sieve. Ned, we've got to fucking go, mate. - We've got to fucking go. - You are a Son of Sieve! - We've got to fuckin' ride. - Ned, come on. Get off. I'm not leaving Ma. Get the fuck off me. What are you talking about, Ma? No. We've got to fuckin' ride! We've got to fucking ride, Ned! Ma, I'm not leaving you! "Many nights, I have imagined "those final moments in the hut, "how they could have played out different. "But a man cannot change the past, "nor ever outrun his destiny. "And I was to learn "that inside my mother's words was the key to unlocking mine. "I were a Son of Sieve." Your boys can't hide. We've got troopers searching the entire state. If you give them up now... ..they'll live. Do you want to eat? If you want to eat, you'll help me, Ellen. Can't remember the last time I weren't hungry, Constable. Fuck. Ned hates you. You realise that? I mean, I've seen it. It's on his face, the look on his face. He can't stand you. My Ned loves me. No. No. No, no, no. You're mistaking... No, you're mistaking fear... ..for love. They're all scared of you. You've hurt them all with fear. But I'm not scared of you. Oof! No! Get off! Alex, your friend... ..your friend is here. Sorry I'm late. Do you like boats? I like this one. It's the USS Monitor. An ironclad Monitor. An impenetrable American warship. Forged of steel. 11-inch guns. Killing machine. Fuckin' beautiful. When my da proposed to my mother, he claimed her to be the prettiest woman he ever saw. They was married within a week. When's your wedding? December. Oh. What is it you're after? Oh, I'm not asking for anything. I'm suggesting an agreement. I don't think you have anything I want. What you be wanting is me. You're giving yourself up? In exchange for what? Hmm? My mother. She's to be released and pardoned of what she's done to you. No. It's very gentlemanly, but... ..it's just not gonna work. Got the entire Victorian Police Force hunting you now, Ned. I give it two, three days at most from when you leave my home till I see you locked up in chains. - Alex! - It's fine. So, if you don't mind, our dinner's getting cold. Thank you for the offer, my friend, but I do believe I'd rather see to it that you and your kind suffer, and that you and Dan be locked up either side of that whore you call a mother. What makes you think I won't kill the both of you right now? For the same reason you didn't in your home. 'Cause you're not the man you pretend to be. Nor the man your mother wished you were. You're a boy. A boy looking for a captain to tell him what to do. I'll tell you what to do, Ned. Run. Run as fast as you can. Who are the Sons of Sieve? We're rebels. Flies in the ointment of the English. Bandits. Warriors. And you're one? Yeah. Well, me and my friends. And you all wear dresses? They're not dresses. They're masks. Men have been dressing like this in Ireland for years. Scares the fucking bejesus out of the English. Men are most afraid of what they don't understand. Not a rifle, not a blade. But if you wear a frock to a fight, they'll think you're crazy. Nothing scares a man like crazy. And what exactly are you the sons of? Ireland. Ireland? Yeah. Bastard sons, more like. And Da was one too? Yeah, he was. Why did she tell you and not I? 'Cause I was there, Ned. And you weren't. We can go round 'em, Ned. Joe, those coppers have come to kill us. Ned. We can go round 'em. Ned. Ned. No, don't, mate. Put your fucking hands up! Steve, get him! I got him, Ned! I've got him! Oh, fuck! Don't let him go! Get him! - I fucking got him, Ned! - Get the bastard! Fuck! Yeah! Fuck! Yeah! Fuck, what are you doing, mate? Nothing scares a man like crazy. We could have gone round 'em, Ned. I want to take these men home. And for Godsakes, have a shave before you see their families. A bit of respect. What if we were to keep running, Ned? Not interstate, but all the way to America? There's a ship that sails from Eden. No-one will be looking for us there. No-one will know. If we stay here, we're as good as dead, mate. I hear America has these fluffy white cakes with holes in 'em. They call them 'doughnuts'. Fuckin' doughnuts! Ned, it's like biting into a fuckin' cloud, they reckon... I don't give a fuck about no doughnuts. I have to write. Yeah, you gotta write, do you? Every man should be an author of his own history. You know you're killers now. We all are. No turning back. You boys want to build an army? Yeah. Then get some of those friends of yours, Dan. Oh, we'll need some new dresses. We're going to war. We're the Kelly Gang now. You're to be my banshees. Whoo! We're the Sons of Sieve! "My mother was sentenced to three years' jail. "My skin was sour with death, "my hair gluey with men's blood, "and we had the entire Victorian Police Force "hunting us. "Yet all I could imagine were my ma "waiting for me in Melbourne Gaol. "I now knew what I needed to do. "I would become the Monitor. "I were to smith myself into a warship "just like that on Fitzpatrick's wall. "I would be the Ironclad Monitor." You given up on my boy? No. I'm pregnant with his child. His name's George. Your sons need you, Mrs Kelly. And what can I do for them from here? If you were to write a letter to Ned, I would take it to him. Have them let you serve out your sentence. Tell Ned to go far away. Please. Ned sent this to me. He indent...intends to draw troops from the city and murder them before coming to rescue you. He thinks you'll ride out of this cell together. He believes to have bore witness to his future. Huh. I've seen that same future. What? You would have your son die for you? There'll come a time, Mary, when you'll ask yourself, "Am I a good mother?" And the only true answer you'll have will lie in the lengths your children go to care for you. Hey, baby George. Will you die for your mammy? Hey? "When I asked for justice, I was given none, "so I'd seek 'em out, hunt those who now hunted me. "And the British Empire had supplied me "with no shortage of recruits willing to join, "boys whose fathers' lands had been taken from them." Do you swear your allegiance to the shamrock and the Sons of Sieve? "We were to take hold of an inn "and any unfortunate souls who were inside of it. "They were to be the bait to lure the police from Melbourne "and away from my mother." Alright, they'll be coming from Melbourne on a Sunday. Ain't no passenger trains on a Sunday. That means that any train that we see will be full of troopers. Now, when you hear the train approaching, you take position. The train will fall there after we've torn up the tracks. There shouldn't be more than 20 survive the crash, and we pick those off one by one. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. And you stay close, protect one another. You are warships, remember? Nothing gets through your armour! Fire! You're bloody bulletproof, boys! Who wants it?! Who's ready to go to war! Who's goin' with me? Who's goin' with me?! Are wese gonna take Melbourne?! Yeah! I said, are we gonna take Melbourne?! Yeah! Are we gonna take the future and make it ours?! Yeah! Are we gonna rewrite our own history?! Yeah! Are we gonna write it in blood?! Yeah! Are we gonna kill some coppers?! Yeah! "There is not a man born who could have the patience "to suffer the injustice I have, "and yet in every paper that is printed, "I am called the blackest and coldest-blooded murderer "ever on record. "We are but stolen men in a stolen land "and we are to take back what is rightfully ours. "For I am a widow's son outlawed "and my orders must be obeyed." I want it printed in its entirety. And if you don't, I will come back here and I will cut every word into your stomach. What are you making? Curds. Yum. I came to talk about...Ned. He's robbing banks now. Making quite a name for himself. I wanted to offer you a chance to save him. From what? From himself. How are you and your son? I've been worried about you while Ned is a wanted man. Am I able to assist in any way? - Uh, how are you financially? - No. We're fine. Perhaps you could show me your savings book. Those clerks are scallywags. Sometimes they forget to write in interest. I can't. I have to put my baby to bed. - He's unwell. - Oh? Really? He looks OK, don't you? Yeah. Come here. - Let me examine him. - He's unwell. I... Hello! Hello, little one. He says, "Mum, I'm fine. I don't need sleep. I'm good." So, Mary... ..if I were to see your passbook, I'd find no unusual deposits, would I? No, don't chew on your fingers. Don't chew on your fingers. Look, here we go. Have a little chew on this. Play with this. There we go. Where was I? A magistrate could declare that you cannot support this child and it be, as we say in the law, 'endangered'. I haven't done anything. I haven't seen Ned. - I don't know where he is. - That's it. There we go. But if you were to see him, Mary, could I rely on you to inform me? - I hav...haven't seen him. - Listen. I'll give you your boy when you stop lying to me. - I haven't seen... - Tell me right now. - When did you see him? - I'm not lying! OK, well, if you do see him, are you going to tell me or not?! I haven't seen Ned. Don't. Not now. Not fucking now! Mary, look at me. When you see him, you're going to tell me, aren't you? - That's all you need to do. - Please give me back my boy! That's all you need. He didn't come to check on him? There's that. Come on. I don't believe you. I haven't seen him! - I don't believe you. - I haven't seen him! - I haven't seen him! - Shut up! Shut up! Oh, my God! I s... What the fuck do you think you're doing? Put the gun down. I was conducting an interview. It was good to talk. I plan on putting a bullet in Fitzpatrick. Need more coppers after us, eh? Haven't we got enough? Yeah, a nice, big trainful, eh? Oh, Neddy. Come back, mate. I'm your mate. I wish to fucking God I weren't. But I am. And while you can fool the others into believing you're Jesus Christ, I know none of this is the work of God. You're just a man... ..on his way to be hung. We all are. "I wrote first for the newspapers, "though my truth were never printed, "for a myth is more profitable than a man. "But then I received word from your mother and discovered "that my writings were not to be in vain. "I was to write for you, my child. "I was to educate you on your family, "on your father, "on who you were to be. "I had killed innocent men and forsaken you and your mother. "Many would call me a murderer, "but others, knowing my curse, "knowing the truth of persecution and injustice "that I had been the victim of, "would call me a hero." Well, that's a mighty fine dress, Ned. You've come to fuck? Hmm? Hmm? Come on. They won't let me chase you anymore! Claim me to be inept! Come on, fucking do it! Go on! Do it! Come on, Ned! But know I'll always be on the right side of the truth. You'll always be the Kelly and I'll always be the copper. For curiosity Convicted Sent to heaven on earth for my sins I wanna start afresh And have no regrets But there's one in each town who won't let you forget He's a cunt, he's a cunt He's a constable cunt He's a cunsty little cunt of a constable cunt He's a cunt, he's a cunt He's a constable cunt He's a cunty little cunt of a constable cunt. ..one, heave! Three, two, one, heave! "The train were now on its way "towards the inn and its captives. "The English would dwarf my army in size, but not in spirit." "Like the Whiteboys, Ribbonmen and Levellers before us, "we would be the Irish rebellion to take down the Crown." "We'd not repeat the tragedies "of Vinegar Hill or the Eureka Stockade. "This time, it were to be the police, not us, "who would be trapped inside their horror "like a bird inside a church." What are you writing? You give the appearance of an author, Mr Kelly. My name is Thomas Curnow. I teach in town. What do you want with all of us? I've read a lot about you, Mr Kelly. Don't you worry. We'll be gone when we hear the sound. What sound? I teach English. Could I read? May I? "I lost my father at the age of 12. "I know what it is to be raised on lies and silences. "That is why leave my story behind for you, "so that you do not grow to view your father "in an unsavoury light. "This history is for you and will contain no single lie. "May I burn in hell if I speak false." It's rough. I didn't know you were a father. What do you think? It's very good. It's very lucid. - What? - Lucid. - "Lucid"? - Lucid. What's that mean? I can see... ..your story here. I mean, is this your life? Have you written everything... You can see my story? I teach in town, as I said, and, um... ..if you like, I have books nearby. I could help you. - What books? - Those I use at the school. - To do what? - English. English? You want to teach me English, do you? I want to help you write... Then how about I put this in your fuckin' eye? Teach YOU some fuckin' English. Fuckin' teach me shit. What books? Grammar. Parsing. There is fault with the parsing. I always wanted to be a writer like you, Mr Kelly, but... Well, what happened? - Nothing happened. - I guess so, yeah. Five minutes, it would take me. I could get you the books, we could collate this, any... Sorry. ..any issues we have with the, uh...grammar, parsing. Five minutes maximum. The schoolhouse is... right there. No-one's to leave. I see this as a story worth telling. - You're gonna come back? - Mm-hm. Yeah. You have my word. Go on. "Who was I to consider myself an author? "That teacher thought me no more than a fool. "And in truth, a fool is no more than what I were." Go! Count to 1,000! Don't forget to stay close! The armour will protect us if there's no space between it. Oh! Come on, fuckin' hurry up! What the fuck is that?! "As the sky lit up above me, "my army of boys fled in fear... "..leaving the Kelly Gang behind." Fuck! Ned! It stopped before the tracks. But how could they have seen the tracks? They didn't. Someone warned them. Yeah, well, who fuckin' warned them?! Who fuckin' warned them, Ned?! Come on, quick! Where's our fuckin' army?! What the fuck is that?! It's them. Who is that? - Ned, who the fuck is that? - Go. - What is it? - Go now. - What is it?! - Its fuckin' them! It's them! - It's them! Run! - It's who?! The coppers. Dan, it's gonna be OK! Get the fuckin' guns out! - Fuckin' go! - They're coming up. Joe! Help with the guns. Just spread out! Find a window! Find a window and stay low. Get the ammo down there. - Fuckin' get down there. - Fuck! You're alright, Joe. You're alright. You're alright, OK? It's OK. We're meant to be hunting THEM, mate! Steve, turn out the fuckin' lights. You keep your head down, OK? - Danny? - Yep? You right? You'll be alright, OK? We'll do this, yeah? Keep your heads down and you'll be fine! You'll be fine. Yeah, Joe? Load up! You're alright. You're good. Open the fuckin' latch. OK, ready? On three, we go together. You aim at the lights. One...two... ..three! - Whoo! - Fuck, yes! Hey! That's not so bad, hey, boys? Oh! - We're fuckin' 'em! - I got one, Ned! - I fucking shot one! - Good man! - There's a fuckin' boy! - Good one, mate! - There's a fuckin' boy! - You fucking got him, Ned! - You fucking got him! - We should put on some armour! This isn't made of metal, mate. This is made of fuckin' lace! - Fuckin' hell! - Fuckin'...! Fuck! Get me a pistol! Come on! Oh, fuck! Hey, Joe. Hey, are you alright? Where's our army? Ned? Where's our fuckin' army? Take that. Take that, Joe. Where's our army, Ned? - It's alright. It's alright. - Fuck! No, it's not. We'll get 'em on the next one. We'll get 'em on the next one, alright? - Joe, I... - This is on you, you fucker! - I'm sorry! I'm sorry! - This is on you! I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm... - I'm sorry. - No, you're not! I am. I am! I'm fuckin' sorry! - No, you're not! - I'm fuckin' trying! - I'm fuckin' trying to... - Fuckin' shut up! I'm fuckin' trying! I'm fuckin'... Fuck! What have I done? - Ned! - Dan. Dan, it's alright. - Fuck you, Ned! - I'll fix it. Fuck! Fuck! I'm gonna...I'm gonna go see what's going on, OK? What...what...? What's happened? Ohh. Get out! Stay down! Fuck! Arggh! Ned! Ned! Arggh! Ned! I'm gonna pink 'em all, you hear me? You hear me? You hear me? I'm gonna pink 'em all. Feel that. Feel that. I'm not going anywhere, right? I'm gonna pink 'em all. You said you're... You said you're the Monitor. Yeah, that's right. I'm the Monitor. Look at that. Feel my skin, yeah? Nothing's gonna get through that. - You're fuckin'... - No, nothing's getting through. You make her proud. Go out there and make her proud. Go, Ned. There we go. Aaaagh! Time to go to work, boys! Eh? - Oh, fuck! - Yeah, Neddy! Come on, then, you bastards! - Do it! - We are the Sons of Sieve! Go, Neddy! - I'm getting fired up, boys! - Yeah, Neddy! I'm coming out, you English fuckin' dogs! You can't get me in here! I'm the fuckin' Monitor! Ohh, come on, then, you cunts! You're trapped! I'll get every single fuckin' one of you! Arggh! Fuck! You fuckin'... I hate you fucking cunts! Don't you fuck with me! I'll rip your fucking heads off! You come to me, you try and blow my fuckin' house down! You try to fuckin' rob my ma! Rob my father! We're the Sons of fuckin' Sieve! I'm coming back to you. I'm fuckin' coming. I'm coming, Danny! I'm fuckin' coming. My boys! My boys! My boys! "I had the Monitor, Ma. "I'm a Son of Sieve." Ma, I'm sorry. Ain't nothing to be sorry for. I'm proud of you, son. Look at you. I'm scared, Ma. That doesn't make me a coward, does it? No, son, it don't. When I go... ..they'll come. There'll be a governor and a priest. And they'll escort you to where it's to be done. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata... I'm told a man by the name of Upjohn will do it. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi... And they'll ask if you want to say anything, but...don't. Kyrie eleison. It's hard to be strong when you speak. Credo in unum Deum Patrem omnipotentem... You're not to give them the satisfaction. When the time comes, you just...look straight ahead... ..and think of me. Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. And then what happens? Then you're to die like a Kelly. What is it about we Australians? What is wrong with us? Do we not have a Jefferson? A Disraeli? Can we not find someone better to admire than a horse thief and a murderer? Why must we always make such an embarrassing spectacle of ourselves? I have in front of me the writings of a madman. My reward for putting an end to the Kelly outrage. He was right. His parsing was poor. On his final day, Ned Kelly seemed calm but pale - this effect might have been produced by the white cap placed over his head. As he stood on the drop, he remarked in a low tone, "Such is life." And with the snap of his neck... ..the outlaw known as Ned Kelly... ..was gone. "My wish for you, my dearest child, "is that all the coarse words and cruelty "I have related in these pages "seem queer and foreign to you, "like some strange tale from an ancient world. "But if they do not, "and you, like I, have suffered from injustice "at the hand of oppressors, "remember that you are a Kelly, "and never forget that you were mine and that you were loved. "Whatever they write about me, "whatever names I am given "or whatever falsehoods are attributed to me, "know that much is true. "So go out into the world and make of it what you wish. "Write your own history. "For you are my future now." |
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