Romper Stomper Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
You've never seen anything like it.
Nazi skinheads in Melbourne take out their anger on local Vietnamese, who are seen as threatening racial purity. Finally the Vietnamese have had enough and confront the skinheads in an all-out confrontation, sending the skinheads running. A woman who is prone to epileptic seizures joins the skins' merry band, and helps them on their run from justice, but is her affliction also a sign of impurity?
| Russell Crowe | |
| Daniel Pollock | |
| Jacqueline McKenzie | |
| Alex Scott | |
| Jeffrey Wright |
6.80 out of 10 (8489 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Brave and innovative, identifies with the Skinheads, but doesn't condone them.
posted on 07 Jun 2009We can never understand the evil that is neo-Nazism if we close our minds and pretend that there is no draw to such a group. In writing such a ground-breaking, and relentless, film, while accepting the bonds of friendship and the reasons that people get involved, Wright has kick-started the traditions of realist Australian and NZ film. Worth a watch, if not many, for its honesty, and a soundtrack that makes you feel guilty for enjoying it. The violence against the Vietnamese is never glorified, but Wright turns the tables on you, by simultaneously making you hate the violence, and be exhilarated by it as the Vietnamese hit back.
A brutal work with a powerful performance from Crowe.
posted on 26 May 2009A brutally realistic work that depicts the true nature of skinheads years before American History X. And Romper Stomper has much more of an impact on the viewer because of it's extreme realism. American History X takes some of most brutal scenes of all time and just makes them look like silly Lifetime specials by slowing it all down and making everything melodramatic. Romper Stomper does the opposite, it films everything as it happens, making it one of the most disturbingly realistic works I've ever seen. Also, unlike other films about skinheads, Romper Stomper takes a completely unbiased look at their culture. Instead of showing everyone has rude, inconsiderate miscreants and then centering the film on the one person who is above at all, this film displays their culture for what it really is. A realistic look at the skinheads, instead of an over-dramatic look at the struggle one person makes to get out. Russell Crowe is disturbingly natural, fully absorbed and overwhelmingly commanding in his greatest performance of all time. Never have I seen Crowe become a character so well. He completely wraps his mind around this man and scares the hell out of me during his most violent scenes. The soundtrack also plays a vital part to the film. It's punk rock, hard-hitting sound really makes the viewer feel like they are with these skinheads and ready, to put it simply, to kick some ass. This all being said, the editing can get pretty sloppy and sketchy at times and the sound (primarily the sounds of the hits in the opening scene) are pretty poor at times. Gabe's story also felt a bit unnecessary, but I suppose it did have key plot points to move the story along. The whole thing with her dad though, really could have been left out. The ending is also pretty terrible. For such a natural, realistic film I wouldn't expect such an annoyingly unrealistic ending.
Boisterous rough and ready assault on your senses- perfectly timed
posted on 26 Apr 2009Boisterous rough and ready assault on your senses- perfectly timed and utterly sharp and not boring. Random violence explodes as post- Nazi punks/skinheads glorifying Hitler's racial superiority fantasies rattle the bones of society's apathetic navel- not with some political and social conscience but with some "I'm bored/I'm a misfit/Hmm. Nazism? Sounds interesting" truism.What they lack in vision (with the exception of Davey and Hando, who are bestfriends and the core leaders of the group) and reasoning they make up for in compulsive, frantic rioting and clumsily lashing out at the "gooks"- the Vietnamese people who they believe are "contaminating" the purity of their all-white community.For a veritable walking time bomb, Rusell Crowe as Hando the gang leader is super charming and hot. He exudes raw, magnetic power- he's exactly the kind of guy that could skin a cat alive without the pussy knowing it. Add some dangerous visions in his mind- and you have a frightening body count of "dead gooks".I guarantee that you will never find a dull moment in this movie. The plot just tightens; and you just pity these poor, insecure, hapless but blustering, armed kids. Helen, sexually harassed by her father and another misfit, is bewildered and tender- and she pulls the story together, right when there's no more sympathy left for Hando. The wide shots of the frenzied fighting capture the pulsing desperation of the moment/s; and the music video to "skinheads skinheads" is a classic- one that Quentin Tarantino probably envies.The twisted ending is ferocious and perfect. It's actually a love story set amidst a society fuelled with hate and boredom and angst; or perhaps it's just a story about three lost souls navigating their squalid community- caught up, vindictive against societal ills (broken families, having "no future", wasted lives looming ahead), eager to lay the blame on something, ready to embrace any brotherhood or credo that will give authenticity to their defiant rage.
Really good movie, Crowe is god.
posted on 23 Apr 2009I like this movie so much, I think I want to become a skinhead. Not just any skinhead, but a Russell Crowe skinhead. Every actor was so convincing. My friend who likes violent movies said that this movie was too violent, even for him. The first time I saw this, I hated the skinheads, but each subsequent time, I loved the movie more. 10 out of 10 stars. btw, the movie wasn't long enough.
A great film
posted on 18 Mar 2009In a weird way this reminded me of Trainspotting, but it came out before so I wonder if this film was an influence. The direction and editing were great, some of the best I ever seen. Russell Crowe (before he became famous) gives an excellent, crazy and psychotic performance. It's also a great story, I can't see why anyone would want to be a Nazi skinhead after this film, let alone be violent to others. Disturbing and breathtaking this is an excellent film, if you aren't squeamish.
Disappointed - low budget, and in the end rather pointless
posted on 09 Mar 2009After a number of recommendations, I was expecting a good film here. However, I just can't make myself 'like' this movie.I can appreciate the intelligence in taking a neutral stance on the subject matter, but in the end I failed to see any point to it. I've seen people like this, so it's not like I learned anything either.Also, I find it worrying that there appear to be a number of people supporting this kind of behaviour...in fact that is what made me want to comment!So, overall, although a well-acted film (however, no better than 'Made in Britain' - which I also think was just above-average) it failed to make any impact and, whilst I hate to say this, the quality of the film had a hint of 'Aussie' soap opera!!So I'll give it 5.5/10...as I think any film that makes you think a little is worthy of a just-above-average score.
A movie about racism? Hardly...
posted on 17 Jan 2009Apart from a long, breathtaking fight/chasing scene, and Crowe's good performance, there isn't much else worth watching in this film. What is it about, anyway? The life of a skinheads gang or the adventure of a runaway girl? It seems to fall somewhere in between. If the film's aim is to depict racism in the modern world, it fails miserably, becoming too grotesque at times. This subject has been tackled with more successfully in other movies. A good thing though is that Romper stomper contains a lot of action, making sure you won't fall asleep half way through it.5
CROWE
posted on 27 Dec 2008I caught this film, mainly as a consequence of Crowe's brilliance in 'The Insider'. Once again Crowe is very good. The film correctly takes a fairly neutral stance. You understand the boredom and suppression the Skins feel. Likewise the anger of the Vietnamese. Anti-Nazis attack the film for not taking a position, but the director credits his audience with having the intelligence to make their own decisions. In a free society it is unavoidable that some far-right numbskulls will play the violent scenes over and over again. However,the rest of us will be left with an intelligent insight into working-class Australia.
"Australian History...Why?
posted on 09 Nov 2008I personally can't tell you what the early 1990's skinhead scene was like in Melbourne, Australia. But if it's anything like it's portrayed here, these guys make Derek, Danny, & Seth from AMERICAN HISTORY X look like Cub Scouts!This movie had the look of a sci-fi futuristic thriller, only the subject matter was "the right here and now" of 1992 Australia. I may have seen a chopped-up U.S. videotape of ROMPER STOMPER, but what I saw was very gripping, disturbing, and highly recommended.***SPOILER***I thought director G. Wright portrayed the Asians very respectfully throughout the movie. But I was somehow offended that they were reduced to stereotypical camera-geek tourists during the final scene watching Russ C.'s character take a "beach nap". Was anyone else a little uneasy about this ironic portrayal after all the mayhem of the film had played out?bw
fair and smart
posted on 19 Sep 2008I had at first worried that this film, like many mindless films (which this film isN'T), would simply glorify cruelty in the guise of action and juvenile wildness. It was interesting to see that my concerns had been groundless, thanks to the fair treatment of the subject by the director/writer, as well as the good performance of the cast.Contrary to what I had heard about this film, that, typically low-budget, it was tactlessly gory, the violence was merely a depiction of the skinheads' lifestyle (and therefore, better justified than in some other movies).The young skinheads are in fact much like other youngsters with different beliefs and different manners of "deviant" behaviors, in their inconsistency and whim: one moment they would run to join the "battle" to be part of the event, but when the "battle" turns into something more hazardous, would chicken away; one moment they would feel guilt about roughing up somebody, but the next, would just be parasites to the ecstasy of complete control over another person. Whoever may have been in charge of the costumes, or whether the cast had any voice in the choice, I quite enjoyed watching what the skinheads were wearing, especially, Hando (Crowe): pink shirt with navy pants, white shirt with white pants and gloves, and the ubiquitous suspenders and the tight black guard-coat.
Violent!
posted on 08 Aug 2008Romper Stomper.Prior to watching the film all I knew about the film was it's reputation. As a very violent movie.Well, it's a reputation very well earned and earned the hard way for sure.The film follows the life and times of a group of Australian Skinheads with very strong views on nationalism and immigrants.This film shows both the extreme negative and the few positives (in the minds of the writers and film makers that is) of the skinhead lifestyle. To protect their turf from foreigners (a ridiculous notion in Australia as only the Aboriginals are not foreign) and to live life the way of their choosing.There are many fights including a huge pitched battle halfway through the film and the fighting is shot from a hand-held camera getting you right into the sheer mayhem and brutal aggression.The skins aren't all violent with Davey taking a fancy to Gabrielle, a run-away who they take in and look after. She'd clearly been in a sexually abusive relationship with her father who they later rob and beat up.The end of the film is very weird with only Davey, Gabrielle and Hando (played by a young Russell Crowe). Hando and Davey argue among themselves that a girl has no place with them so she sets fire to their car. Hando chases and tries to kill her and is eventually killed by Davey on a beach.A very quiet ending to a very fast paced violent film.
Spellbinding - Crowe is fantastic
posted on 02 Aug 2008Russell Crowe plays the leader of a gang of skinheads in Australia that strives for racial purity, harassing Asians whenever the opportunity presents itself, but finds itself on the defensive when a group of Vietnamese retaliates. Slowly, the bigots are reduced in number, owing partly to the counteroffensive from the Vietnamese and partly to their own inner turmoil, as an auburn-haired femme from a broken home lends a distracting hand, leading to tragic results.The movie is a pretty rough look at the inner politics of hate gangs. Crowe and his crew have a single mission - the eradication of all nonwhites. In their neighborhood, more and more businesses are being bought or started by those of Asian descent. Hando (Crowe) is a neo-Nazi disciple; he has a copy of Mein Kampf, from which he takes lessons of leadership and purity, and he has a giant Nazi-swastika tapestry in his bedroom. The skinheads are utterly ruthless - they beat, maim, and kill for their cause.But when they roust a Vietnamese nouveau hotelier, all hell breaks loose. Relatives of the victim come swarming after the skinheads at their hangout, waging an all-out war that looks far more realistic than the silly rumbles the Jets and the Sharks used to have. Bloodied and perhaps a little bowed, the racist slugs head for cover.But their headaches are only beginning. Hando isn't the most sensitive guy, after all, so it's not long before his new love Gabe (Jacqueline McKenzie) bears the brunt of his tirades. Meanwhile, she starts to have eyes for Hando's best mate, Davey (Daniel Pollock), who's a much quieter sort. Meanwhile, she seems even daffier than they are, no small accomplishment; she has more emotional issues than a Park Avenue newsstand. But she's pretty and different (the other women in the group are Goth goddesses, whereas she's a redheaded vixen, you see, and an epileptic), so the advantage is hers, sort of.A couple of things make this movie watchable: the fast pacing by director Geoffrey Wright and the nascent acting by Crowe. You can clearly see the greatness that would develop more fully a few years later. Crowe's Hando is cool under pressure, but ultimately flawed. He's never shown as weak, though, just morally unyielding. That is, when he shouts at Gabe, he doesn't turn around in the next scene and take her back, admitting his error. He's strong willed and misguided, and Crowe perfectly captures all of the character's nuances, right up to the deadly finish.
An intriguing and dark well of raw passion, turbulent relationships, and violent lifestyles, MUST-SEE
posted on 30 Jul 2008Romper Stomper, although graphic and very violent in places, is very strangely intriguing... It's quite difficult to explain, but here is a small summary of my thoughts on the movie: The main plot runs through the small world of a gang of skinheads, lead by the very capable, passionate, and hating Hando, played perfectly by Russell Crowe. As I sat watching, I couldn't help thinking about it, I hated this movie, the violence, the unbalanced chaos, the fugitive style of life, so different from my own. But I couldn't turn it off, I was engrossed in the plight of Hando, his best mate Davey, played very ably by Daniel Pollock, and Gabe, a girl picked up in the Railway Hotel. When one skinhead died, I realized how attached I had become to these characters, surprisingly. The movie was beautifully crafted to portray the world of the skinheads accurately while showing the more human side to them, while bringing the audience directly into the problems and values of Hando's gang. Although I personally didn't like the ending (and lost a $5 bet) I was 100% behind Romper Stomper as a must-see movie by the time it was over. I'm not saying the skinhead way of life and Neo-Nazism is right or wrong, but I think that people should watch the movie with an open mind to be introduced to their world and understand some of the thinking behind it. Besides that, the camera shots are beautiful and consistant throughout the whole movie. Stretch your horizons some, rent Romper Stomper!!
A truly ground-breaking film
posted on 21 Jul 2008A superbly acted and directed film, Romper Stomper is a brilliant social commentary not just on Australia but on other societies around the world. It depicts the alienation of white working-class youth who seek refuge in extreme right-wing ideology (and I'm avoiding the use of the term "fascism" here because that simply means authoritarian and militaristic and these skinheads are virtual anarchists). In fact their political beliefs are really only confined to the leader of the gang, the other characters could be members of any other type of gang who simply enjoy fighting rivals or strangers. It's really a story of young men without skills adrift in an increasingly complex, feminist and multi-cultural world. Unless a role is found for men like these their only outlet is violence. This film could just easily have been made about gang-members anywhere, only the sympathies of the lead characters for Adolf Hitler, Nazi Germany and white supremacy made it controversial.
Jacqueline McKenzie great in Romper Stomper, underrated
posted on 07 May 2008I expected Romper Stomper to be a tough, violent movie. And I expected Crowe to be great. But I was takn aback at how good Jacqueline McKenzie was. She has to be good enough to make you believe*SPOILER* that she could lead the guys to her father's place & her acting in those scenes are powerful. Likewise, she has to has to convincing portray her illness & still have the rather primitive men be drawn to her. Finally, she has to convey all the emotions normally found in a love triangle. END SPOILERS.*imo she was the find in Romper Somper although Crowe was excellent also.
A lifetime reality in less than 2 hours
posted on 07 May 2008I just watched Romper Stomper two days ago. And I was impressed by it. I really loved the character attributes; I dislike movies which do not have enough character development. I thought that Russell Crowe, the late Daniel Pollock, and Jacqueline McKenzie did wonderful in their roles. My praises also go out to Ron Hagen, the cinematographer, and to Geoffrey Wright, the director and writer. All combined, they accomplished something not many movies can - to be startling and disturbing while reaching inside to display the finer emotions of life.I especially enjoyed Pollock's character, Davey, and his silent attraction for Gabe. It was not discussed or debated or brought into the open through dialogue, but through the looks he gave her, how he would be such a gentleman towards her even when Hando treated her like a dog. After watching countless movies where people moan and whine about their relationships that they can't have, it was satisfying to watch a character silently endure his pains.Although Romper Stomper harshly portrays the brutality which these white supremacists are over-flowing with, it also shows that they are people none the less. And as much as anti-racists feel despise towards them, we are no different then they are. *Because* we despise them; we feel the same hatred they do. There is no excuse for that. And the anger which built up in the Vietnamese being beaten by the skinheads caused a reaction in them, the same as it did in the neo-Nazis. So where is the difference?The objective view of the movie is what makes it strong, although that was the source of controversy when the movie was first released in 1992. However, I appreciated the middle-ground" assessment of the situation. In the first scene, as the skinheads pounce on the two Vietnamese teens in the tunnel, you feel hatred for them. But as the story progresses, you begin to actually grow fond of some of the characters. You root for them in the battles. And then you think to yourself, "what on earth is going on - I'm cheering for the skinheads?" This disturbing reaction to the movie is probably what caused so many people to slam it in their reviews. They did not want to admit what this movie had done to them; that is, made them realize that skinheads are just human beings too.
True Skinheads.
posted on 29 Mar 2008I feel obligated to start off by saying how Romper Stomper is a great movie and does deal with the aspect of Nazi-skinheads also known as Boneheads very well. But what it doesnt really tell you is the majority of Skinheads are not boneheads. Now im not going to get into Skin history here, but the Skinhead culture started in england with the melding of english youths and youths from jamaica and the west indies. Traditional Skinheads are NOT RACIST, and follow working class beliefs and have pride in their heritage and country, but are not racist by any means. SHARP, or Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice fight to keep Bonheads and racists out of everything possible, shows, bars, parties etc. I myself do happen to be a SHARP so next time you hear skinhead...remember were the good guys. (With the exception of the god damned nazis)
Great film but tough viewing
posted on 29 Mar 2008An important film but hard to watch at times. The three lead characters are very well played and the subsequent suicide of Daniel Pollock was a real loss to Australian cinema - he puts in a wonderful performance. Russell Crowe gives a thoroughly convincing portrayal of an "alpha dog" man leading his pack of misfits and latching on to neo-Nazi ideals in the absence of anything else meaningful in his life. His perceived incursion in to his gang's patch by Vietnamese immigrants leads to an eventual showdown between the two groups but the introduction of a disturbed girl into his gang leads to even greater personal tragedy.Note re. Russell Crowe: it's easy to see why some Hollywood types reportedly refused to meet with him after seeing this film. They assumed he was what he portrayed - a racist, Australian skinhead. Er ... it's called "acting".
highly disturbing
posted on 30 Aug 2009While I do rate this movie as a 9, it might as well be a 6 due to the numerous stomach-churning scenes and the very dubious moral at the core of this movie. There is definitely no good guy or happy endings and we end up without really liking any of the characters. So why a 9 you might ask - well think about a movie such as American History X - also very good but at least there is somebody to like in that movie. Here the director does not pull any punches which might actually be a bit more realistic - sad but true. The acting and editing is superb and thus the movie is intense in the extreme, but I do hope that people walk away from this movie disgusted...