“Never let the truth get in the way of a good yarn”
Andrew Dominik’s ‘Chopper’ (2000) is back on the big screen this weekend (121 theatres across Australia), and it remains one of the most electrifying crime films Australia has ever produced.
Starring Eric Bana in a career-defining performance as the infamous Mark “Chopper” Read, this darkly comic, blood-soaked biopic is a brutal yet introspective dive into the mind of a self-mythologising criminal.
Bana’s transformation into Chopper is nothing short of astonishing, he swings between charm and menace with terrifying ease, earning him the AFI Award for Best Actor.
Supported by a stellar cast including Simon Lyndon, Vince Colosimo, and David Field, the film blends shocking violence with razor-sharp wit, creating a portrait that’s as unsettling as it is darkly hilarious.
Dominik’s direction is fearless, using stark prison whites and garish, neon-lit underworld scenes to mirror Chopper’s fractured psyche.
Comparable to Snowtown in its unflinching brutality, Chopper isn’t just another crime flick, it’s a deep psychological study of a man who rewrote his own legend.
With its iconic one-liners, Mick Harvey’s brooding score, and a script that dances between fact and fiction, this is Australian cinema at its most audacious.
Don’t miss the chance to experience Chopper as it was meant to be seen, on the big screen, with all its raw, bloody grit intact.
Celebrate twenty years of this iconic film at a participating cinema August 21st.
