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Chopper (film)
Encyclopedia
Chopper is a 2000 Australia
n film, written and directed by New Zealand film-maker Andrew Dominik
and based on the semi-autobiographical
books by Mark Brandon "Chopper" Read
. The film stars Eric Bana
as the title character, and co-stars Vince Colosimo
, Simon Lyndon
, Bill Young and David Field
. It has a cult
following.
extortion
man Mark Brandon Read (Eric Bana
) kidnaps a judge to get his childhood friend, Jimmy Loughnan (Simon Lyndon
), out of the notorious H Division of maximum security Pentridge Prison. He fails and is sentenced to 16 and a half years in the very prison in which Loughnan is serving his time. To become leader of the division, he ignites a power struggle which gains him more enemies than admirers. Eventually, even his gang turn their backs on him, and Loughnan stabs him. Read voluntarily has his ears cut off by a fellow inmate in order to be transferred out of the H Division; this also gains him recognition in and out of the prison.
He is released in 1986, revisiting enemies and friends whom he cannot differentiate anymore. He reunites with his former girlfriend Tanya (Kate Beahan
), but suspects that she is involved with one of his old victims, Neville Bartos (Vince Colosimo
). He tracks Bartos down, shoots him and takes him to the hospital, unabashedly claiming that he has a "green light" courtesy of the police "to exterminate scum". When Chopper learns that he is now the target of a contract, he goes after his old friend Jimmy, only to find him worn out by drugs, two children and a junkie
fiancée.
He kills a criminal known as Sammy the Turk (based on real-life criminal Siam Ozerkam, whom Read allegedly killed) at a bar, but gets away with it by claiming it was self-defence. He eventually ends up in prison where he writes a book about his experiences in the underground crime
scene in Melbourne. The book becomes a best-seller, and Read becomes a criminal legend
and a cult figure.
The film ends with Read in his prison cell in 1992, watching himself being interviewed on television. He is proud of the interview among those watching with him, but when they leave he goes quiet, and the film ends with Read sitting in his cell alone.
for the shooting. The prison was being closed down and while the negotiations were underway, the funding
for production was delayed. This put off the starting of the shoot.
To show the sterility of the prison and to contrast it with the world that Read encounters after leaving prison 16 years later, the production was split into two. The first part, filmed at the H Division of Pentridge Prison, one of the actual prisons that Read frequented, was as plain and sterile as could be, and all the scenes in the second part, taking place in 1986 were overly coloured, to achieve a paranoid
and agoraphobic
atmosphere, called "visual overload" by the director Andrew Dominik. This was attained by lighting
, choice of film stock
used and colours chosen for set decoration. Part one of the production ran from 3 May until 26 May with part two continuing from 28 June until 21 July 2000.
Some extras
were hired from former inmates and tattoo
parlors. Bana spent two days with Read to gain an insight into the role he was to play, and many of Read's friends, enemies, and old associates were interviewed.
gave the film a 71 percent "Fresh" rating. Roger Ebert
of the Chicago Sun-Times
gave the film 3 stars out of 4, praising Eric Bana
for his performance, saying "He has a quality no acting school can teach and few actors can match".
. Bana spent two days living with Read to help him practice for the role. Read later praised Bana's performance on the 20 to 1
episode Great Aussie Films, where Chopper came 17th. Several of Bana's meetings with Read can be viewed in the DVD
Special Features.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n film, written and directed by New Zealand film-maker Andrew Dominik
Andrew Dominik
Andrew Dominik is a New Zealand-born Australian film director and screenwriter. He has directed two films so far: Chopper and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.-Early life and career:...
and based on the semi-autobiographical
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
books by Mark Brandon "Chopper" Read
Chopper Read
Mark Brandon "Chopper" Read is an Australian ex-criminal, who wrote a series of semi-autobiographical and fictional crime novels. The 2000 film Chopper was based on his life.-Early life:...
. The film stars Eric Bana
Eric Bana
Eric Bana is an Australian film and television actor. He began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before gaining critical recognition in the biopic Chopper...
as the title character, and co-stars Vince Colosimo
Vince Colosimo
Vincenzo Colosimo is an Australian AFI Award winning stage, television and screen actor. He has worked in both Australia and the United States.-Personal life:...
, Simon Lyndon
Simon Lyndon
Simon Lyndon Simon Lyndon Simon Lyndon (born February 1971, in London is an Australian actor who grew up in Fremantle, Western Australia. He is a WAAPA graduate. He played Jimmy Loughlin in Chopper with Eric Bana, for which he won an AFI award for Best Supporting Actor and a Film Critics Circle...
, Bill Young and David Field
David Field (actor)
David Field is an Australian actor who has appeared on television and in films. Some of the films he appeared in include Chopper, Two Hands and Gettin' Square. His most notable roles are as Keithy in Chopper and as Acko in Two Hands...
. It has a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
following.
Plot
In and out of jail since he was 16, MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
man Mark Brandon Read (Eric Bana
Eric Bana
Eric Bana is an Australian film and television actor. He began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before gaining critical recognition in the biopic Chopper...
) kidnaps a judge to get his childhood friend, Jimmy Loughnan (Simon Lyndon
Simon Lyndon
Simon Lyndon Simon Lyndon Simon Lyndon (born February 1971, in London is an Australian actor who grew up in Fremantle, Western Australia. He is a WAAPA graduate. He played Jimmy Loughlin in Chopper with Eric Bana, for which he won an AFI award for Best Supporting Actor and a Film Critics Circle...
), out of the notorious H Division of maximum security Pentridge Prison. He fails and is sentenced to 16 and a half years in the very prison in which Loughnan is serving his time. To become leader of the division, he ignites a power struggle which gains him more enemies than admirers. Eventually, even his gang turn their backs on him, and Loughnan stabs him. Read voluntarily has his ears cut off by a fellow inmate in order to be transferred out of the H Division; this also gains him recognition in and out of the prison.
Kate Beahan
Kate Beahan is an Australian film actress.Beahan was born in Perth. she appeared mostly in movies and TV series in Australia ....
), but suspects that she is involved with one of his old victims, Neville Bartos (Vince Colosimo
Vince Colosimo
Vincenzo Colosimo is an Australian AFI Award winning stage, television and screen actor. He has worked in both Australia and the United States.-Personal life:...
). He tracks Bartos down, shoots him and takes him to the hospital, unabashedly claiming that he has a "green light" courtesy of the police "to exterminate scum". When Chopper learns that he is now the target of a contract, he goes after his old friend Jimmy, only to find him worn out by drugs, two children and a junkie
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
fiancée.
He kills a criminal known as Sammy the Turk (based on real-life criminal Siam Ozerkam, whom Read allegedly killed) at a bar, but gets away with it by claiming it was self-defence. He eventually ends up in prison where he writes a book about his experiences in the underground crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
scene in Melbourne. The book becomes a best-seller, and Read becomes a criminal legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
and a cult figure.
The film ends with Read in his prison cell in 1992, watching himself being interviewed on television. He is proud of the interview among those watching with him, but when they leave he goes quiet, and the film ends with Read sitting in his cell alone.
Production
The biggest production difficulty was being allowed to use the Pentridge Prison in Coburg, VictoriaCoburg, Victoria
Coburg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland, although a handful of properties on Coburg's Eastern boundary are located in the City of Darebin...
for the shooting. The prison was being closed down and while the negotiations were underway, the funding
Funding
Funding is the act of providing resources, usually in form of money , or other values such as effort or time , for a project, a person, a business or any other private or public institutions...
for production was delayed. This put off the starting of the shoot.
To show the sterility of the prison and to contrast it with the world that Read encounters after leaving prison 16 years later, the production was split into two. The first part, filmed at the H Division of Pentridge Prison, one of the actual prisons that Read frequented, was as plain and sterile as could be, and all the scenes in the second part, taking place in 1986 were overly coloured, to achieve a paranoid
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
and agoraphobic
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder defined as a morbid fear of having a panic attack or panic-like symptoms in a situation from which it is perceived to be difficult to escape. These situations can include, but are not limited to, wide-open spaces, crowds, or uncontrolled social conditions...
atmosphere, called "visual overload" by the director Andrew Dominik. This was attained by lighting
Lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
, choice of film stock
Film stock
Film stock is photographic film on which filmmaking of motion pictures are shot and reproduced. The equivalent in television production is video tape.-1889–1899:...
used and colours chosen for set decoration. Part one of the production ran from 3 May until 26 May with part two continuing from 28 June until 21 July 2000.
Some extras
Extra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
were hired from former inmates and tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
parlors. Bana spent two days with Read to gain an insight into the role he was to play, and many of Read's friends, enemies, and old associates were interviewed.
Reviews
Chopper was received with positive reviews. Review-based rating site Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gave the film a 71 percent "Fresh" rating. Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
gave the film 3 stars out of 4, praising Eric Bana
Eric Bana
Eric Bana is an Australian film and television actor. He began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before gaining critical recognition in the biopic Chopper...
for his performance, saying "He has a quality no acting school can teach and few actors can match".
Reaction from Mark "Chopper" Read
Read himself suggested that Bana play him, after seeing the actor in the sketch comedy series Full FrontalFull Frontal (TV series)
Full Frontal was an Australian sketch comedy series which debuted in 1993. The show first aired on the Seven Network on 13 May 1993, and finished on 18 September 1997....
. Bana spent two days living with Read to help him practice for the role. Read later praised Bana's performance on the 20 to 1
20 to 1
20 to 1 is an Australian television series, currently hosted by Bert Newton that counts down an undefined "top 20" of elements or events of popular culture, such as films, songs, sporting scandals. Previously the show was hosted by Charles "Bud" Tingwell and narrated by David Reyne...
episode Great Aussie Films, where Chopper came 17th. Several of Bana's meetings with Read can be viewed in the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
Special Features.
Awards won
- Australian Film InstituteAustralian Film InstituteThe Australian Film Institute was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry...
(AFI) (2000):- Best Achievement in Direction: Andrew DominikAndrew DominikAndrew Dominik is a New Zealand-born Australian film director and screenwriter. He has directed two films so far: Chopper and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.-Early life and career:...
- Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Eric BanaEric BanaEric Bana is an Australian film and television actor. He began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before gaining critical recognition in the biopic Chopper...
- Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Simon LyndonSimon LyndonSimon Lyndon Simon Lyndon Simon Lyndon (born February 1971, in London is an Australian actor who grew up in Fremantle, Western Australia. He is a WAAPA graduate. He played Jimmy Loughlin in Chopper with Eric Bana, for which he won an AFI award for Best Supporting Actor and a Film Critics Circle...
- Best Achievement in Direction: Andrew Dominik
- IF Awards (2000)
- Best Actor: Eric BanaEric BanaEric Bana is an Australian film and television actor. He began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before gaining critical recognition in the biopic Chopper...
- Best Independent New Filmmaker: Andrew DominikAndrew DominikAndrew Dominik is a New Zealand-born Australian film director and screenwriter. He has directed two films so far: Chopper and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.-Early life and career:...
- Best Actor: Eric Bana
- Stockholm Film Festival (2000)
- Best Actor: Eric BanaEric BanaEric Bana is an Australian film and television actor. He began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before gaining critical recognition in the biopic Chopper...
- Best Actor: Eric Bana
- Cognac Festival du Film Policier (2001)
- Critics Award: Andrew DominikAndrew DominikAndrew Dominik is a New Zealand-born Australian film director and screenwriter. He has directed two films so far: Chopper and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.-Early life and career:...
- Grand Prix Award: Andrew DominikAndrew DominikAndrew Dominik is a New Zealand-born Australian film director and screenwriter. He has directed two films so far: Chopper and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.-Early life and career:...
- Critics Award: Andrew Dominik
- Film Critics Circle of AustraliaFilm Critics Circle of AustraliaThe Film Critics Circle of Australia is a group of cinema critics that judge Australian films.-External links:**...
(FCAA) (2001):- Best Male Actor: Eric BanaEric BanaEric Bana is an Australian film and television actor. He began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before gaining critical recognition in the biopic Chopper...
- Best Director: Andrew DominikAndrew DominikAndrew Dominik is a New Zealand-born Australian film director and screenwriter. He has directed two films so far: Chopper and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.-Early life and career:...
- Best Film
- Best Male Supporting Actor: Simon Lyndon
- Best Male Actor: Eric Bana
Awards Nominated
- Australian Film InstituteAustralian Film InstituteThe Australian Film Institute was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry...
(AFI) (2000):- Best Achievement in Cinematography: Geoffrey Hall, Kevin Hayward
- Best Achievement in Editing: Ken Sallows
- Best Achievement in Production Design: Paddy Reardon
- Best Achievement in Sound: Frank Lipson, Glenn Newnham, Steve Burgess, John Schiefelbein
- Best Film: Michele Bennett
- Best Original Music Score: Mick Harvey
- Best Screenplay Adapted from Another Source: Andrew DominikAndrew DominikAndrew Dominik is a New Zealand-born Australian film director and screenwriter. He has directed two films so far: Chopper and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.-Early life and career:...
- Stockholm Film Festival (2000)
- Bronze Horse Award: Andrew DominikAndrew DominikAndrew Dominik is a New Zealand-born Australian film director and screenwriter. He has directed two films so far: Chopper and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.-Early life and career:...
- Bronze Horse Award: Andrew Dominik
- British Independent Film AwardsBritish Independent Film AwardsThe Moët British Independent Film Awards is an annual award ceremony celebrating achievement in independently funded British film and cinema. Nominations and jury are announced at the beginning of November with the award ceremony taking place in late November or early December.-History:The British...
(BIFA) (2001):- Best Foreign Independent Film
- Film Critics Circle of AustraliaFilm Critics Circle of AustraliaThe Film Critics Circle of Australia is a group of cinema critics that judge Australian films.-External links:**...
(FCAA) (2001):- Best Cinematography: Kevin Hayward, Geoffrey Hall
- Best Editing: Ken Sallows
- Best Music Score: Mick Harvey
- Best Screenplay: Andrew DominikAndrew DominikAndrew Dominik is a New Zealand-born Australian film director and screenwriter. He has directed two films so far: Chopper and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.-Early life and career:...
- Best Female Supporting Actor: Kate BeahanKate BeahanKate Beahan is an Australian film actress.Beahan was born in Perth. she appeared mostly in movies and TV series in Australia ....
Music
- Don't fence Me In - Frankie LaineFrankie LaineFrankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...
- Black & Blue - ChainChain (band)Chain are an Australian blues band formed in Melbourne as The Chain in late 1968 with a lineup including guitarist, vocalist Phil Manning; they are sometimes known as Matt Taylor's Chain after lead singer-songwriter and harmonica player, Matt Taylor...
- Sweet Love - Renee GeyerRenée GeyerRenée Rebecca Geyer is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's World", "Heading in the Right Direction" and "Stares and Whispers" in the 1970s and...
- Bad Boy for Love and Stuck On You - Rose TattooRose TattooRose Tattoo is an Australian rock and roll band, now led by Angry Anderson, that was formed in Sydney in 1976. Their sound is hard rock mixed with blues rock influences, with songs including "Bad Boy for Love", "Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw", "Nice Boys", "We Can't Be Beaten" and "Scarred for Life"...
- Forever NowForever Now (Cold Chisel song)"Forever Now" was a 1982 single from Australian rock band Cold Chisel. The second single from the album Circus Animals, it was the first Cold Chisel single to be penned by Steve Prestwich. The song reached number 2 in the New Zealand charts, and number 4 in Australia, the band highest chart...
- Cold ChiselCold ChiselCold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to... - Release the Bats - The Birthday PartyThe Birthday Party (band)The Birthday Party were an Australian rock band, active from 1973 to 1983.Despite being championed by John Peel, The Birthday Party found little commercial success during their career...
- Senile Dementia - The Saints
- Ever Lovin' Man - The Loved OnesThe Loved OnesThe Loved Ones were an Australian rock band formed in 1965 in Melbourne following the British Invasion. The line-up of Gavin Anderson on drums, Ian Clyne on organ and piano, Gerry Humphrys on vocals and harmonica, Rob Lovett on guitar, and Kim Lynch on bass guitar recorded their early hits...