Chopper DVD: Review By kerouac1

Maybe you have to live in Australia to really appreciate Chopper. For some reason, I couldn't get into it. It's an interesting enough concept: It follows the events of real-life media-hound criminal Mark "Chopper" Read. And let me tell you, this is one messed up individual. I think he puts it best in his own words he's, "Just a normal guy who likes a bit of torture". And tortured he is. Over the course of the film, he is stabbed several times, and he has the outter rims of both of his ears cut off... and he doesn't flinch through any of it.

Parts of this film are exceptionally good. The cinematagrophy is outstanding. The excessive use of tinting, as well as the washing out of much of the color, really adds to the tones of the film nicely. But what really stands out here is the performance of "Chopper" given by Eric Bana. Bana is one of those actors who not only has the skills, but he also commands the screen. When he's in the frame, you're not looking at anything else. After seeing this performance, it's really a shame he wasn't given more to do in Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down. Bana reportedly lives with the real-life "Chopper" for a few days in order to understand him better for the role. That type of dedication and research really comes through in the performance. Unfortunately, Bana's performance alone wasn't enough to carry the film for me.

I guess my biggest gripe would be the fact that the film meanders too much. There are two plots going on, both of which involve people wanting to kill Chopper, but neither is captivating enough. And the rest of the film just wanders about, happy to show Chopper for what he was, but never making a statement one way or the other. The film takes no viewpoint of Chopper, and that's fine. But he needed to be more fleshed out if the filmmakers wanted the audience to decide how they felt about him. (This is no fault of Bana's. He did a remarkable job with what he was given.)

Aside from the Deleted Scenes, two features really improve this DVD:

1. Commentary with director Andrew Dominik and Mark "Chopper" Read

Hearing the real Chopper talk is hilarious. All the paranoia and self-glorification of this guy are so apparent, it makes you appreciate Bana's performance that much more. And to hear Chopper go off about Quentin Tarantino during the scene where Chopper's ears are cut off is HILARIOUS. It's not too often that you get first-hand accounts of what it's like to have an ear cut off. Needless to say, Chopper was not a fan of the ear removal scene in Reservior Dogs.

2. Video Interview with Mark "Chopper" Read

This is great for the same reasons as the commentary. Chopper is a nut-case who's not afraid to annouce it. He loves attention, loves the camera, and he's genuinely interesting to watch.

There's a lot to be said for the "land down under" when it comes to films. They've been continually turning out some great acting talent, and this was my first glimpse (other than Mad Max into Australian filmmaking. I've gotta tell ya, it ain't bad. It's highly stylized, with amazing acting and some great cinematagrophy. The story could have been tighter, and the narrative more focused, but neither of these things really destroys the film. Overall, I think it's worth a look. Rent it first, and if you're one of the many people that have loved this film, great. If not, well, you're only out a couple bucks, and you get to see an amazing performance by someone who's going to be around for a long time.

Eric Bana.. world. World.. Eric Bana.