All Movie Guide

This Australian drama is based on the life and times of Mark "Chopper" Read, a notorious Aussie criminal who went on to become a best-selling author, publishing nine books about his exploits outside the law. In 1978, Chopper (played by Eric Bana) is serving a 16-year sentence for abducting a judge who was overseeing the trial of his best friend Jimmy (Simon Lyndon). Jimmy and Chopper end up sharing a cell, along with Keithy George (David Field), a crime boss; when a disagreement between Keithy and Chopper escalates into violence, Chopper kills Keithy, leading to retribution from the gangster's mates, who hire Jimmy to do their dirty work. To escape, Chopper forces a friend to cut off one of his ears so he'll be transferred to another prison. Eight years later, Chopper is out of prison and looking for Jimmy in hopes of getting revenge; in the meantime, he's looking to get even with another of his enemies, Neville (Vince Colosimo), and trying to keep his eye on his girlfriend, Tanya (Kate Beahan), who supports herself as a call girl. While the real "Chopper" Read was not directly involved in the production, comic Eric Bana was cast in the lead at Read's suggestion. Mark Deming

Village Voice

The portrait of this thuggish celebrity promises to be gleeful, and it is-in a particularly gore-drenched way.... This is a movie where bleeding can be a sound effect, but often it's obscured by the burble of Chopper's constant chatter.... A movie of prolonged interactions, Chopper is as visually strident as its protagonist is garrulous. A former director of commercials and music videos, Dominik periodically gooses the action with bits of subjective pixillation or wildly theatrical lighting, but his filmmaking is more impressive for its vivid claustrophobia. The colors are leached; the action is largely confined to interiors with the bilious illumination of a city morgue. With his metal teeth and deformed satyr-like ears, Chopper is a spectacular lowlife clown -- a mix of oafish savoir faire and unpredictable violence... J. Hoberman

Product Details

• UPC: 014381120226
• Source: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Alternate Wide Screen (1.78:1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital, stereo
• Language: English
• Time: 1:30:00
• Sales Rank: 15,251

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