DOWN UNDER continues writer director Abe Forsythe’s fascination bordering on fetish with Ned Kelly.
Abe’s first feature film was Ned, a scattergun comedy about the great Australian icon, and in his second feature, DOWN UNDER, a sub satirical look at modern Australian stereotypes, one of the main characters is so besotted with the bushranger that he has decided to tattoo Ned’s helmet on his head.
The iconic and ironic cantilever, as the image of the full face covering is mirrored like some berko burqua, one of the enduring images of the film’s poster art.
Inspired by the aftermath of the disgraceful Cronulla riots over a decade ago, writer director Abe Forsyth captures the stupidity of skips and the lunacy of the Lebs, as the Lakemba lugheads go to war with the Cronulla cretins in an uncivil war of misplaced tribalism.
It’s the Shire vs Sharia, as a flanno fatwa escalates into a jingoist jihad as Forsyth emphasises both tribes infantile and futile posturings.
God fearing vs the god less, as Shites from the Shire and Shiites get into a shit fight over who rules the shores.
They say there’s just enough religion in the world to make men hate each other, but not enough to make them love, says Louis Cypher in Angel Heart, and he could been commenting on the ass for brains antics of the characters in DOWN UNDER.
Having not heard from his younger brother since the riot, Lakemba local Hassim is coaxed and coerced, against his better judgement, into joining a retaliation mission to the Shire, led by his estranged, drug dealing friend, Nick, who can’t think of a better way of reuniting their friendship than getting into a car and exacting revenge.
On the other side of the cultural divide, Shit Stick is a fourth generation ‘Cronulla-ite’, who owns a car, and is similarly coaxed, coerced and convinced to participate in patrolling the Shire against ‘wogs’ by self appointed ringleader Jason. Along for the ride is Ditch, the a guy with the indelible dipshit idea of tattooing his head to resemble his hero Ned Kelly.
After gaining possession of an antique rifle and grenade from World War I, the Cronulla gang face the wrath of Jason’s heavily pregnant girlfriend Stacey, who ironically craves kebabs.
The Lakemba gang purchase a firearm from an insane, gun-toting, methamphetamine dealer who has a harem of Thai boys, deliciously played by David Field.
Forsythe makes a deft and telling point by having an Intellectually impaired character, Evan, beautifully played by Christopher Bunton, as the most intellectually acute and emotionally stable person in the film.