Romper Stomper

Romper Stomper is not exactly a family film, as it probes the actions of a gang of skinheads in an Australian city. At first, it isn’t easy to see this bunch of assholes as the main “heroes” – I kept my fingers crossed for the Asians in baseball caps. But by examining the friendships and love affairs between them, the film picks up steam and successfully comes to an effective, gently sarcastic climax. This also compensates for the viewer’s initial unease about the film’s indifferent attitude toward the depicted evil and violence. Russell Crowe is excellent, but I was a bit bothered by the cheesy music. I considered giving Romper Stomper four stars, but I gave those to the more complex and narratively sophisticated American History X... Of no small interest is the fact that the actress who played Gabrielle (Jacqueline McKenzie) was an actual heroin addict and the actor playing her lover – the other main character, Davey (the excellent Daniel Pollock) – fell in love with her during filming, only to commit suicide by stepping in front of a train after filming had been completed. (06/08/2005)

Even a beginner's mistake cannot excuse the fact that simply taking a camera and spending an hour and a half among skinheads is not good enough. That's exactly how the director's attitude towards the film comes across, i.e., as mere posturing that has far less meaning than its basic idea promises. Despite being authentically raw in its form with colorless camera filters, which adds to its "handheld" feel, it fails to detach itself from its profound shallowness. Its lack of narrative value, along with a multitude of flat characters whose behavior is "explained" as a struggle for racial purity in their country, keeps it firmly rooted in mediocrity. Perhaps only the glimpse of the later Hollywood idol Russell Crowe, who fits perfectly into his "neo-Nazi" character with a butcher-like appearance, can slightly alleviate the impression of a film that fizzles out even before the closing credits roll. (08/12/2005)

Very naturalistic. The director didn't mess around with anything and served us a story full of blood, revenge, and anger. It just needed a more tangible plot so Russell Crowe's performance wouldn't be lost, which is exactly what happened. (10/24/2004)

Film about ugly cruel people, who eventually pay the price for being ugly and cruel. Racism is one of the most incomprehensible things that occur in our society, but it still stems from hatred and fear. Russell Crowe already showed at the beginning of his career how great of an actor he is. A simple story, but still effective. (02/28/2016)

Russell Crowe as the true believing leader of a group of Aussie skinheads who, in addition to beating up Asians and robbing shops, also manage to get festively trashed and always find a nice squat to hole up in. It has an extremely simple script and the camera is mediocre at best, but it has such a "fan(t)a(s)tically anarchic" atmosphere the whole time that it's simply impossible to tear yourself away from it. [70%] (02/07/2022)