Review of Romper Stomper (1992) by Olaolu A — 24 Apr 2011

A worthwhile Australian effort that focuses on the Neo-Nazi gang culture in that country - more specifically, it takes place in the city of Melbourne - this makes for a solid companion piece to its American counterpart, American History X, which hit screens six years later. Like that 1998 film, this one has perhaps been a little overrated over the years, but it's definitely worth seeing once or twice. It's tough to say which of the two films I liked better - ultimately, both of them are spot on when it comes to their depictions of racism and the zeal of those who embrace such hateful doctrines and lifestyles, but at the same time both films have their share of flaws that keep me from giving them unreserved praise. If American History X has a tendency to sermonize a little bit too much, then Romper Stomper is probably too preoccupied with needless subplots, especially when it come to the character of Gabe; now nothing against the character or the actress, Jacqueline McKenzie, who portrays her - in fact, I found her to be the only truly sympathetic and likable character in the film and McKenzie manages to find the right mixture of sensuality and innocence and gets us in Gabe's corner pretty quickly (and her accent is sexy as hell). McKenzie makes Gabe such a compelling individual that it makes the audience bemoan her rather shabby treatment all the more. She clearly deserves far more than to be the impetus behind a love triangle involving her and the two male leads (and don't even get me started on her incestuous relationship with her father). One could argue that this material was important in how it establishes her character and also reveals things about the characters of Hando (a very young Russell Crowe) and Davey (the late Daniel Pollock, who tragically offed himself back in 1992, around the time of this film's release), the aforementioned male leads, but despite some erotic sex scenes and decent chemistry amongst the actors, this subplot is just a little too melodramatic and soapy for a film so deeply entrenched in such a grim reality.

At least the acting level of acting is of a high caliber. I said a few words about McKenzie's contribution but she's not even the best performer in the film. As with American History X, Romper Stomper benefits greatly from a powerhouse lead performance, in this case from Russell Crowe. One could almost argue, in fact, that this film was more noteworthy for Crowe's volcanic portrayal than for anything else. Hando isn't given a great deal of depth but Crowe imbues his with such ferocity and viciousness that he arrests our attention nonetheless. This man personifies hatred and contempt in ways that are downright frightening; next to him, Edward Norton's equally compelling lead Nazi in American History X comes across as more of a misguided idealist than someone who's truly hateful. It's not hard to see how Crowe would soon find his talents in demand not only in Australia but over on our shores (he earned his American breakthrough role in L.A. Confidential as a result of his performance here, before going on to attain an Oscar and super-stardom for his role in Gladiator). This is the kind of acting that stays etched in people's minds and commands the respect of all who witness it. As the third leg of this tripod, Pollock is solid but it's Crowe and McKenzie (to a lesser extent) who truly shine here. The acting from these three goes a long way towards mitigating the superfluousness of the romantic subplot and they get adequate support from the rest of the cast.

Despite the meandering plot line, Romper Stomper gets things right when it comes to the bigger picture of racism and the senselessness that can often stem from it. The movie sets the tone early on during the opening scene, which depicts a trio of Vietnamese immigrants skateboarding through a tunnel when they have the misfortune of running into the skinheads. The latter deals a vicious beating to the former after letting them know that they don't consider them a part of "their" country. It's a stark and disturbing moment that gives us a sense of what these people are capable of doing and it gets things off to a powerful start.

Equally compelling is the fight scene that breaks out after the skinheads try to attack another group of Vietnamese immigrants, this time for buying out a pub that used to be one their hangouts. The Vietnamese, who have had enough of the beatings and taunts, decide to retaliate and send in reinforcements, which leads to this 15 minute sequence that is arguably the centerpiece of the film. It's an elaborate and brutal melee that involves both sides going after one another with clubs, crowbars and anything else they can get their hands. I won't say much about this outcome of this tussle except that it occurs before the midpoint of the film so there is still plenty of film left. What it does illustrate effectively is the extremes to which some can go when they've been pushed too far.

Not surprisingly, the first half of the film is more compelling than the second half, but at least the latter moments allow the principle three characters to be fleshed out a little bit. I wasn't crazy about the love triangle as I've already mentioned but there are other things to appreciate about this portion of the film. We certainly get a sense of how empty these people's live are when they aren't busy terrorizing innocent minorities. They live in squalor and spend most of their time partying and eventually, with no real purpose to unite them, they begin to turn against each other. This is the problem with any philosophy of hatred; it's too shallow of a well to keep anyone sustained for very long. In terms of it's depiction of the eventual disintegration of this gang of skinheads and the urban decay that engulfs them, Romper Stomper recalls A Clockwork Orange, although this film isn't nearly on the same level in terms of impact.

In the final analysis, Romper Stomper is a solid and often powerful portrayal of the consequences of white pride. On the balance, it's less preachy and a little more nihilistic than American History X (although it doesn't quite feature a scene as chilling in its starkness as the curb-stomp in the latter effort) but from my standpoint, it's on the same level. It's not a perfect film but it won't quickly be forgotten by those who take the time and effort to seek it out.