In this sequence from Justin Kurzel’s True History of the Kelly Gang (2019), a film inspired by Peter Carey's Booker-winning novel, Ned Kelly (George MacKay) plots to ambush the police by rallying, recruiting and training local men and women to help him.

Kurzel's adaptation is an alternative postmodern vision of the Ned Kelly story, complemented by an anachronistic score and rock'n'roll-influenced aesthetic. Unashamedly blurring the line between fact and fable, this sequence switches between Ned's voice-over diary entries and his riling up the gang as they forge their metal suits, before attempting to derail the train filled with Victorian police. It makes for a thrilling combination of character-building and action. Thanks to MacKay's memorable central performance, Ned's forceful call to arms and idiosyncratic actions mark him out as a believable leader for disaffected young men.

The frocking up of bushrangers in the clip is a recurring element throughout the film. Through this imagery – and a homoerotic subtext found in other scenes – director Kurzel playfully challenges typical heteronormative depictions of Kelly as a macho folk icon.