Ghosts... of the Civil Dead (1988) User Reviews

Very powerful and disturbing

[Bogey Man · 8/10 · 20 May 2002]

As other reviewers have all said, this film by John Hillcoat, is extremely disturbing and scary portrait of society and prison. The film is located in maximum security modern prison in which all the most dangerous criminals and psychopaths are locked in. There are no "heroic" characters and everyone is bad and rotten inside. They who want to get rid of it, commit a suicide and thus get a peace to their soul. Very pessimistic and provoking cinema, and should be seen by all politicians and "leaders."

The film portrays a society in its collapsing point in which government's attempts to turn things into better fail miserably, and nobody heals in this sick and mean spirited world we live in. There is a need for violence and violation, but nobody knows why. It feels good to kill someone and kick others to pieces. The wicked core of human nature should be exterminated but it is not possible, because the "good" are actually as bad inside as the people behind the bars. The wardens are no better than the inmates and no one is safe in the prison. The theme of Ghosts..is wickedness and total depravity which seems not to have any limits. The sadistic events in the prison in the name of justice only give new reasons for violence and mayhem. The last image of the film tells it all, and is very frightening. A man is now ready to return to society as a healed criminal....or maybe not.

Nick Cave plays here one of the most evil and dangerous devils ever captured on film. He is total psychopath who has no motivations or reasons, only rage, anger and need for blood (even his own.) It is scary to see this kind of characters in film, because we look at the mirror while seeing the film. This really happens and exists and the character of Cave can be seen also as a symbol to be interpreted.

Very frightening "prison" movie and pessimistic nihilism. So don't try to watch if you prefer nice and entertaining movies. Demanding cinema and won't leave the viewer alone very easily. 8/10

Prisons of the future...or prisons of today??

[ksaelagnulraon · 7/10 · 31 January 2002]

Stunning, almost horrific statement of the effect prisons have on the rest of society, Hillcoat has created a no-holds-barred, fabricated `report' on the inner-workings of an imaginary future prison that is worth seeing - if you can stomach it. There's certainly no doubting what writers Nick Cave and Gene Conkie think of prisons as Australian society's most corporal method of punishment and rehabilitation: although the on-screen activity is certainly shocking enough, what is perhaps even more so is what is not shown (perhaps because it didn't get past the censors?). Field's best role ever.

One of the most graphically unsettling movies I've ever seen

[philip-rhoads · 8/10 · 22 August 2005]

Manages to instill in the viewer a true sense of claustrophobia and unease. The violent scenes are some of the most graphic i've ever seen and especially the scene with the guard in the cage gives me the shivers of impending dread whenever i watch it. Also the use of tattoo as punishment is another horrible thought. Cave is brilliantly unhinged in his role and the scenes of him drawing on the walls in his own blood will be oddly believable to anyone who ever saw some of the more ferocious birthday party gigs of the early 80s.

A truly original movie that is only half the film that Cave's script was meant to portray........

The soundtrack (by Cave etc) is also brilliantly effective Can we have a DVD release please?

It influenced me as a child

[bacoda · 4 June 2001]

This film was screened on Australian TV when I was about 15. It's extremelly violent and psychological, a study in deprivation and pain. I mainly remember Nick Cave's performance (he co-wrote it). He plays a lunatic that get's moved to an already tense prison. His ranting and self-mutilation escalate the other prisoners sense of panic and chaos. Incredible acting and a very realistically frightening film. It's not fun, exciting or most things people look for as a distraction in modern day cinema, but if you're looking for something challenging and thought provoking it's well worth trying to find.

The Bad Seeds! They are ALL bad seeds!

[Coventry · 6/10 · 18 September 2020]

There are certain films in life that you desperately want to see. You obsessively track down a copy, you count the days until it arrives, and you eagerly look forward to the moment you can sit down and watch. Then, afterwards, you immediately establish that you never, ever want to watch it again. At least, that's how it went for me with regards to "Ghosts of the Civil Dead". Not because it's a horrible film, mind you. It's a unique film. It's a courageous, unforgettable and downright perplexing film, even. But once you've seen it, surely, you'll agree that you can't possibly "enjoy" a film like "Ghosts of the Civil Dead".

"Ghosts of the Civil Dead" marks the remarkable - to say the least - debut feature John Hillcoat, who booked recent commercial successes with titles like "Lawless" and "The Road". I find it fairly astonishing that he was even able make other films, because Hillcoat doesn't make a single or slightest concession towards any known commercial standards. It's a raw, dark, brutal, ugly and extremely disturbing prison drama/thriller that feels like a dystopian documentary, but actually isn't. In a very sober and nihilistic narrative style, and in flashbacks, the plot unfolds the violent and inhumanly cruel details which led to the total lockdown of the Central Industrial Penitentiary. The prisoners are gradually pushed to the limit, through provocation and humiliations, until they extract bloody vengeance against the guards. Nothing, absolutely nothing, in this film is taboo. There's explicit footage of drug abuse, rape, murder and agony. The sets are bleak, the music is depressing and there isn't a single, even remotely sympathetic character in the entire movie.

For me, it all started when I first found out that singer/songwriter, and overall multi-talented weirdo, Nick Cave was involved as co-writer and supportive actor! I've been a tremendous fan of Cave since I discovered the album "Murder Ballads" in the mid-90s. The character he puts down here is one of the most deranged, unhinged and terrifying psychopaths ever. Wow! As you can tell, I'm deeply impressed by "Ghost by the Civil Dead", but I honestly can't give it any rating higher than 6, simply because I felt the need to take three showers after seeing it.

Raw and Gritty

[Shadowplayed · 7/10 · 18 June 2014]

Civil Death: In Roman law, a person convicted of a crime where the punishment included loss of their legal rights. A person without civil rights - a civil dead.

The story set in high tech prison, in the middle of Australian desert, follows an outbreak of violent crimes that has resulted in total lock down. Director John Hillcoat (The Road, Lawless, Proposition) combines narrative techniques in order to depict the chain of events in most realistic fashion. Very gruesome, depressive and claustrophobic tone of the film combined with scenes of violence makes this a good candidate for Extreme film lists. As you can imagine, Ghosts...is not an entertaining film, quite the contrary. Its raw, stripped, matter-of-fact cinematography rarely provides solace and sense of dread, panic and tension never quite ceases.

The film is very offensive, sweaty, macho, filled with testosterone despair as much as the characters it follows around relentlessly, in an honest and not quite polished attempt to raise some important social questions. The fact it's based on real events makes it even more sickening.

Most of us have seen good share of prison films, and you usually know what to expect. We know about rumors of drug smuggling, gangs, sexual assaults and all the other chilling stuff that follow these threatening institutions. But you usually don't get fed most intimate and gruesome of details you don't wanna know about when mainstream cinema's concerned. This film, however....thrives on it. We get sort of exclusive and non squeamish insight into inmates' every day life, with all the filth that follows.

Nick Cave has co-written and played a small part here, as crazy Maynard. He also wrote the haunting score, that stresses the sense of paranoia and despair even more.

With the help of camera's clinical precision we witness all the things we've been fearing exist within the walls of high security correctional institutions, and more. Rape, drug use, murder, suicide, beatings, you name it. But, there seems to be the point in displaying all the atrocities, even though the camera rarely insists on lingering onto scenes of violence, sometimes seems as if gets "forgotten", but even so, controlled. There is a political implication here. Apparently, the government has used the prison's clashes and state of complete lock down to justify the construction of even more high tech institutions. Men are being held in their cells and void of the recreation, TV and other pass times, so the anger builds leading to more violent outbursts. Prisoners are brought in and eventually released as even bigger danger to society than they were before. So, the circle of violence continues.

Took me whole afternoon to finish this dramatic testimony and sort of brief anatomy of violence. In case you were wondering there are, and will be gorier, more graphic depictions of dark part of humanity. But rarely so stuffy, depressing and realistically brutal. You know the phrase some people use when they want to stress the filthiness of the video/film: "made me want to take a shower afterward". Well, this one sure did, testified!

riveting...

[melwyn · 9/10 · 30 January 2004]

As others have said, this is a disturbing and frightening film. For me, it raised questions about exactly who are the barbarians in our "civil" society and at what point can it be said that we are no better than "them".

Some with no knowledge of conditions in modern prisons dismiss this as a brutal movie out for shock value and nothing else, but it is based on a true story. One previous comment says it was filmed in NT (Australia) and based on events that happened in an outback prison. However it was based on the testimony of David Hale, a warder at USP Marion, Illinois, USA, who spoke out about the management tactics and treatment meted out to both prisoners and staff at the prison - tactics which culminated in a lockdown after two people were murdered in one day. When Hale spoke out he was branded a drunk, a drug user and mentally unstable in order to discredit him. (If the soundtrack is still available, it is worth a listen. It features an extensive interview with Hale.)

The cast features four professional actors and two musicians (Cave and The Reels' Dave Mason). The rest are predominantly ex-cons with about a dozen ex-cops, ex-warders and tough types found hanging around in local Melbourne gyms thrown in. It was workshopped for several months before filming began. You will not see a more realistic picture of life in prison - unless you are unfortunate enough to find yourself in one.

Short review and DVD info

[nboldock · 9/10 · 12 September 2004]

I saw this movie years ago when it was shown as part of Channel 4's "Down Under" season. I don't think it has been shown on UK TV since - to be honest I am surprised it was shown even once.

A great movie to be sure, brilliantly scripted, and of course Nick Cave's manic performance is truly astonishing.

This movie is notoriously hard to get hold of, especially in the UK, however! I have recently purchased a (new) copy of the Collectors Edition DVD from an Australian retailer (EzyDVD). It is all-region PAL format so I can play it no problem on my UK player. Dirt cheap it was as well. There are a whole host of extras too so all-in-all a top DVD.

I thought I would pass the information on as I had been trying to buy the film on Ebay for ages but the prices were going too high when there were any copies on there. Then lo and behold the Net came to the rescue. I got it shipped from Oz in just over a week.

Average film

[evans-j34 · 6/10 · 15 August 2021]

I watched this film as a kid but for years couldnt find it I knew it had the title Ghost in it that's all and some if the scenes when I was a kid stuck with me bk then as quite scary and was kinda haunting. Now with the power of words and Google I refound it. And have been anke to give it a second watch although this time round the scenes of murder and depravity arent so creepy, and was more focused on the message from the story and that is that the prison complex industry deliberately tortured and abused to create chaos in their facilities. Showing us again that those in power are the more psychotic. This isnt a action movie. So if you cant stand a slow burn might not be for you.

Not really a film to enjoy

[Zoooma · 2/10 · 2 June 2014]

Prison movie nominated for Best Film at the 1989 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards. Based on a book by a loser murderer convict who did time in Utah before killing someone else after his release and then eventually killing himself behind prison bars. He collaborated on the book with a former prison guard at the U.S. Penitentiary, Marion, Illinois. The movie uses a Nevada prison as its establishing shot but it is an Australian movie, co-written by musician Nick Cave. First person on screen we see is a naked man. And then there's more full frontal male nudity and scenes of man on man rape and inmates who adopt effeminacy and sexually serve the male population. Kind of a disturbing film in a way. Did not enjoy it.

4.8 / 10 stars

--Zoooma, a Kat Pirate Screener

Powerful, bloody and important

[Keltic-2 · 9/10 · 13 July 2000]

The title says it all. When a person is convicted of a crime, he or she becomes, at least temporarily (and, in certain situations and locations, permanently) dead to civil society. The men we see here are mere shadows.

_Ghosts of the Civil Dead_ is as topical now as it was when first released as a study in the ways that fear of crime may be exploited to justify oppression. Only in two or three scenes is overt violence shown, yet the movie manages to maintain a sense of menace for the full duration. As repression within the prison becomes increasingly harsh and the few remnants of civilian life that the prisoners have retained are stripped away, it becomes increasingly obvious that there can be no resolution.

In the current climate of law and order rhetoric, _Ghosts of the Civil Dead_ remains a powerful reminder as to where this rhetoric may lead.

Not for the faint hearted. A challenging film worth seeing.

[monabe · 6 February 2000]

This film is definitely not for the faint hearted. Its subject matter is violent and brutal; the characters are bizarre; the film is graphic in its images, and pacing. At first sight this may appear just another film about violence in a prison. This, I suggest, is an illusion. Rather, the film helps us better understand the role that prisons serve in society. "Ghosts... of the Civil Dead" does not seem to be well known. I recommend it to those seeking thought-provoking movies : but be prepared for a real walk on the wild side!

Scary, claustrophobic film about prison life

[tbyrne4 · 10/10 · 6 September 2006]

Virtually plot less, somewhat documentary-style film about life inside a high-tech maximum security prison in Australia. Easily the scariest film I've ever seen about prison life, certainly the most claustrophobic, thanks in part to Nick Cave's chilling, drone-like score, which is a piece of work all by itself.

It's funny - most of the prison life you see portrayed in film just doesn't seem "real" (never having been in prison myself I cannot say for sure, of course). But it just never seems real. In watching "Ghosts...of the Civil Dead" I was reminded of Roger Ebert's review of the original "Jaws". When talking about the shark Ebert said "...the illusion is complete. It just plain feels like a real shark." That's what I can say about this film. I don't know how much of it is real (which of the characters was played by an actual con, or whatever) but it just plain feels like real prison life. And this is the only film I've ever seen that I can say that about, which is also the highest praise that I can give it.

This probably one of the most menacing films I've ever seen. Although there is not a lot of violence shown, the odor of violence all but oozes from the screen. Every word and every frame drips with the possibility of violence and brutality.

The film basically shows the events leading up a "lockdown" in this prison. There aren't any main characters (the prison is the main character, as Cave points out in an interview on the DVD) although there are a few little subplots here and there. Mostly the film just lurches at you in heavy gasps and you sit and watch in horror. I know I did.

I recently watched a documentary about life inside a maximum security prison in Utah, and it looked stunningly like what is shown in this film.

Highly recommended but be warned, this is a heavy film.

The true nature of prisons in Australia in the 60's, 70's and 80's

[troy_carter67 · 8/10 · 5 December 2006]

I was incarcerated at Parklea Prison the time this movie was screened. The movie portrays exactly what the administration and guards did to the prisoners prior to the great riot the year after at the prison. What a sense of irony that this movie should show what was happening in the prison system in NSW Australia at the time. The movie reflected the actual happenings down to the transfer of inmates that would cause trouble, and the taking of property to stir up trouble. Talking about de-ja-vu. The Australian movies of this type of genre(Prison), truly reflected the bastardisation of prisons. Other movies like Stir which starred Brian Brown also showed the extremes of what was happening behind the walls of gaols. I totally enjoyed the movie. They actually showed the movie in Parklea prison until the part of the beating of the prisoner, then they turned it off....I wonder why?

When a nobody kills a nobody.

[SteveSkafte · 8/10 · 15 March 2011]

I've seen a lot of prison films, ranging from the hopeful and optimistic, all the way to over-the-top shock and awe. "Ghosts of the Civil Dead" is certainly the most brutal prison film I've ever seen, but not in a way that suggests a lack of realism or a desire to shock or exploit. Although this film exists in a world that's not quite representative of actual life, the performances and depictions of a very specific type of human being are completely believable. John Hillcoat opts for a documentary approach here, and is very much successful in achieving a high level of convincing desperation.

The actors constantly feel like they're doing anything but acting. I never felt like I was watching someone who was anything but a prisoner or prison guard. Even with Nick Cave, who I was quite familiar with through his music, seems like he wandered in from another world. It takes a strong commitment to straight reality to ignore this many filmmaking conventions in a single film, and it means all the more when you've got this many brilliant actors behind you. This is a great film.

Extraordinary...

[james_oblivion · 18 December 2003]

This is one of those films that come along very infrequently. It's incredibly powerful and profoundly disturbing. It has a clear message, but never preaches. It is very involved, yet oddly distant. And it is the most extreme, unpolished depiction of prison life that you will ever see, should you be lucky enough to find it.

Co-written by acclaimed singer/songwriter/musician/novelist Nick Cave, this film carries his mark. It is every bit as dark, gritty, chaotic, and brutal as his music (or his novel, the cult favorite "And the Ass Saw the Angel"). The story itself is quite loosely plotted, but extremely layered. It's hard to take it all in with one viewing...and each repeat viewing is an experience unto itself.

Cave also plays a pivotal role in "Ghosts" as Maynard, an unconscionable psychotic whose violent raving pushes the already worsening conditions of the prison to full-scale chaos. Cave's performance is searing, bringing every bit of rage and hatred and bile to the surface...and his entrance into the film is truly unforgettable.

The film-making here is top-notch, from a cinematic point of view. It certainly wouldn't meet Hollywood's "standards," but I mean that as an extreme compliment. The cold, distant cinematography sometimes brings to mind Kubrick's film version of "A Clockwork Orange," and the way the brutality is handled visually makes "ACO" look like "Bambi" by comparison.

Certainly, this is one film that you should not miss. It is, unfortunately, quite rare...but it can be found if one looks hard enough. I will stress quite strongly, however, that this film is NOT for everyone...but for those with strong stomachs and an appreciation of challenging cinema, this is a definite must-see.

By far the bleakest film ever to come out of Australia and definitely one of the best!

[arghzombie · 10/10 · 4 October 2008]

It's funny how tastes will change with age but I have over the last ten odd years developed a strong taste for films that psychologically scarred me as a kid.

Make of that what you will but let me tell you of all of the depraved horror and gratuitous cinema violence I smuggled past my parents as a teenager, the damage that this one caused on my impressionable young mind was by far the most difficult to kick of them all.

All that aside Ghosts of the Civil Dead still remains one of the most absolutely under-rated masterpieces of my life time in my view. The story is elegantly assembled, challenging the viewer to dust off the old brain by not spoon feeding the information but never becoming unnecessarily confusing for the sake of appearing intellectual. I believe there was a team of five on the screen play itself, including director John Hillcoat and musician/actor Nick Cave (they've recent teamed up again to make The Proposition which is another great watch).

One of the many brilliant qualities of this film is it's ability to instigate such overwhelming reactions of tension, pity, repulsion and so on in the viewer without ever straying away from it's beautifully under-stated approach.

The music is minimalistic but filled with the sense of foreboding and dread befitting of the subject matter. The various thematic points of the film are more than adequately addressed without resorting to fluffy, dialogue masturbation. Saying more with less in cinema is the greatest indication of screen writing talent in my view (thesauruses aren't that hard to come by).

It always shocks me to think that what seems to me to be somewhere in the realm of fifty percent of the cast in this movie have never gone on to do another film since. All performances were absolutely brilliant, though I must say that if I were giving an award for best performance, it would have to go to the wise yet highly intemperate Ruben played by Vincent Gil. It totally blew my mind to see Gil so effectively nailing a role of that caliber (not that the Nightrider was anything other than a stand out performance but you know... it wasn't quite so demanding as that of Ruben).

Anyway, to cut a long story short, Ghosts of the Civil Dead is an intensely disturbing and powerfully enlightening portrayal of high security prison life that will not only have you questioning the values of the incarceration system in regard to human rights but also the value it provides to society in general.

I believe it can still be obtained from online stores in Aus if not Amazon. Keep an open mind and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

One of the best Low Budget Movies of all time

[Davo66 · 10/10 · 7 October 2005]

And not only that this movie is based on a true story as well.

The Movie uses a prison near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory as its location but the story itself is sourced from the US.

The script is loosely based on events witnessed by whistleblower and former U.S. Prison Guard, David Hale.

The Score which was composed by "Nick Cave & The Bad Seed members", Blixa Bargeld, Mick Harvey and Nick Cave, is quite haunting and disturbing and sets the right tone for the movie.

What makes this movie so disturbingly realistic is the fact that this movie only has 6 Professional performers in it, the rest are played by real ex-cons, guards, cops, etc. The Eric Bana movie Chopper also used real criminals/ex cons in its movie to great effect and Ghosts was the inspiration for Choppers Director to use this technique.

Ghosts is one of those rare movies that has never ever gotten the widespread acclaim that it deserves and continues to be a movie that is becoming increasingly hard to get.

Hopefully the latest Nick Cave/John Hilcoat project, "the Proposition", will change all of that and we will see it finally start to find the audience it truly deserves.

While this movie is very hard to find in video stores (even in Australia) it is most definitely worth trying to track down. And if you collect DVD's it is a must have for your collection and worth getting or importing from EzyDVD or DVDorchard.

Cold and brutal prison drama.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 9/10 · 3 June 2008]

Roger Wenzil is transferred to one of the new humane maximum-security prisons as an inmate.The new prisons have been built open plan and the guards have a relaxed attitude toward hard-drug use.However the prison bureaucracy begin a crackdown,stirring up minor incidents– confiscating all drugs and weapons,turning the TV's off–but this creates a state of high tension that sets the inmates and guards against one another.Everything finally explodes in one violently bloody outburst.This bleak and somber prison drama offers truly unsettling look into the penal system.There are some unflinching scenes of violence and heroin use,so be prepared.The performance of Nick Cave is absolutely insane.The singer plays a psycho,who screams obscenities and paints on the wall in his own blood.The climax where one inmate starts repeatedly stabbing at a guard's body is hard to stomach too.9 out of 10.

Every Bit As Bleak And Brutal As I Remembered

[Theo Robertson · 8/10 · 9 July 2013]

Over twenty years ago I caught an unknown Australian film on channel 4 one night set in a maximum security prison . The passage of time meant I even forgot the title but neither the bleak , oppressive atmosphere or certain scenes . It was one of those films that hits you with the impact of a sock filled with billiard balls and like so many things from the past the memory can play tricks on you . Things that become ingrained on our memory aren't the same viewed years or even decades later so sitting down to watch GHOSTS OF THE CIVIL DEAD I was all prepared for much disappointment . I needn't have worried because it's the same bleak , brutal and very depressing film I remembered

It should be pointed out that this film is definitely not for everyone . If you're one of those people who award ten out of ten to the uplifting mawkish fable of THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION then give this a very wide berth . If you're only interest in movies involves the cinematic telling of a story then you'll probably not like this either since it really isn't about narrative storytelling . If you think the HBO show OZ was a good show but started to lose it due to more and more outlandish plots being introduced then make sure you don't miss GHOSTS OF THE CIVIL DEAD , but again I should warn you of the depressing tone

The story takes place in the aftermath of a prison incident and shows the events leading up to it . It starts off with Wenzil arriving at a maximum security prison and from the outset conveys the fear and loneliness of being a new arrival in prison where ones peers are effectively facing the rest of their natural life inside and therefore they have nothing to lose

The film quickly loses character focus and you expect the story to be seen through the eyes of Wenzil . In some ways Wenzil is the central character but that's only due to the fact that he's the first character we see and is also the last character seen too but the film really doesn't concern itself with this and often subjects the audience to both prisoners and guards spoken thoughts overlaid with scenes of not much happening . It's a film more to do with the existentialist dead end of imprisonment and does so brilliantly

It's also a film that has an understated on screen attitude to violence . A gang rape is merely alluded to , a description of a torture and murder of a prisoner by two fellow inmates is told via voice over but is still nevertheless shocking . All this takes place in a movie that has a very uncanny and disconcerting atmosphere that is overwhelming . The prison itself resembles an anti-septic sterile place you'd expect to see in 2001 or THX1138 , almost as though the characters have been lifted from the real world in to a cruel system of another dimension which is probably the effect director John Hillcoat wishes to force upon us . He succeeds too and it wasn't till after I saw this again after a gap of 20 years that I learned Hillcoat also directed the bleak apocalyptic drama THE ROAD . Some films you watch in the cinema with a large box of popcorn . With Hillcoat you need a large dose of Prozac

Some things don't entirely work . It's difficult to believe that the state would assign a serving police officer to protect an inmate in case he gets attacked by guards , but then I didn't go and research the Australian prison system . The guards of course are either corrupt or violent bullies but it is part of prison folklore the world over that the guards have the biggest and hardest gang . Considering the screenplay has five different writers and convention dictates that the more writers a screenplay has the worse it will be GHOSTS OF THE CIVIL DEAD is a very powerful and disturbing movie that will stay in the memory for a very long time

best prison movie by long long ways compared to everything else

[jeffreybaks · 10/10 · 4 July 2018]

This is by far the best prison movie out of all the prison movies. Their are no stars in the film, its a real film made to show how messed up a group of humans can be towards each other when society traps them in a cage. Its sharp and to the point, their is no drama heartthrob cinematic scenes, its a movie about how prison can actually be and was in certain areas of the world. It has that artistic viewpoint of reality unlike 99% of the other prison movies that are just simply made for the screen. This is made to touch your soul and tingle your senses and leave you with a real human feeling.

A tough and oppressive watch – and it doesn't really reward the effort

[bob the moo · 11 January 2014]

Theo Robertson's review of this title suggests that this film is worth a watch if you liked the nature of HBO show Oz, but didn't like the outlandish plots and events as it went on and this claim is a very valid one because this film really focuses very much on mood over narrative. What this produces is a film that is slow and oppressive and in this regard it is very convincing as a setting because as you watch you do feel the time passing slowly and with little to fill it apart from petty drama and violence, and you do feel the constant heat and tension of the cells where the threat of violence is constant.

In terms of plot we are basically put back before a massive lockdown occurred and shown what occurred that caused it. This essentially means acts of cruelty and violence between guards and inmates with a building tension within scenes. In regard to this aspect of the film it is really well done because it is hard to watch and difficult to really be part of what is happening. The downside of this is that the film is technically very light on plot and as such the slow movement is something you will feel. It also isn't very rewarding as a story or a film – it does give you a sense of immersion in the created world, but this is a tough sell and ultimately although it is building towards something, that "something" isn't really as strong as I would have liked.

The delivery supports the aim of the film and as such the direction and sets are convincingly real while the cast never feel like anything other than guards and inmates – even the presence of Nick Cave doesn't break the illusion. All of this side works and it does produce a memorably cruel and tough experience, but I really felt like I got through it rather than being rewarded with an engaging experience or a takeaway learning. This is the paradox I guess – the film is so good at producing an endlessly grim, pointless and depressing world that it turns watching the film itself into such an experience.

Unlikely to forget.

[lost-in-limbo · 9/10 · 27 June 2009]

Re-watching this again, goes onto consolidate how confronting, humiliating, intense and haunting John Hillcoat's nightmarish prison drama is. The unsparing atmosphere is so clinically cold and you really do feel imprisoned in this confined maximum security prison, as we watch the numbing existence of these prisoners through daily routines (where rules are virtually non-existent) and eventually the mental breakdown that occurs when what they hold close to keeping them sane is taken away by the prison administration. Then you have the prison guards (who are no better themselves) fearing for their own lives, because they sense its only time when the frustration boils over and its taken out on them.

The controversially cerebral material (penned by Gene Conkie, Evan English, John Hillcoat and Nick Cave) is well-developed and profound, holding an unforgettable and gripping edge. It's a frightening, primal and brutal portrait, without over doing it or reverting to bad taste. It's a wicked look at the use of violence, despite those being inside are there for committing it. Even the ending leaves it opened to the true state of the criminal. Healed or not... do we really care? The central industrial prison is located in the middle of nowhere and has been locked down due to the spate of uncontrollable acts of aggressive violence. Soon it flashes back to open up the events that have caused this violent outbreak, and show the truth behind the system's polices and unusual acts to provoke it's prisoners and guards.

The guerrilla style camera-work can become alienating, and Nick Cave's simmering score is sparsely used to put you off balance. Hillcoat's consistently slick direction is visually piercing and tightly constructed, invoking many dark and violent passages. The performances are mainly adapt with a solid central turn by David Field, but it's a blindingly compulsive performance by Nick Cave (who explosively hit's the screen almost a good hour in) as a downright maniac brought in to cause a ruckus.

A powerfully nail-biting, ambitious and uncompromising slice of prison life.

Classic Aussie Prison Flick

[sydneyswesternsuburbs · 10/10 · 25 June 2011]

Director John Hillcoat who also created the classic flick, The Proposition 2005 has created another gem in Ghosts of the Civil Dead.

Starring the talented David Field who has also been in other classic flicks, West 2007, Feed 2005, Getting Square 2003, Chopper 2000, Two Hands 1999, Blackrock 1997 and another classic prison flick, Every night Every night 1995 as well as directing the classic flick, The Combination 2009 and co-directing and starring in another classic Aussie prison flick Convict 2014.

Also starring Mike Bishop who has also been in other classic flicks, Ground Zero 1987 and Metal Skin 1994.

Also starring Chris DeRose who was also in the classic flicks, Drive 1997 and Blue Tiger 1994.

Also starring and written by musician Nick Cave who also wrote the screenplay for John Hillcoat's The Proposition as well as starring in the classic flick, Johnny Suede 1991.

Also starring is musician Dave Mason from The Reels.

I enjoyed the violence and the set designs.

If you enjoyed this as much as I did then check out other classic prison flicks, Dead Man Walking 1995, Das Experiment 2001, Felon 2008, Hard Justice 1995, Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS 1975, Island of Fire 1990, Life 1999, Stir 1980, Love Camp 7 1969, Midnight Express 1978, Papillon 1973, Prison 1988, Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky 1991, Scum 1979, Seed 2007, The Shawshank Redemption 1994, Turkey Shoot 1982, Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing 2006, Escape from New York 1981, Dog Pound 2010, Undisputed 3: Redemption 2010, Lockout 2012, Get the Gringo 2012, A Prophet 2009, Offender 2012, Starred Up 2013 and Wilderness 2006.