Blue murder [DVD]

Based on the events that led to the Royal Commission on Police Corruption in New South Wales, “Blue Murder” is a rivetting and exceptionally well executed thriller about police corruption and gangland criminal activity in Australia. The convincing script by Ian David focuses on both the intricacies of corruption in the police force, as well as examining the sometimes Byzantine behaviour and “moral” codes of the organised crime world. Richard Roxburgh is outstanding as Roger Rogerson, the larrikin police chief whose egalitarian blokey demeanor allows him to build a lucrative “alternative” career based on bribery, drug money and murder. Tony Martin is Neddy Smith, one of Australia’s most notorious underworld thugs who, by being the conduit between the police and the criminal underworld, is able to build an extensive drug empire in Australia. Rogerson and Smith’s activities are threatened when a young police officer, Michael Drury (Steve Bastoni), declines a bribe offered to him by Rogerson. From that moment on, “Blue Murder” depicts how Drury’s involvement in acting as an informer on Rogerson’s activities led to increasing desperate and murderous acts by both police and crims. Acclaimed internationally as a landmark television mini-series, “Blue Murder” was for years unable to be screened in NSW or available for view on video in Australia due to elements of the story being seen as prejudicial to legal trials in NSW and Federal Courts. Apart from the leads, the mini-series features excellent performances by Alex Dimitriades, Peter Phelps and John Hargreaves.