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65-613: Nitram is a 2021 Australian biographical psychological drama film directed by Justin Kurzel from a screenplay by Shaun Grant. The film revolves around the life and behaviors of a mentally distressed young man called "Nitram" (based on Martin Bryant ), and the events leading to his involvement in the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania . The film stars Caleb Landry Jones , Judy Davis , Essie Davis and Anthony LaPaglia . Nitram premiered at

130-439: A 3–4 minute period, 16 of whom were fatally wounded in the gymnasium, including Gwen Mayor and 15 of her pupils. One other child died en route to hospital. The first call to the police was made at 9:41 a.m. by the headmaster of the school Ronald Taylor, who had been alerted by assistant headmistress Agnes Awlson to the possibility of a gunman on the school premises. Awlson had told Taylor that she had heard screaming inside

195-433: A Caithness flagstone base. The quotations on the stone are by E. V. Rieu ( "He called a little child to him..." ), Richard Henry Stoddard ( "...the spirit of a little child" ), Bayard Taylor ( "But still I dream that somewhere there must be The spirit of a child that waits for me" ) and W. H. Auden ( "We are linked as children in a circle dancing" ). With the consent of Bob Dylan , the musician Ted Christopher wrote

260-410: A Dunblane garden in the 1970s, was renamed 'Sophie North' in memory of one of the victims of the massacre. The gymnasium at the school was demolished on 11 April 1996 and replaced by a memorial garden. Two years after the massacre, on 14 March 1998, a memorial garden was opened at Dunblane Cemetery, where Mayor and twelve of the children who were killed are buried. The garden features a fountain with

325-826: A Fairytale (2006), and Howard Stern in Private Parts (1997). In 2018, the musical biopic Bohemian Rhapsody , based on the life of Queen singer Freddie Mercury , became the highest-grossing biopic in history at the time. In 2023, it was surpassed by Oppenheimer , based on the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb in World War II. Dunblane massacre The Dunblane massacre took place at Dunblane Primary School in Dunblane , near Stirling , Scotland, on 13 March 1996, when 43-year-old Thomas Hamilton killed 16 pupils and one teacher and injured 15 others before killing himself. It remains

390-425: A bed and breakfast that Nitram will help run. Nitram begs his mother to buy him a surfboard after seeing an attractive woman with a surfer, but she is exasperated and refuses. Nitram starts mowing lawns to make money. In the process, he meets a neighbour named Helen, a retired actress and heiress, who offers to pay him to walk her dogs. The two quickly become friends, and Helen buys him a car, despite Nitram not having

455-466: A devastating car crash that kills Helen and severely injures him. When questioned by police, Nitram lies that he was asleep at the time of the crash. Nitram, having inherited Helen's decaying mansion and over half a million dollars , starts to drink heavily. His mother asks him to help his father, who is severely depressed . Nitram then desperately attempts to buy the bed and breakfast, but the new owners flatly refuse. Several days later, his father's body

520-425: A driver's licence and exhibiting a dangerous habit of grabbing the steering wheel when the two are driving. Nitram becomes increasingly frustrated with life at home and tells his parents he is moving in with Helen, who permits him to stay in a spare room but insists that he get rid of his air rifle as it upsets her. On his next birthday, Nitram introduces Helen to his parents; his mother tells Helen an anecdote about

585-470: A major incident involving multiple casualties at 9:48 a.m. and the first of several medical teams from the hospital arrived at 10:15 a.m. Another medical team from the Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary arrived at 10:35 a.m. By about 11:10 a.m., all of the injured had been taken to Stirling Royal Infirmary for medical treatment. Upon examination, several of the patients were transferred to

650-616: A memorial service at Dunblane Cathedral. Seven months after the massacre, in October 1996, the families of the victims organised their own memorial service at Dunblane Cathedral, which more than 600 people attended, including Prince Charles . The service was broadcast live on BBC1 and conducted by James Whyte , a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland . Television presenter Lorraine Kelly , who had befriended some of

715-497: A new verse for " Knockin' on Heaven's Door " in memory of the Dunblane school children and their teacher. The recording of the revised version of the song, which included brothers and sisters of the victims singing the chorus and Mark Knopfler on guitar, was released on 9 December 1996 in the UK, and reached number 1. The proceeds went to charities for children. Pipe Major Robert Mathieson of

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780-838: A plaque of the names of those killed. Stained glass windows in memory of the victims were placed in three local churches, St Blane's and the Church of the Holy Family in Dunblane and the nearby Lecropt Kirk as well as at the Dunblane Youth and Community Centre. Newton Primary School awards The Gwen Mayor Rosebowl to a pupil every year. A charity, the Gwen Mayor Trust, was set up by the Educational Institute of Scotland to provide funding for projects in Scottish primary schools. The National Association of Primary Education commissioned

845-540: A sculpture, "Flame for Dunblane", created by Walter Bailey from a single yew tree , which was placed in the National Forest , near Moira , Leicestershire . The nave of Dunblane Cathedral has a standing stone by the monumental sculptor Richard Kindersley . It was commissioned by the Kirk Session as the cathedral's commemoration and dedicated at a service on 12 March 2001. It is a Clashach stone two metres high on

910-412: A young Nitram taking pleasure in the pain he caused her after pretending to be lost. Despite having the funds for the bed and breakfast, Nitram's father's offer is rejected when another couple makes a higher offer, and he becomes despondent. Nitram asks Helen if the two can visit Hollywood, Los Angeles , but on the drive to the airport the next day he once again lunges for the steering wheel, resulting in

975-401: Is asked whether he has learned his lesson not to play with them again; he replies that he would play with them again. Nitram is an intellectually disabled young adult who lives with his parents in Tasmania . He regularly sets off fireworks, which upsets the neighbours, and sells his fireworks to schoolchildren. His father has recently been approved for a business loan with which he hopes to buy

1040-409: Is found in a nearby river after an apparent suicide . After he shows up to his father's funeral dressed in an electric blue suit and hat, Nitram's mother refuses to let him attend, fearing he will embarrass her. The increasingly isolated Nitram begins to take frequent overseas vacations by himself and practises shooting with his air rifle. While watching the news one night, Nitram sees a report about

1105-619: Is often a balance between similarity in looks and ability to portray the characteristics of the person. Anthony Hopkins felt that he should not have played Richard Nixon in Nixon because of a lack of resemblance between the two. The casting of John Wayne as Genghis Khan in The Conqueror was objected to because of the American Wayne being cast as the Mongol warlord. Egyptian critics criticized

1170-521: The 1997 United Kingdom general election , the Labour government of Prime Minister Tony Blair introduced the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 , banning the remaining .22 cartridge handguns as well. This left only muzzle-loading and historic handguns legal as well as certain sporting handguns (e.g. "Long-Arms") and long-barrelled handguns that fall outside the minimum barrel and overall length dimensions in

1235-632: The Cannes Film Festival on 16 July 2021, where Jones won the Best Actor award for his performance. The film received a limited theatrical release in Australia on 30 September 2021, before a digital release on the Australian streaming service Stan on 24 November 2021. It received widespread critical acclaim for Kurzel's direction and the cast's performances (particularly Jones and Judy Davis), although

1300-484: The Cannes Film Festival on 16 July 2021. It was scheduled to screen in mid-August at the later-cancelled Melbourne International Film Festival and later screened at CinefestOZ in Western Australia in late August 2021. It received a limited theatrical release in Australia by Madman Films on 30 September 2021. It was later released digitally on the Australian streaming service Stan on 24 November 2021. On

1365-411: The Dunblane massacre . He then becomes obsessed with guns, purchasing an unlicensed Colt AR-15 and shotgun and ordering a handgun . One day, he drives to the bed and breakfast his father wanted to buy and shoots the owners, then drives to the café where Helen and his parents celebrated his birthday. After ordering food, he sets up a video camera, retrieves a rifle from his sports bag and opens fire on

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1430-454: The Firearms Act 1968 , as amended. This handgun ban did not apply to Northern Ireland, where it remains legal for citizens to own handguns for target shooting (if they hold a firearms licence) and, for self-defence, if the owner holds a personal protection weapon permit, almost 3000 of which were on issue as of 2012. Evidence of previous police interaction with Hamilton was presented to

1495-459: The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , Nitram holds a 93% approval rating based on 121 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's consensus reads, " Nitram asks viewers to face a gut-wrenchingly grim moment in Australian history—but rewards that effort with a gripping, well-acted character study." On Metacritic , the film has a score of 81 out of 100 based on reviews from 26 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". The film

1560-482: The 24th Stirlingshire troop, which was being revived. Several complaints were made about Hamilton's leadership, including complaints about Scouts being forced to sleep in close proximity with him inside his van during hill-walking expeditions. Within months, on 13 May 1974, Hamilton's Scout Warrant was withdrawn, with the County Commissioner stating that he was "suspicious of his moral intentions towards boys". He

1625-576: The Cullen Inquiry but was later sealed under a closure order to prevent publication for 100 years. The official reason for sealing the documents was to protect the identities of children, but this led to accusations of a coverup intended to protect the reputations of officials. Following a review of the closure order by the Lord Advocate , Colin Boyd , edited versions of some of the documents were released to

1690-655: The District Royal Infirmary in Falkirk and some to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow . The shooter fired 106 shots in total during the massacre, including the suicide shot. 105 were fired by one of his Browning pistols, and the final shot was fired with one of his Smith & Wesson revolvers. Thomas Watt Hamilton was born on 10 May 1952 in Glasgow . As the head of several youth clubs, Hamilton had been

1755-759: The Moon (1999), Downey as Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin (1992) and as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer (2023), Foxx as Ray Charles in Ray (2004), Thompson and Hanks as P. L. Travers and Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks (2013), Redmayne as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything (2014), and Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer (2023). Some biopics purposely stretch

1820-403: The alternative (though club ownership would be maintained). The report also recommended changes in school security and vetting of people working with children under 18. The Home Affairs Select Committee agreed with the need for restrictions on gun ownership but stated that a handgun ban was not appropriate. An advocacy group, the six-member Gun Control Network, was founded in the aftermath of

1885-454: The casting of Louis Gossett Jr. , an African American actor, as Egyptian president Anwar Sadat in the 1983 TV miniseries Sadat . Also, some objected to the casting of Jennifer Lopez in Selena because she is a New York City native of Puerto Rican descent while Selena was Mexican American . Because the figures portrayed are actual people, whose actions and characteristics are known to

1950-533: The deadliest mass shooting in British history. Following the killings, public debate centred on gun control laws, including public petitions for a ban on private ownership of handguns and an official inquiry, which produced the 1996 Cullen Report . The incident led to a public campaign, known as the Snowdrop Petition, which helped bring about legislation, specifically two new Firearms Acts, which prohibited

2015-483: The film sparked controversy in Tasmania. The film later received eight awards at the 11th AACTA Awards , including Best Film , Best Direction , Best Actor , Best Actress , Best Supporting Actor , Best Supporting Actress , and Best Original Screenplay . The film begins with real archive news footage from 1979 of a 12-year-old Martin Bryant being interviewed in a burns unit of a hospital after playing with fireworks. He

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2080-769: The film. The then-Premier of Tasmania, Peter Gutwein , stated to the House of Assembly that it made him uncomfortable. Other state politicians including Brian Mitchell , federal member for Lyons, and Rebecca White , Leader of the Opposition, expressed concern. Biographical film Biopic scholars include George F. Custen of the College of Staten Island and Dennis P. Bingham of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis . Custen, in Bio/Pics: How Hollywood Constructed Public History (1992), regards

2145-460: The floor before Hamilton fired nine bullets into the classroom, striking books and equipment. One bullet passed through a chair where a child had been sitting seconds before. Hamilton then re-entered the gym, dropped the pistol he was using, and took out one of the two revolvers. He put the barrel of the gun in his mouth, pointed it upwards, and pulled the trigger, killing himself. A total of 32 people sustained gunshot wounds inflicted by Hamilton over

2210-463: The gender norms that underlie the biopic in his article, "Taking Hollywood Back" in the 2009 issue of Cinema Journal . Roger Ebert defended The Hurricane and distortions in biographical films in general, stating "those who seek the truth about a man from the film of his life might as well seek it from his loving grandmother. ... The Hurricane is not a documentary but a parable ." Casting can be controversial for biographical films. Casting

2275-478: The genre as having died with the Hollywood studio era , and in particular, Darryl F. Zanuck . On the other hand, Bingham's 2010 study Whose Lives Are They Anyway? The Biopic as Contemporary Film Genre shows how it perpetuates as a codified genre using many of the same tropes used in the studio era that has followed a similar trajectory as that shown by Rick Altman in his study, Film/Genre . Bingham also addresses

2340-448: The grounds of Dunblane Primary School at around 9:30 a.m. and parked his van near a telegraph pole in the car park of the school. He cut the telephone cables at the bottom of the telegraph pole which served nearby houses, before making his way across the car park towards the school buildings. Hamilton headed towards the north-west side of the school to a door near the toilets and the school gymnasium. After entering, he made his way to

2405-457: The gymnasium and had seen what she thought to be cartridges on the ground, and Taylor had been aware of loud noises which he assumed to have been from builders on site that he had not been informed of. As he was on his way to the gym, the shooting ended and when he saw what had happened he ran back to his office and told deputy headmistress Fiona Eadington to call for ambulances, a call which was made at 9:43 a.m. The first ambulance arrived on

2470-410: The gymnasium armed with four legally-held handguns —two 9mm Browning HP pistols and two Smith & Wesson M19 .357 Magnum revolvers . Hamilton was also carrying 743 ammunition cartridges . In the gym was a class of 28 Primary 1 pupils preparing for a P.E. lesson in the presence of three adult members of staff. Before entering the gymnasium, it is believed Hamilton fired two shots into

2535-419: The male biopic and the female biopic as distinct genres from each other, the former generally dealing with great accomplishments, the latter generally dealing with female victimization. Ellen Cheshire's Bio-Pics: a life in pictures (2014) examines UK/US films from the 1990s and 2000s. Each chapter reviews key films linked by profession and concludes with further viewing list. Christopher Robé has also written on

2600-577: The massacre and was supported by some parents of the victims of the Dunblane and Hungerford massacres shootings. Bereaved families and others also campaigned for a ban on private gun ownership. In response to public debate, the Conservative government of Prime Minister John Major introduced the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 which banned all cartridge ammunition handguns with the exception of .22 calibre rimfire in England, Scotland, and Wales. Following

2665-603: The massacre from the perspective of those most directly affected. In 2009, the Sunday Express was criticised for an inappropriate article about the survivors of the massacre, thirteen years after the event. On the Sunday following the shootings the morning service from Dunblane Cathedral , conducted by Colin MacIntosh, was broadcast live by the BBC . The BBC also had live transmission of

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2730-519: The massacre, Hamilton's body was cremated . According to a police spokesman, this service was conducted "far away from Dunblane". The Cullen Reports , the result of the inquiry into the Dunblane massacre, recommended that the Government of the United Kingdom introduce tighter controls on handgun ownership and consider whether an outright ban on private ownership would be in the public interest in

2795-438: The memorial service on 9 October 1996, also held at Dunblane Cathedral. A documentary series, Crimes That Shook Britain , discussed the massacre. The documentary Dunblane: Remembering our Children , which featured many of the parents of the children who had been killed, was broadcast by STV and ITV at the time of the first anniversary. In Cold Blood , a 1997 documentary exploring the psychology behind mass killings, examined

2860-503: The men behind the mass shootings in Dunblane, Aramoana, New Zealand and Port Arthur, Tasmania — and found common traits in the three murderers. At the time of the tenth anniversary in March 2006 two documentaries were broadcast: Channel 5 screened Dunblane — A Decade On and BBC Scotland showed Remembering Dunblane . On 9 March 2016 relatives of the victims spoke in a BBC Scotland documentary entitled Dunblane: Our Story to mark

2925-520: The private ownership of most handguns in Great Britain . The UK Government instituted a buyback programme which provided compensation to licensed owners. At about 8:15 a.m. on 13 March 1996, Thomas Hamilton, aged 43, was seen scraping ice off his van outside his home at Kent Road in Stirling. He left soon afterwards and drove about five miles (eight kilometres) north to Dunblane. Hamilton arrived on

2990-803: The public (or at least historically documented), biopic roles are considered some of the most demanding of actors and actresses. Warren Beatty , Faye Dunaway , Ben Kingsley , Johnny Depp , Jim Carrey , Jamie Foxx , Robert Downey Jr. , Brad Pitt , Emma Thompson , Tom Hanks , Eddie Redmayne , and Cillian Murphy all gained new-found respect as dramatic actors after starring in biopics: Beatty and Dunaway as Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Kingsley as Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi (1982), Depp as Ed Wood in Ed Wood (1994), Carrey as Andy Kaufman in Man on

3055-541: The public in October 2005. Four files containing post-mortems , medical records and profiles on the victims, as well as Hamilton's post-mortem, remained sealed under the 100-year order to avoid distressing the relatives and survivors. The released documents revealed that in 1991, complaints against Hamilton were made to the Central Scotland Police and were investigated by the Child Protection Unit. He

3120-425: The same direction after opening the fire exit door. Hamilton then exited the gym briefly through the fire exit, firing another four shots towards the cloakroom of the library, striking and injuring Grace Tweddle, another member of staff at the school. In the mobile classroom closest to the fire exit where Hamilton was standing, Catherine Gordon saw him firing shots and instructed her Primary 7 class to get down onto

3185-480: The scene at 9:57 a.m. in response to the call made at 9:43 a.m. Another medical team from Dunblane Health Centre arrived at 10:04 a.m. which included doctors and a nurse, who were involved in the initial resuscitation of the injured. Medical teams from the health centres in Doune and Callander arrived shortly after. The accident and emergency department at Stirling Royal Infirmary had also been informed of

3250-469: The scout movement. Among those he complained to were Queen Elizabeth II and his local Member of Parliament (MP), Michael Forsyth ( Conservative ). In the 1980s, another MP, George Robertson ( Labour ), who lived in Dunblane, had complained to Forsyth about Hamilton's local boys' club, which his son had attended. On the day after the massacre, Robertson spoke of having previously argued with Hamilton "in my own home". On 19 March 1996, six days after

3315-462: The stage of the assembly hall and the girls' toilet. Hamilton started shooting rapidly and randomly. He shot P.E. teacher Eileen Harrild who was injured in her arms and chest as she attempted to protect herself and continued shooting into the gym. Harrild stumbled into the open-plan store cupboard at the side of the gym along with several injured children. Gwen Mayor, the teacher of the Primary 1 class,

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3380-402: The store cupboard along with the injured Harrild and Blake. Hamilton then moved up the east side of the gym, firing six shots as he walked, and then fired eight shots towards the opposite end of the gym. He then went towards the centre of the gym, firing 16 shots at point-blank range at a group of children who had been incapacitated by his earlier shots. A Primary 7 pupil who was walking along

3445-506: The subject of several complaints to police regarding inappropriate behaviour towards young boys, including claims that he had taken photographs of semi-naked boys without parental consent. He had briefly been a Scout leader – in July 1973 at age 21, he had been appointed assistant leader with the 4th/6th Stirling troop of the Scout Association . Later that year, he was seconded as leader to

3510-526: The tourists. At her home, Nitram's mother smokes, unaware of the news report of the massacre playing in the background. On 17 November 2020, it was announced that Justin Kurzel would direct a film focused on the 1996 Port Arthur massacre , starring Caleb Landry Jones , Judy Davis , Essie Davis and Anthony LaPaglia . Principal photography of the film began on 23 January 2021 and concluded on 13 March 2021 in Geelong , Victoria . The film had its premiere at

3575-474: The truth. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was based on game show host Chuck Barris ' widely debunked yet popular memoir of the same name, in which he claimed to be a CIA agent. Kafka incorporated both the life of author Franz Kafka and the surreal aspects of his fiction. The Errol Flynn film They Died with Their Boots On tells the story of Custer but is highly romanticized. The Oliver Stone film The Doors , mainly about Jim Morrison ,

3640-499: The twentieth anniversary. A 2018 Netflix documentary , Lessons from a School Shooting: Notes from Dunblane , directed by Kim A. Snyder , drew comparison with the Sandy Hook massacre in the US by exploring the grief and friendship between the two priests serving the affected communities at the times of the respective shootings. On 11 March 2021, ITV aired a special documentary to mark

3705-419: The twenty-fifth anniversary: Return to Dunblane with Lorraine Kelly in which the presenter revisited the town, speaking with the victims' families and emergency aid workers. Two days after the shooting, a vigil and prayer session was held at Dunblane Cathedral which was attended by people of all faiths. On Mothering Sunday , on 17 March, Queen Elizabeth II and her daughter Anne, Princess Royal , attended

3770-633: The union for Tasmania Police , indicated it was worried how members of the union's mental health would be impacted. The Star Theatre in Launceston and the State Cinema in Hobart were the only cinemas in Tasmania to show the film. However, the State Cinema chose not to advertise the screenings. The production company invited arts minister Elise Archer to meet, but she declined. Screen Tasmania declined to fund

3835-409: The victims' families whilst reporting on the massacre for GMTV , was a guest speaker at the service. In August 1997, two varieties of rose were unveiled and planted as the centrepiece for a roundabout in Dunblane. The two roses were developed by Cockers Roses of Aberdeen ; the 'Gwen Mayor' rose and 'Innocence' rose, in memory of the children killed. A snowdrop cultivar , originally found in

3900-442: The west side of the gymnasium exterior at the time heard loud bangs and screams and looked inside. Hamilton shot in his direction and the pupil was injured by flying glass before running away. From this position, Hamilton fired 24 shots in various directions. He fired shots towards a window next to the fire exit at the south-east end of the gym, possibly at an adult who was walking across the playground, and then fired four more shots in

3965-530: Was blacklisted by the Association and thwarted in a later attempt he made to become a Scout leader in Clackmannanshire . Hamilton claimed in letters that local rumours regarding his behaviour towards young boys had led to the failure of his business in 1993, and that, in the last months of his life, he had complained that his attempts to organise a boys' club were subjected to persecution by local police and

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4030-1056: Was highly praised for the similarities between Jim Morrison and actor Val Kilmer , look-wise and singing-wise, but fans and band members did not like the way Val Kilmer portrayed Jim Morrison, and a few of the scenes were even completely made up. In rare cases, sometimes called auto biopics , the subject of the film plays themself. Examples include Jackie Robinson in The Jackie Robinson Story (1950), Muhammad Ali in The Greatest (1977), Audie Murphy in To Hell and Back (1955), Patty Duke in Call Me Anna (1990), Bob Mathias in The Bob Mathias Story (1954), Arlo Guthrie in Alice's Restaurant (1969), Fantasia in Life Is Not

4095-544: Was met by widespread controversy within Tasmania itself. Kelly Spaulding, mayor of the Tasman Council , which includes Port Arthur, condemned the choice to make the film. The Alannah and Madeline Foundation , which was established by Walter Mikac whose wife and two young daughters were murdered in the Port Arthur massacre, released a statement also condemning the choice to produce the film. The Police Association of Tasmania,

4160-534: Was reported to the Procurator Fiscal for consideration of ten charges, including assault , obstructing police and contravention of the Children and Young Persons Act 1937. Reports from serving police officers stated that he was unsuitable to own firearms; no action was taken. Two books – Dunblane: Our Year of Tears by Peter Samson and Alan Crow and Dunblane: Never Forget by Mick North – both give accounts of

4225-426: Was shot and killed instantly. The other adult present, Mary Blake, a supervisory assistant, was shot in the head and both legs but also managed to make her way to the store cupboard with several of the children in front of her. From entering the gymnasium and walking a few steps, Hamilton had fired 29 shots with one of the pistols, killed one child, and injured several others. Four injured children had taken shelter in

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