1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible film, January 6, 2005
The director of Once Were Warriors, Lee Tamahori presents a raw, compelling portrait of how the colonization and disruption of indigenous cultures really destabilizes and destroys communities of native peoples. He illustrates how it has far-reaching consequences well into the future. Mr. Tamahori does this without pointing fingers or even mentioning colonizers; rather, he focuses on the victims of the tragedy of displacement and subjugation.
In the case of Once Were Warriors, the director gives us a view into (what the viewer must assume is) an average, impoverished Mâori family in New Zealand. (The Mâori are the aboriginal peoples of New Zealand.) The movie is very raw and definitely not suitable for children. You aren't human if you don't cry for these people when you watch this movie. Mr. Tamahori made no attempt to make a feel-good movie. He has a story to tell and makes no attempt to sugar-coat the truth. Once Were Warriors in intense movie.
Once Were Warriors drew a lot of acclaim. It was the first film to successfully present the modern-day Mâori plight to the world. Critics loved this movie. And as a result of Once Were Warriors, two of the main actors in the film, Rena Owen and Temuera Morrison were thrust into the mainstream media. As a result, both have earned the opportunity to be involved mega Hollywood films, such as the Star Wars Trilogy and the Matrix. Unfortunately I doubt these actors will be remembered for their compelling performances in Once Were Warriors, but rather for their assimilation into Hollywood. Regardless, I hope they and their colleagues continue to participate in media projects in their native New Zealand, where they really shine.
Once Were Warriors is one of the few movies that has made a real impact on my world-view. I saw Once Were Warriors when I was a freshman in college and it opened my eyes to cultures well beyond my reach and scope. It forced me, for the first time, to abandon my ethnocentricity. As a result of this movie I am (I hope) a much more culturally sensitive person.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
engaging story, September 10, 2004
This movie is a good introduction to the Maori people of New Zealand. One of the main problems of the Maori is highlighted in this film -- alcoholism and how it effects families. The 2003 film, Whale Rider, shows a lighter side of the Maori culture while Once Were Warriors is darker yet also provides a look at some of the older customs that are seen in Whale Rider.
For the most part, this is an unhappy story but there is a beauty in the acting and the culture that makes the film well worth seeing.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
The Maori urban life that New Zealand tourists never see., June 13, 2009
In a film so hard-hitting that the viewer actually feels battered by the time it reaches its conclusion, a Maori family with five children must deal with urban violence, poverty, drugs, alcoholism, unemployment, gang warfare, rape, physical and mental abuse, suicide, and a host of other horrific family problems, all shown graphically.
Beth and Jake Heke and their five children, along with numerous othr Maori families, live in an urban ghetto of government-supported housing, isolated from the rest of society and isolated, too, from their old rural culture, which once gave pride and a sense of identity to Maori families. Here in the city, the prevailing "culture" centers around bars, rather than the ancient meeting houses.
Beth Heke (Rena Owen), the mother, loves her violent husband Jake (Temuera Morrison), despite his abuse of her when he is drunk, and she cares deeply about her children. She is powerless, however, to protect them or herself from Jake's rages. The oldest son (Julian Arahanga) is part of a street gang which covers their faces in traditional tattoos and uses their own violence for protection against others. Their sensitive second son Boogie (Taungaroa Emile) has been arrested for associating with car thieves.
Most touching, however, is Gracie (unforgettably played by Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell), a thirteen-year-old beauty who is trying to lead a good life without any good examples to follow. Pathetically, she and the two youngest children are forced to "grow up early," accepting the horrors of their lives as "normal," while they try to survive any way they can.
The bold, raw language of Alan Duff's novel of the same name becomes part of Riwia Brown's script, and Lee Tamahori's direction brings this powerful, absorbing, and overwhelming story of human misery to life. Tamahori uses contrasts throughout to emphasize the themes and the differences between contemporary Maori urban life and traditional Maori culture.
He uses haunting Maori music to begin the film, then switches to scenes of rap and rock. He alternates quiet visions of a Maori village with loud bar activity, and he shows the sweetness of Gracie against the grim living conditions of the best friend Toot (Shannon Williams). He illustrates Jake's v
Once Were Warriorsiolence in contrast with the family's need for calmer, more focused lives.
The cinematography, too, emphasizes the contrasts, though many viewers may be too focused on the overwhelming emotionalism of the scenes to notice. Though I loved the book (hard as it is to take), I found the film even better--the characters, as acted here, are much more heart-wrenching than I ever could have imagined. Mary Whipple
Once Were Warriors, Book by Alan Duff
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