Director Lee Tamahori
Starring Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell
Rated MA
Score 6/6

A family descended from Maori warriors is bedeviled by a violent father and the societal problems of being treated as outcasts.

When I originally opened the suggestion list last year, Aaron suggested that I review Once Were Warriors. So, in the spirit of eventually getting things done (I believe that spirit’s name is procrastinatus) I have finally gotten around to reviewing it.

For those of you who might not know Once Were Warriors was adapted from a book of the same name written by Alan Duff 1990, the subsequent sequel to the book What becomes of the broken hearted was adapted into a movie in 1999 and the subsequent third book in the trilogy Jake’s Long Shadow was published in 2002 and has not been adapted into a movie.

Okay, I’ll admit it. I probably don’t watch that many movies from New Zealand. While writing this review I can think of at least one person that I know that might think that. The last movie from New Zealand that I really liked was Event 16 directed by Derek Pearson. Anyway, getting back on track, Once were Warriors is definitely one of those movies that you are very much aware of even if you have never watched it. the first thing that really jumped out at me was the font used in the movie’s opening credits and then the overwhelming 90’s vibe that the movie seemed to have.

I’ve come across some of Lee Tamahori’s work before and this is definitely unlike any of his other films that I have watched before. I’m vaguely familiar with Temuera Morrison’s work and Cliff Curtis is a favourite actor of mine (though what I have seen of him is mainly in American television series) and the harshness of their roles has certainly shown me there is a greater depth to their abilities as actors. Even though Rena Owen’s monologue at the end of the movie was brilliant and long overdue the real star of the movie was Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell. Her character Grace was one of those kids that you want nothing but the best for. That made her character’s journey into despair and ultimate fate an emotional punch to the stomach.