“Once Were Warriors” review
Once Were Warriors, directed by Lee Tamahori, immediately dispersed any stereotypical view I had on New Zealand within the first five minutes. The gritty, polluted streets littered with violent gangs and half-naked women are a complete contrast to the conventional, illustrative landscape I imagined.
Set in modern-day Auckland, Once Were Warriors takes us through a brutal and powerful journey alongside the members of the Hekes, a family descended from Maori warriors and fighting for their place in society. Parents Jake (Temuera Morrison) and Beth (Rena Owen) live on welfare whilst struggling to bring up six children in an environment plagued with alcohol, drugs and domestic violence. Temuera Morrison as the overbearing, aggressive father is chillingly convincing, however, Rena Owen steals the show as a compassionate, susceptible mother desperate for her children to experience a better life.
Lee Tamahori’s directional debut deals with real-life issues and situations that will defintely impress and distress to such a degree that talking about the vivid imagery afterwards is inevitable.
