ONCE WERE WARRIORS

New Zealand, 1994, 103 minutes, Colour.
Temuera Morrison, Rena Owen, Cliff Curtis.
Directed by Lee Tamahori.

Once Were Warriors has been the most successful New Zealand film in its own country - outdoing films like Jurassic Park at the New Zealand box office. It was also very successful commercially in Australia and had screenings throughout the world. It was represented at many of the international film festivals including Venice and Montreal, where it won prizes for film and for best actress as well as the ecumenical award. It also won the International Catholic Film Office award for Best New Zealand film of 1994.

New Zealanders were very strong in telling the rest of the world that it is a film that should be seen despite its violence and language and the sometimes savage scenes of domestic violence. It mirrors crises for Maoris who `once were warriors' and now are stuck in urban slums, caught up in the consequences of unemployment, drinking and crime.

The performances are excellent and credible. Temuera Morrison was well known in New Zealand for his role as a doctor on the serial, Shortland Street. After Once Were Warriors, he made a number of films in Australia and then overseas. Rena Owen is excellent as Beth, the wife and mother of the family.

The film is based on a novel by Alan Duff. However, it has been adapted by writer and director, Lee Tamahori, so that the story is told from the point of view of Beth. This gives the film a tenderness as well as a certain savagery.

Audiences get very involved with the family and its trials, the brutality of the unemployed and alcoholic husband, the long suffering of the wife and her concern about her children, the oldest who is alienated and joins a Maori street gang with its rituals and tattoos, the teenager involved in stealing who has to go to an institution but who learns something of Maori traditions while he's there, Grace the teenage daughter, sensitive, who writes short stories but is the victim of the ultimate brutality.

This is no flattering portrait of the Maori people, but it has a great deal to say and to show about New Zealand in the '90s.

Director Lee Tamahori went to Hollywood after making Once Were Warriors and made the films Mulholland Drive, The Edge, Along Came a Spider as well as episodes of The Sopranos.

1. The acclaim of the film throughout the world? Its success in New Zealand (greater box office than any other film)? Impact in Australia? The importance of the film for New Zealand and Pacific audiences? The Maori issues? The urban issues in New Zealand? The universal qualities of the story?

2. The authenticity of the Auckland settings? The streets and the homes, industry, the pub? The institutions? The traditional Maori home? The cemetery? The marae? The initial impact of the poster at the beginning with the landscapes of New Zealand - and then the realisation that it was simply a poster? Indicating themes to come?

3. The range of musical score, the songs? Especially the singing by Jake and his friends? Traditional themes? Popular music themes? The songs themselves and their lyrics indicating the issues of the film?

4. The title, Beth's reference that Maoris once were warriors? Jake's reaction? Warriors and fighting and the Maori tradition? The loss of opportunities for warlike behaviour by the Maoris amongst themselves? The warrior tradition and the violence transferred to the urban home? To games? To the gangs? The school and the rediscovery of the warrior tradition? The traditional arms, moves, rituals? As performed at Grace's funeral? The spirit inside the Maoris - and not being able to come out? Regrets for the past? Regrets for the present? Possibilities for the future?

5. Audience response to the Maori themes? Familiar or not? New Zealand in the '90s? The picture of Maoris in the cities? The destruction of the Maori spirit? Poverty and squalor, limitations of work, unemployment and the dole? The overall drinking and the repercussions? The living of community, the bonds, the destroying of the bonds? The role of the Maori family? The extended family? The possibilities of abuse and violence?

6. The original novel being adapted for the point of view of Beth? The film as Beth's story? Her memories of herself as young, her background, a princess? The attraction to Jake? Her decision to marry him? His taking her away from her roots and her family? A headstrong young woman with a headstrong young man? The love between the two, the hopes? Their establishing their home, their family? The memory of the aunts and their tradition? The aunts and their resentment of Jake and his lack of background? The years passing with love and violence? The children? Jake and his work in the fish market, taking the fish, bringing them home, his being sacked? His violent reaction and his taking it out on Beth, bashing her? All the resentment at home? Beth and her changing reactions, her love for Jake, the violence and the disfigurement? Cooking the meals, cleaning the house, caring for the children? The sexual relationship? The scene with the eggs on the floor? The hopes for a different house, prospects for the kids? Nig and his leaving home, coming back and asking her for money, her wanting to give money to him? Boogie and his being charged, going to the court, not being able to go with him because of the disfigurement? Boogie going to the institution? Her love for Gracie, Gracie and her stories? Beth and her friends, being able to talk? Ignore or cope with the violence? The parties and the singing, the drinking? Jake being a singer, Beth and her joy in singing? Yet the move to violence? Her failure in supporting Boogie in the court? Her wanting to go to see him, getting the money, getting the car, the possibility of the picnic? Talking with Boogie? Jake going into the pub, her disappointment after the waiting, the taxi and taking the children home? Phoning Boogie? Grace being upset and blaming her mother for being subservient to Jake? The grief with Grace, her period, her wandering away, the search? Finding Grace hanging, her grief, the hospital? Taking Grace back to her traditional home? The ceremonies, her pride in her tradition? Her realisation that Jake was hopeless? Her friendship with Toot and welcoming him into the family? Looking at Grace's diary, the horrible realisation of the truth about the rape and Bully? The confrontation of Jake in the pub, telling him the truth about Bully? Her decision to leave? Her statement about the Maoris, once were warriors? Her future, her relationship with her family? Nig and the possibility of a relationship, Boogie and his learning the traditions?

7. The perspective of Jake's story? The background of the Maori slaves, his not being of royalty, his love for Beth, marrying her? His ability to get work or not? His love for his kids yet his violent treatment of them? Care for the baby crying? Jobs and losing them, the market, the fish? The clashes with Beth? Brutal bashing? Going to the pub, one with the boys, the drinking and the singing? His pals? His coming home, bringing the friends, the drinking, the singing, the possibilities of joy - wanting Beth to be the slave, the kitchen, the eggs on the floor, his violence and not saying he was sorry? The possibility of visiting Boogie, the plan, his going to the pub, the races and the betting, the money, his failure? The reaction to Grace's death? Axing the tree? The funeral and his being ignored? Beth coming to the pub, telling him the truth, the violent confrontation with Bully? An angry man and no outlet to give his anger vent? Beth leaving him? His future?

8. Nig, the older son, the rebel, in the home community, with his father's friends, finding the bike gang - a guerrilla-like group? The tattoos and the violence of the initiation? Clashes with his father, coming home and wanting money from his mother? The bar? The clash about Boogie and his future? Going to the funeral? Any hope for alienated Maori youth?

9. Boogie, his age, stealing? His past, within the family, with the little ones, going to bed, going to court and wanting his mother to be there? His relationship with Grace and her supporting him? The court, Mr Bennett and his going to the institution? His angry reactions, breaking the windows, rebelling? The training and the traditional costume, arms, rituals and song? The phone call, his going to the funeral and his being able to embody the traditions?

10. Grace and her age, place in the family, following in her mother's footsteps? Her own sensitivity? Her stories? The friendship with Toot, going to visit him, sharing and the talking? A soul mate? Her looking after the littlies, cleaning up the house, her relationship with Nig? Going to the court, supporting Boogie, wanting to go to visit, the failure of the visit? Her writing in her diary, her stories? At home, her angers? Her period and the sexual awakening? Bully and the rape, the violence, her wandering, her hanging herself and the discovery of the truth in her diary?

11. The small children, their place in the home, the overall experience of this kind of brutality? Their hopes for the future?

12. Toot, under the overpass, in the car, friendship with Grace, the discussions of the stories, his lack of background, his advances on Grace at the wrong time and her spurning him? His coming to the family and sharing their grief?

13. Jake and his friends and relations, the tough men, the macho image, the drinking, the singing, the parties?

14. Bully and his place in the group, as an uncle, his drinking and violence, the brutality of his seduction and rape, his violence towards Grace and his keeping it secret? The confrontation with Jake?

15. The women, their status in the community, supporting the men? The contrast with the traditional women?

16. Mr Bennett, the support in the court, the judge, the social workers and lawyers? The institution, Mr Bennett and his training the young men, response to Boogie and his violence, the songs and the rituals?

17. The realism of the film? The visual impact of the violence and the language? Sexual abuse in the home? In society? A challenging look at urban society and the underprivileged?