MAHANA/ THE PATRIARCH

New Zealand, 2016, 106 minutes, Colour.
Temuera Morrison, Akuhata Keefe, Nancy Brunning, Jim Moriarty, Regan Taylor, Maria Walker.
Directed by Lee Tamahori.

Young director in the 1990s, Lee Tamahori, made quite an impact in New Zealand and internationally with his film about Maori families, Once Were Warriors which won many international awards and opened up a Hollywood career to the director with such films as Mulholland Falls, Along Came a Spider and the James Bond film, Die Another Day.

20 years after Once Were Warriors, Tamahori has returned to his native New Zealand and uses his star of his previous film, Temuera Morrison, as the patriarch of the title. However, the film is set at the end of the 1950s, the beginning of the 1960s on the North Island near Gisborne.

One of the interesting features of the film is that it focuses on Maori families and not on clashes between whites and Maoris, although some of these issues are quite implicit and the injustices towards the indigenous people are highlighted in a courtroom scene where it is made clear that no Maori language can be used, only English, and the plaintiffs are all forced to plead guilty and receive severe sentences.

Morrison is very strong as the grandfather, patriarch of the family, controlling everyone and taking this for granted. He has several sons and sends them out in different groups, their families accompanying them for supplementary work, cooking and washing, for sheep shearing contracts. At the opening of the film, a white land owner is being buried, a man who has the respect of the Maoris, and two rival families race in their cars to secure their shearing contracts before the ceremony. The rivalries between the families run deep and explained as the film progresses.

The character who emerges from the funeral and family gatherings is a young teenager, Simeon, played by Akuhata Keefe. He is a seemingly awkward, but quite clever boy, not having an athletic look, but quite strong, especially with shearing the sheep. But his grandfather wants to control him, especially his cheekiness, which leads to a clash and his family being expelled from the central group. This provides a certain independence which they relish, and the support of their grandmother who also has a serious story about her marriage to her husband and the deep rivalries from the past.

Simeon is a likeable character, the audience identifying with him especially in some of the challenges to his grandfather. Simeon also likes films (his grandfather doesn’t approve) and there is a humorous scene when they all go to see 3: 10 to Yuma in an outdoor cinema and one of the young bucks disturbs the screening by riding into the cinema on his horse – which, in fact, leads to the court scene where Simeon and his schoolfriends have been brought by the teacher to watch the administration of justice.

The film brings quite a number of characters to life, shows the effect of the communal life in the Maori tradition, but also shows the harshness of the patriarchal tradition – and the need to be challenged, especially by the beginning of the 1960s.

For audiences who are impressed by New Zealand locations, especially for The Lord of the Readings, it is a pleasure to see the New Zealand terrain. And it is also of great interest to share with Maori filmmakers this storytelling about the past and the transitions in the 20th century.

1. A New Zealand story? The 1950s into the 1960s, but the memories of the previous past? Maori story? Family, work and pride?

2. Gisborne, the North Island, the town, homes, wealthy, poor, the school, the cinema, shearing, the hearings in the court? The atmosphere?

3. The work of Lee Tamahori, Once Were Warriors – now 20 years later?

4. The period, costumes and decor, cars, manners and style?

5. The cultural references, George Bernard Shaw, John Steinbeck, John Wayne, James Stewart, 3:10 to Yuma, Van Heflin, the Biblical films, the Robe, Solomon and Sheba, Elvis Presley and Don Siegel, Flaming Star?

6. The title, the focus on the family, on the patriarch? The grandfather as the patriarch, his role, traditions, Maori communities? Harsh, the possibility for relenting, only partly?

7. The initial tone, entering the Maori world, grandfather and grandmother dressed, formal, waiting for the cars, the families of the hustle and bustle, the children, arriving late, the grandfather’s inspection, criticising Simeon’s tie, his birthday gift? Going to the church? The welcome by the Minister? The funeral of Mr Collins, a white man, his family and their grief? The grandfather and his speech? Tribute?

8. On the way to the funeral, the two families, rivalries, the cars and getting over the bridge, the grandfather getting the shearing contract? The continued enmity of the families?

9. The grandfather and his role, his commands, dividing the family, the shearing tasks, travelling away, seeing him in action, riding the horse? Grace before meals, Simeon and his prayer? Getting Simeon to chop the wood to toughen up, clean the cow shed, light the fires? To go to school? The bus and the girl? Getting him to go to the shearers and return at the set time? His treatment of everyone? Saying films were bad, Simeon’s retort? His thinking Joshua was weak? His not wanting Miriam to marry?

10. The film’s focus on Simeon, his tie, at the table, the grace, speaking up, intentions? Staying home, the wood, the cars, finding the photo of his grandmother? Going to the shearing, his skill in shearing the sheep, his father timing him and praising him? At school, the girlfriend and their being comfortable with each other? The quote from George Bernard Shaw, his age and the questions? His mother wanting him to respect his grandfather? His love for his father? The other children?

11. The family, the hard work, going with the shearers, cooking, washing, cleaning? The spirit of families?

12. The children going to the films, the rider on the horse, mayhem during the screening, the police? The enjoyment of 3:10 to Yuma, Van Heflin? Going to the court, the teacher and his encouragement, no Maori allowed to be spoken, the pleas of guilty, the harsh penalties? Simeon and not giving his vote of thanks, his speech about the Maoris, lack of freedom of speech, lack of defence, two years of life for a minor kerfuffle? The teacher commending him on his openness?

13. Simeon and the photo, the explanation of the feud between the families, grandmother, her character, devotion to her husband, loyalty, without love? The suitor, Simeon visualising the church ceremony, grandfather coming on horseback, carrying her off? Fiction? The true story, the grandfather coming, raping the grandmother, her pregnancy, people forcing her to marry?

14. Joshua, the attitude of his father, of his brothers, his hitting his father, the family being ousted, travelling in the rain, the grandmother giving her house? Settling, rough, the storm, the roof coming off, Joshua falling and injuring his leg, Simeon right about taking off the boot but its not being done, the rival coming, with the mechanism to fix the leg? The doctor, the successful healing? Simeon, going to the Collins family to renew the contract? His idea to go in the shearing competition? The grandfather watching, riding? His trying to tell a family what to do and their telling him to go, that he was trespassing?

15. The competition, the audience cheering, the radio commentators, the grandfather present, his collapse? Joshua and his team, winning their round? Grandfather’s team being beaten? The grand finale, the talented shearer winning the individual prize, Joshua’s team winning the team prize, the cash, the family pride and joy, dedicating the award to his father?

16. At the table, the young man, in love with Miriam, going to help Joshua of the family, grandfather ousting him, Miriam making a decision, their arriving, the separate room, sexual noise and people laughing, Miriam’s pregnancy?

17. The inability to pay bills, the news of the job, everybody going to the mountain, chopping the bush, grandmother helping? The grandfather watching?

18. The grandmother and her patient dignity, with the bees, the song, the mysterious departure?

19. The grandfather dying, everybody gathering, taking it in turns to watch, Simeon’s turn? The letter and the Bible, the explanation of what had happened? The grandfather not forgiving but some relenting?

20. The funeral, the rivals coming, the ceremonies, the threatening of the fight? Simeon speaking, telling the truth, the grandmother and her declaration, telling the story, her love for her suitor? Simeon achieving some kind of love and peace and reconciliation?

21. Maori heritage story?