TRACKER

New Zealand, 2010, 102 minutes, Colour.

Ray Winstone, Temuera Morrison, Gareth Reeves.

Directed by Ian Sharpe.

Tracker delivers what its title states.

This is a New Zealand film, a New Zealand story with links to South Africa and the Boer War.

The war is over and defeated Boer, property destroyed, wife and daughters disappeared, decides to migrate to New Zealand, at the same time as veterans who participated in the war are returning home. He is played by veteran British character actor, Ray Winstone.

We are also introduced to some of the New Zealand soldiers, officers who had command in South Africa, beginning the settling back home. There is an interruption to this action when the Maori veteran his court in a sexual relationship with a white woman. Anger breaks out. Racial bigotry breaks out. There are bashings, shootings – with the Maori man going on the run. His played by New Zealand International actor, Temuera Morrison, who made such an impression in the 1990s in once Were Warriors.

The officer sets up a posse to pursue the fugitive, enlisting the talent of the South African, a veteran tracker who finds the fugitive first. The core of the film is the interrelationship between the two, the tracker assuming the guilt of the fugitive, the fugitive stating his case, explaining to the Boer his experience of British colonialism in New Zealand, prejudice, against his grandfather and father, the hanging of his father. And, we the audience, know that is not guilty of the shooting for which she is pursued.

Because we know the truth of what has happened, the audience is on the fugitive side, hoping that his tracker will begin to understand – but not without fights, taunts, pleading.

This comes to a head when the group of trackers arrive, tie the fugitive up, taunt him. This leads to the tracker having to make a decision, the audience hoping that he will let the fugitive go. The narrative does not quite go in the direction the audience might have been anticipating – but is the better for that. Sad, better.

And, all the time, there is the magnificent New Zealand scenery.

1. The title? The tracker from South Africa, the New Zealand trackers, the Maori man and his being tracked?
2. The setting, after the end of the Boer War, the returning troops, New Zealand, after action and warfare, migrants coming to New Zealand with hopes? The coast, the town and the fort, the beautiful landscapes throughout the film? The musical score?
3. The refugee from the war,Boer, experience of the war, disappearance of his wife and daughters, bitterness, fighting the British? The defeat, the decision to come to New Zealand, expectations? Encounter with the military officer, talking about the war? Becoming involved in the tracking? At the end, the final discussion on the beach with the officer, asking whether he gave the order, the reassurance of the burning house was empty, the photo of the wife and daughters?
4. The officer, his status, the other soldiers, life in the town?
5. The Maori, the sexual activity, with a white woman, the reaction of the soldiers, violence, brutality, the shooting, accusing the Maori? His fleeing?
6. The Maori, the war, his experiences, racial prejudice and bigotry? His fleeing, injured, the South African tracker, finding him, the conflict, the violence, captive? Is revealing his character, his history, colonialism in New Zealand, the British, his father hanged, his pride in his traditions? The pursuit by the officer and his men? Greater understanding on the part of the tracker, the capture, his being tied up, the tracker leaving the knife, his escape? The tracker misleading the pursuers with clues? The eventual capture, the Maori and his plea not to be hanged, the tracker firing the gun, the Maori falling down the waterfall, his finger cut off as proof of death? The tracker leaving him alive? His future, the final enrolment sequence?
7. The pursuers, their stances, predators, their backgrounds, violent military, urbane officer? The issue of leaving the body not to be buried, no more wasting time? And the irony that he was alive?
8. The tracker, deciding to leave for Australia, on the beach, the officer, the issue of the finger, the discussion about the episode in the war?