Once Were Warriors (1994)

Directed by Lee Tamahori. Starring Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell, Cliff Curtis, Julian Arahanga, Mere Boynton, Taungaroa Emile, Shannon Williams, Pete Smith, George Henare, Rachael Morris Jr., Calvin Tuteao, Joseph Kairau. [R]

Searing drama depicting a deeply dysfunctional Māori family living in urban New Zealand. Mother Owen is strained to the brink trying to hold them all together, but her husband (Morrison) is an abusive and hyper-masculine lout, her oldest son (Arahanga) has moved out and joined a gang, the younger brother (Emile) is a delinquent placed in foster care, and the older sister (Kerr-Bell) is preyed upon by one of her father’s mates. A potent and powerful experience, even though most viewers will find it tough to watch; it doesn’t find much to say that hasn’t already been said for generations, and it feels like a missed opportunity to not weave cultural identity and traditions into the narrative more consistently (the filmmakers strive for universality more than specificity), but the central performances are so towering yet credible, the film gradually becomes nothing short of engrossing. There’s gut-wrenching tragedy near the end, and at least one sub-plot is resolved a little too cleanly, yet the film is so full of raw emotions and painful truth, these plot developments don’t register as manipulation. New Zealander Lee Tamahori’s impressive directing debut.

81/100