Once Were Warriors (1994)

A family descended from Maori warriors is bedeviled by a violent father and the societal problems of being treated as outcasts.

Director:

Lee Tamahori

Writers:

Riwia Brown, Alan Duff (novel)

Stars:

Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell

22 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rena Owen	...	Beth Heke
Temuera Morrison	...	Jake Heke
Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell	...	Grace Heke
Julian Arahanga	...	Nig Heke
Taungaroa Emile	...	Boogie Heke
Rachael Morris Jr.	...	Polly Heke
Joseph Kairau	...	Huata Heke
Cliff Curtis	...	Bully
Pete Smith	...	Dooley
George Henare	...	Bennett
Mere Boynton	...	Mavis
Shannon Williams	...	Toot
Calvin Tuteao	...	Taka (Gang Leader)
Ray Bishop	...	King Hitter (in pub)
Ian Mune	...	Judge

Storyline

Set in urban Auckland (New Zealand) this movie tells the story of the Heke family. Jake Heke is a violent man who beats his wife frequently when drunk, and yet obviously loves both her and his family. The movie follows a period of several weeks in the family's life showing Jake's frequent outburst of violence and the effect that this has on his family. The youngest son is in trouble with the police and may be put into a foster home while the elder son is about to join a street gang. Jake's daughter has her own serious problems which are a key element in the plot.

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | police | new zealand | maori | gang | 

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Taglines:

A family in crisis, a life in chaos... Nothing is more powerful than a mother's love.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language and strong depiction of domestic abuse, including sexual violence and substance abuse

Details

Official Sites:

FineLine

Country:

New Zealand

Language:

English Maori Spanish

Release Date:

3 March 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Alma dos Guerreiros

Filming Locations:

Auckland, New Zealand

Box Office

Gross USA:

$2,201,126

Company Credits

Production Co:

Communicado Productions, New Zealand Film Commission, Avalon/NFU

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When filming the party scenes in a house in Auckland, the local neighbors often complained about the noise.

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Goofs

During the first party (when Jake forcibly ejects a "wanker" male guest), there is a continuity error between when we first see Jake angrily coming at the guest (from the inside, in the kitchen) and the shot when we see the guest ejected (from the exterior of the house). The error is that from the inside we see one exit from the home (just to the left of the kitchen), and from the outside we see the guest being ejected from somewhere entirely different (looks like from the opposite end of the home entirely, because you can't even see the kitchen windows which look out onto the backyard).

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Quotes

Te Tupaea: The British used to think the bayonet was the most lethal of all hand to hand combat weapons, till they came across our warriors, who fought with the Taiaha. You think your fist is your weapon? When I have taught you, your mind will be.

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Crazy Credits

Before the ending credits start, a giant 'END' covers the screen.

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Connections

Featured in Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill (1995)

User Reviews

Gut-wrenching

This is one of the most powerful and realistic movies I have ever seen.

A true modern-day tragedy, this movie shows the negative aspects of one indigenous culture in today's society. This is a very important movie as it forces you to look at issues that some have to live with on a daily basis.

This movie literally left me feeling sick in the stomach. Particularly with the knowledge that there are families out there living through this. The performance by Temuera Morrison was incredible.