The Dead Lands (2014)

After his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery, the teenage son of a slain Maori chieftain looks to avenge his father's murder and bring peace and honor to the souls of his loved ones.

Director:

Toa Fraser

Writer:

Glenn Standring

Stars:

James Rolleston, Lawrence Makoare, Te Kohe Tuhaka

4 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Rolleston	...	Hongi
Lawrence Makoare	...	The Warrior
Te Kohe Tuhaka	...	Wirepa
Xavier Horan	...	Rangi
Raukura Turei	...	Mehe
George Henare	...	Tane
Rena Owen	...	Grandmother
Pana Hema Taylor	...	Mana
Calvin Tuteao	...	Ka
Jamus Webster	...	Tahi
Bianca Hyslop	...	Pipi
Isabella Rakete	...	Keri
Matariki Whatarau	...	Tama
Wairangi Koopu	...	Raupatu
Jeff Ruha	...	Mere

Storyline

After his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery, Hongi, a Maori chieftain's teenage son, must avenge his father's murder in order to bring peace and honor to the souls of his loved ones. Vastly outnumbered by a band of villains, Hongi's only hope is to pass through the feared and forbidden Dead Lands and forge an uneasy alliance with the mysterious Warrior, a ruthless fighter who has ruled the area for years.

---

Plot Keywords:

severed head | cannibalism | martial arts | murder | hallucinogenic mushroom | 

---

Taglines:

Where the warrior spirit was born

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brutal bloody violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

New Zealand UK

Language:

Maori

Release Date:

30 October 2014 (New Zealand)

Also Known As:

Savasçi

Filming Locations:

New Zealand

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,327, 17 April 2015, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$4,426, 3 May 2015

Company Credits

Production Co:

General Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Toa Fraser's first name actually means "warrior" in Maori, though he is actually of Fijian descent.

---

Goofs

In reference to the previous statement about an apparent car in the back of shot, the viewer must have been seeing things. What it is is a Kereru (our native wood pigeon) that briefly and with much motion blur flies past the Warrior like a spirit form.

---

Quotes

The Warrior: I have a blackness that comes upon me - where even the God of War would not venture!

---

Soundtracks

Waiata Atahu
Written by Te Manahau Morrison
Performed by Raukura Turei

User Reviews

A young Mauri warrior seeking revenge for the death of his tribe.

Due to my current time restraints I'm going to skip the usual intellectually enthusiastic movie exaltation and just cut right to some idiotically strait-forward praise.

This movie was quite an amazing surprise. I didn't expect it to be so good, to the point where I haven't seen an action movie like it in at least a year. And when I use the word "good," it's to symbolize an all-encompassing quality. The depths of the human spirit were represented in the film, clearly and intensely, not considering it's depletion of maybe romance and humor, at it's worst. I found the drama unmatched, and the action and cinematography are extremely inventive. Not to mention: it's the only good Mauri period piece I've ever seen, so I think I might've been waiting a long time for something like this.

A true work of art.