Welcome to ‘The Wider Screen’ a series of endorsements of films in the international sphere of cinema. In the past, I have been guilty of ignoring the potential of non-English speaking cinema and as I experience more international films, I can pass them onto you. Oscar Winning Parasite director Bong Joon Ho stated “Once you overcome the 1-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films” and in line with this notion, I hope I can do my bit to introduce you to some of the great international films that I have seen.
Cinema isn’t something that just appears in the UK or USA,
each country has its own unique culture and identity that is expressed through its
cinema. New Zealand cinema is a great example of this, a country enriched with
tradition and culture, it’s films are a direct representation of both. Directed by Lee Tamahori Once
Were Warriors arrived in the renaissance
period of NZ cinema, where several films of high quality were being produced
into the mainstream. The renaissance period refers to the 1990’s where tax
breaks were in force for filmmakers, allowing the industry to find relative domestic
and international; success by creating Hollywood standard films.
Once Were Warriors is the story of a family gripped by violence, aggression,
and hormones in a hard-hitting drama about life in some of New Zealand’s most underdeveloped
and impoverished communities. Jake Heke is the traditional father figure with a
hugely unpredictable temper and macho exterior, Jake loves to act as the
generous host, entertaining his friends late into the night. His Macho exterior
is fed by his love for violence in any form, this showing it’s darker side when
he begins physically abusing his long suffering wife, indicating that his macho
exterior is simply for show, he is very much the opposite of a strong man on
the inside.
Beth is married to Jake in what
is a turbulent relationship to say the least, she often wakes up battered and
bruised from her husband’s ongoing campaign of terror, nevertheless she consistently
blames herself, a realistic and shocking truth about domestic abuse victims. Once
Were Warriors doesn’t just highlight the effect domestic abuse has on Beth,
but how the turmoil spreads into the wider family through their children. The eldest
son Boogie joins a gang in the hope of finding a level worth and importance in
his life that has so far been absent. Grace is potentially the most complex
case in the family, close to her mother, she understands and empathises with
her issues. Grace is pure and inherently kind but living in such a toxic
environment becomes hugely damaging to her mental health. Grace is the beacon
for hope and optimism that eventually gets blocked by fear and abuse.
Temura Morrison who made his name in Hollywood playing Boba Fett in Star Wars is ultimately the star of the show as Jake Heke. No matter how grotesque his actions appear, you are almost won over by his charisma and whit, athletic and energetic you almost forget that he is a vulgar wife beater.
Once Were Warriors is obviously a striking representation of domestic abuse,
but it is so much more than that. The deep dive into the hugely traditional
Maori culture and the importance and responsibility that it places on it’s
youth. The power of alcohol and drugs in causing personality shifts and
disorders in people, often drawing out the worst versions of us and in turn hurting
the people that we are supposed to care most about.
New Zealand cinema is such a hidden gem that must be uncovered. Rich in culture with powerful, dominant performances, Once Were Warriors can be the start, but don’t make it your last.
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