Once Were Warriors is a powerful and deeply affecting story of a contemporary Maori family in urban New Zealand. This debut film by Lee Tamahori has become a tremendous success in its native New Zealand, the highest-grossing film in the country's history, surpassing The Piano and Jurassic Park.
Beth Heke (Rena Owen) is a feisty, beautiful mother of five who, after eighteen years of marriage, is still deeply in love with her volatile husband Jake (Temuera Morrison ). Jake is a muscular, handsome man who exudes an explosive sexual energy; it is easy to see why Beth finds him hard to resist.
Jake spends most of his time at the local pub, guzzling beer and proving his masculinity with his fists. If Beth dares to question or challenge him, her answer often comes in a similarly violent form. But Beth is a survivor; it will take more than a few knocks to conquer her spirit. In spite of his violence, Beth is still in love with her husband, but is losing daily battles against the violent forces in and outside her home that desperately threaten to pull her family apart.
Although one son has joined a gang and another has been taken by the state to a home for delinquent boys, her beautiful teenage daughter Grace is still untouched. She is a thoughtful girl and a gifted writer who embodies Beth's own hopes for a brighter future. Grace's special gifts set her apart from her tough, urban surroundings and make her the most vulnerable member of the family. What happens to Grace changes the family's life forever and forces Beth to draw on her own Maori roots and personal strength to courageously turn adversity into triumph and create new hope for her own and her family's survival.
Although Communicado is New Zealand's largest independent production house, Once Were Warriors is its first feature film. After five years of television and video production, they knew that Alan Duff's Once Were Warriors, a highly controversial and bestselling novel in New Zealand, was exactly the type of story they wanted to make their big screen debut.
Contrasting sharply with what they considered the usual historic and polite New Zealand film norm, Once Were Warriors is contemporary and controversial. The characters drink, sing, love, and fight each other throughout this passionate and painful love story.
The release of the novel caused a stir in New Zealand because of its unflinching look at a violent Maori family. While the book originally was written from each character's stream-of-consciousness, the filmmakers decided to focus the story on Jake's wife, Beth. Acclaimed Maori playwright Riwia Brown was brought it to adapt the screenplay to a woman's point of view. Brown worked intensively with producer Robin Scholes and director Lee Tamahori on restructuring the narrative, during which Beth reevaluates her life as she questions her decision to stay with Jake and reconnects with her cultural heritage.
Lee Tamahori, an award-winning television commercial director, saw something special in the script and wanted to make the film his feature debut. He was determined to give the film a gritty and hard-edged feel and be true to the raw, violent nature of the story.
With the final script and director in place, and backing from the Film Commission, New Zealand On Air, and post-production support from Avalon NFU Studios, casting became the next issue. Jake was the most difficult character to cast. The film needed a towering man with tree-stump biceps and explosive, energetic sexuality. After scouring gyms, prisons, and the streets, it was decided only an experienced actor could handle the part. Temuera Morrison put in a stunning audition and secured the role. There was never any question as to who would play Beth. Both Lee Tamahori and producer Robin Scholes had Rena Owen in mind while reading the novel and felt that Owen was the only actress who had the kind of emotional intensity and power the character required.
Director of photography, Stuart Dryburgh (The Piano, An Angel At My Table) and production designer, Mike Kane (Desperate Remedies) are responsible for realizing Tamahori's vision for the film: a vision of atonal colors (strictly blacks, browns, and earthy tones) and enhanced skin tones (achieved by filtered lenses).
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