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Based on the 1990 novel by Alan Duff, filmmaker Lee Tamahori, against all odds, delivered Once Were Warriors, a film every bit as powerful as the source material. With a screenplay by Riwia Brown, it managed to become the highest grossing film in New Zealand in 1994. It also launched the careers of the two leads, Temuera Morrison (Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones) and Rena Owen (Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith). Film Movement Classics has brought the film to Blu-ray, and I had to revisit it to see if it still holds up.
Jake (Temuera Morrison) is laid off his job, enjoying living off his unemployment benefits, and drinking beer with his buddies at the local pub. Beth (Rena Owen), his wife, spends her days at home taking care of their five kids. They live in poverty, and it’s tough for her to keep a handle on all of them. The oldest is in a gang, another has just been taken into state custody, and their daughter, Grace (Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell), is wise beyond her thirteen years. Jake’s drinking has grown out of control and he can’t control his anger, which he usually takes out on Beth. Grace has to do what she can in order to protect her two youngest siblings from witnessing the violence in their home. Even though she gets beaten within inches of death, Beth draws strength from her Maori roots in order to keep things together for her kids.
To answer my own question as to whether or not Once Were Warriors holds up, it’s a huge YES. It’s every bit as powerful as it was the first time I saw it in 1994. When it comes to the two lead performances from Morrison and Owen, there has never been anything as powerful committed to screen, in my opinion, especially Owen. I have never in my life been shaken by a performance the way I was with her portrayal of Beth. The film tackles alcoholism and domestic abuse with stark (and graphic) realism and the images will be tough to shake from your mind. I’ve seen the film a handful of times over the last twenty-six years, and I’ve been moved to tears every single time. Once Were Warriors is a film that should never be forgotten; it’s a hard dose of reality people need to see. The plight of the Maori in New Zealand may not be something we, as Americans, are familiar with but the themes and messages within the film are universal. Rena Owen’s performance is the standard to which I forever will hold all others. It’s gut-wrenching at times, but the strength that’s displayed in the face of tragedy is truly inspiring. It’s a masterpiece in filmmaking and if you’ve never seen it, now is the time.
You can visit Film Movement now to order your Once Were Warriors Blu-ray.
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