Once Were Warriors (1994)

Director:

Lee Tamahori

Writers:

Riwia Brown (writer)
Alan Duff (novel)

Release Date:

3 March 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Her only chance for the future is to embrace the power of her past.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

New Zealand | Police | Violence | Maori | Gang

Awards:

19 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

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
Te Whatanui Skipwith	...	Te Tupaea
Rangi Motu	...	Matawai
Robert Pollock	...	Policeman
Jessica Wilcox	...	Policewoman
Stephen Hall	...	Prosecuting Officer
Wiki Oman	...	Youth Advocate
Israel Williams	...	Male Youth #1
Johnathan Wiremu	...	Male Youth #2
Richard Meihana	...	Taunter in Court
Edna Stirling	...	Woman #1
Ngawai Simpson	...	Woman #2
Spike Kem	...	Old Drunk
Arona Rissetto	...	Nig's Friend
Fran Viveaere	...	Nig's Girlfriend
Brian Kairau	...	Joking Man Outside Pub (Jake's Mate)
Charlie Tumahai	...	Karaoke Singer
Tama Renata	...	Party Guitarist
Guy Moana	...	Evicted Partygoer / Pub Goer
Riwia Brown	...	Bully's Girl
Mac Hona	...	Core Gang Member
Percy Robinson	...	Core Gang Member
Jason Kerapa	...	Core Gang Member
Robbie Ngauma	...	Core Gang Member
Eddie Tongalahi	...	Core Gang Member
Sam Masters	...	Core Gang Member
Chris Mason	...	Core Gang Member
Marshall Kairau	...	Jake's Mate
Joseph Te Whiu	...	Jake's Mate
Jim Ngaata	...	Jake's Mate
David Rare	...	Jake's Mate
Donald Allen	...	Jake's Mate
Charles Marsh	...	Jake's Mate
Winstone Bedgood	...	Jake's Mate
Piki Mark	...	Jake's Mate
Royal Waa	...	Jake's Mate
Jack Grace	...	Jake's Mate
Manuel Apiata	...	Jake's Mate
George Tiopira	...	Jake's Mate
Maru Nihoniho	...	Jake's Mate
Jaye Cassidy	...	Jake's Mate
Vivienne Wilson	...	Jake's Mate
Hiraina Kume	...	Jake's Mate
Thomasina Perana	...	Jake's Mate

Directed by
Lee Tamahori

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Riwia Brown		writer
Alan Duff		novel

Produced by
Robin Scholes	....	producer

Original Music by
Murray Grindlay
Murray McNabb

Cinematography by
Stuart Dryburgh

Film Editing by
Michael Horton

Casting by
Don Selwyn

Production Design by
Michael Kane

Art Direction by
Shayne Radford

Makeup Department
Debra East	....	makeup supervisor
Deirdre Haworth	....	makeup assistant
Peter Underdown	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Neville How	....	unit manager
Janet McIver	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robin Murphy	....	second assistant director
Te Rangitawaea Reedy	....	third assistant director
Chris Short	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Kerry Bos	....	carpenter
Rob Callaghan	....	art department assistant
James Dickson	....	art department assistant
Adam Evensen	....	art department assistant
Robert 'Wid' Gosne	....	painter
Chris Halligan	....	carpenter
Mike Harvey	....	construction manager
Carey Johnson	....	art department assistant
Janet McEwan	....	merchandise/cutter
Gary McKay	....	model maker
Brad Mill	....	props buyer
Brad Mill	....	stand-by props
Guy Moana	....	carvings and tattoo designer
Annette Patrick	....	stand-by painter
Chris Peacock	....	art department assistant
Inia Taylor	....	design assistant

Sound Department
Ray Beentjes	....	sound editor
John Boswell	....	assistant sound mixer
Annie Collins	....	dialogue supervisor
Emma Haughton	....	dialogue editor
Michael Hedges	....	sound mixer
Helen Luttrell	....	foley recordist
Graham Morris	....	production sound mixer
Graham Morris	....	sound recordist
Richard Morrison	....	boom operator
John Neill	....	sound manager
John Neill	....	sound
Don Paulin	....	sound editor
Kit Rollings	....	sound designer
Sally Stopforth	....	foley artist
Beth Tredray	....	foley artist
John Van Der Ryden	....	sound transfer

Special Effects by
Richard Taylor	....	prosthetics

Visual Effects by
Brian Scadden	....	opticals

Camera and Electrical Department
David Alac	....	lighting assistant
David 'Milky' Alec	....	lighting assistant
Lee Allison	....	clapper loader
Mark Archibald	....	best boy
Kerry Brown	....	still photographer
Rourke Crawford-Flett	....	grip assistant
Richard Evans	....	gaffer
Brian Harris	....	key grip
Henare Mato	....	lighting assistant
Dean Maxted	....	grip assistant
Cameron McLean	....	focus puller
Tony Pikari	....	lighting assistant
Paul Samuels	....	video split operator
Reiner Schoenbrum	....	camera operator: rostrum camera
Ann Shelton	....	additional still photographer

Casting Department
Rivia Brown	....	casting: Wellington
Ema Walters	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Pauline Bowkett	....	wardrobe supervisor
Liz McGregor	....	wardrobe runner (as Elizabeth McGregor)
Gavin McLean	....	stand-by wardrobe
Leslie Pohatu	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Joe Fineman	....	post-production consultant
Lynne Seaman	....	color grader
Chris Todd	....	assistant to editor
Colin Tyler	....	laboratory post-production liaison

Music Department
Hirini Melbourne	....	consultant: Maori music

Other crew
John Barnett	....	consultant
Gavin Bradley	....	titles
Rivia Brown	....	assistant to director
Tom Burstall	....	risk manager
Grant Campbell	....	laboratory liaison
Neil Crichton	....	projectionist
Toby Curtis	....	consultant
Jane Denton	....	production secretary
Te Ari Heta	....	security officer
Ian Hunter	....	cat wrangler
Ross Jennings	....	script development
Tricia Lafferty	....	production assistant
Setu Lio	....	production runner
Reza Mokhtar	....	catering assistant
Ted Morgan	....	projectionist
Ian Mune	....	script advisor
Murray Newey	....	consultant
Carol Paewai	....	production coordinator
Adrienne Peke	....	chaperone
Peta Sinclair	....	location manager
Karen Soich	....	legal advisor
Rachel Stace	....	publicist
Kepa Sterling	....	choreographer
Sue Thompson	....	production executive
Judtih Trye	....	consultant
Mark Vette	....	animal wrangler
Melissa Wikaire	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Communicado Productions
• New Zealand Film Commission
• New Zealand On Air

Distributors

• Footprint Films (1994) (Australia) (theatrical)
• AFMD (1995) (France) (theatrical)
• Atalanta Filmes (1995) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Cinemussy (1995) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Entertainment Film Distributors (1995) (UK) (theatrical)
• Fine Line Features (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
• Frenetic Films (1995) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Mundial Films (1995) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Senator Film (1995) (Germany) (theatrical)
• BMG Video (1996) (Germany) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (199?) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Entertainment in Video (1996) (UK) (VHS)
• Entertainment in Video (1999) (UK) (DVD)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (VHS)
• H.O.M. Vision (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2008) (Belgium) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• New Line Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Senator Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Temptu (tattoos)

Other Companies

• Jeremy Walker + Associates  publicity
• Motion Picture Guarantors Ltd.  completion guarantor
• The Film Vault  audio post-production
• Tucker/Endeavour  consulting

Also Known As:

A Alma dos Guerreiros (Portugal) [pt]
Bili smo ponosni ratnici (Serbia) [sr]
Bir zamanlar savasçiydilar (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Die letzte Kriegerin (Germany) [de]
Egykoron harcosok voltak (Hungary) [hu]
El amor y la furia (Argentina) [es]
Guerreros de antaño (Spain) [es]
Itan kapote polemistes (Greece) [el]
Kerran sotureita (Finland) [fi]
Krigarens själ (Sweden) [sv]
L'âme des guerriers (France) [fr]
Nekoc so bili bojevniki (Slovenia) [sl]
Nous étions guerriers (Canada: French title) [fr]
Once were warriors - una volta erano guerrieri (Italy) [it]

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

99 min | Argentina:106 min | USA:103 min

Country:

New Zealand

Language:

English | Maori | Spanish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Italy:T (re-rating) (2006) | Italy:VM14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Germany:16 (f) | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:18A | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-16 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:R21 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Auckland, New Zealand

Company:

Communicado Productions

Trivia:

The building used for the interior and exterior courtroom shots is the main office and warehouse in New Zealand for Apple Computer's national distributor. Although the entrance has been remodeled and the reception area totally changed, the small wall tiles seen on the interior walls can still be found in what is now a cupboard under the (now-enclosed) staircase shown.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Beth is being beaten by Jake at the start of the film she is thrown into a mirror which shatters completely. Later when the children are cleaning up the mess the mirror is back on the wall with only a few cracks.

Quotes:

[after giving an obnoxious punk a beating]
Jake Heke: I was right... too much weights, not enough speedwork. Useless prick.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Getaway: (#16.35)" (2007)

Beautifully acted, powerfully moving

I don't know where to start. When I'm asked of my favorite movie ever, this is ALWAYS the first to come to mind. This is one of the finest movies I've ever seen, and I've seen too many to count.

Once Were Warriors is, at its most stripped, about a woman named Beth and her struggle to just do what's best for her family. She is of Maori heritage, New Zealand's sort of Native Americans. Culture is a proud and powerful aspect of the movie, as Beth's strengths lie in her devotion to her family and her heritage. But that is little comfort, as her daughter is struggling to accept adulthood, her youngest son is heading towards juvenile detention, and her oldest son is fast on his way to joining a brutal gang. Worst of all, her husband Jake is a heavy drinker.

The film excels at painting everybody in full 3 dimensions. Each of her kids are troubled, but they all have fierce love and respect for their mother. The gang is cruel to the oldest son, but at the same time embraces him. The juvenile detention center separates the youngest son from his only home, but instills in him a pride in his ancestry. And Jake himself is a beast, a man built like a tank who will destroy you with anything available should you spill his beer...but somehow he also comes across as loving Beth. Sometimes.

The film follows Beth as she does her best to hold the family together even while the various problems tear them apart. At the center is Jake's drinking and further carelessness of his family's dissipation. While Beth's answer is to nurture and aid her children, Jake insists it's best to drink away the problems and quit being so "soft" on the kids. And we watch, through it all, as the family spirals further apart. Near the end, after seeing both happy and horrible things happen to each of the characters, we are jarred by a terrible tragedy. Beth and Jake both deal with it uniquely, as she draws once again on the tremendous power of family and human spirit, while Jake deals with it his own way. The last 15 minutes of the film keep us in suspense as we wonder whether a certain horrible injustice will be confronted, and if so, how. This scenario involves and encapsulates everyone in the family, and who they are inside.

The last few moments of the movie made me want to jump to my feet and applaud. I won't reveal what happens, but in the last 5 minutes, every person shows so much inner strength that I glow with admiration for their actions. Especially those of Beth and her oldest son, whose interaction with Jake results in my favorite scene in the movie. But don't think you know what's going to happen based on this description -it's a complicated scenario. I felt satisfied with the conclusion on all fronts, and thought that each character showed exactly where their strength lies.

Be forewarned that this movie is very heartbreaking. Its overall tone is one of futility, of better lives not received, of wanting the best but never quite getting it. It is very raw and intense in its portrayal of physical and domestic violence, and the easily upset may have a hard time waiting to see if it ends happily enough for their tastes. But no matter what your opinion is, it will definitely be a film that stays with you for a long, long time. My highest recommendation.