Review of Once Were Warriors (1994) by Cal ( — 16 Nov 2007

'Once Were Warriors' is a brutal, powerful, compelling and an incredibly disturbing drama that marks the directorial debut of Lee Tamahori (it's a shame this standard dropped after this movie).

Set in New Zealand, the film follows the tragic life of a poor Maori family fathered by a violent, buff man named Jake Heke (Morrison). His volcanic temper makes him a threat to his entire family. His wife Beth (Owen) cannot challenge or question Jake as his response will be violent.

Beth feels that Jake is not fit to take care of his family after one of their sons is taken away from them, and must try to get away from her husband before his violent actions lead to more devastating results.

The film is incredibly violent at times, with a high level of course language and it's extremely heavy to take at times due to the unsavoury actions of most of the characters. Even though it's a hard film to stomach, 'Once Were Warriors' is quite a brilliant effort with incredibly powerful performances.

For those who can stomach high levels of course language, violence, dislikable characters and even a rape, go right ahead. Compelling movie...but hard to stomach.