Review of Once Were Warriors (1994) by Joel A — 21 Jan 2017

I saw this film when it came out in 1994, and I've always remembered its brutal hyper-realism. It starts out with a picture of idyllic New Zealand -- an extraordinarily beautiful scene of the lakes and mountains.

But wait... It's just a bill board, which as the camera pans across, we see that it sits above a super highway with cars speeding past. Then a woman pushing a baby carriage comes into view. She lives in the projects right next to the highway.

All the while an acid guitar version of "Little Wing" is playing. Wow...