Once Were Warriors

This film depicts the Maori and Pakeha cultures in modern day New Zealand. It shows how the values have changed or adapted to the current society in which they are living. Maori are known as the early eastern Polynesian settlers who were the first to inhabit the islands of New Zealand. Pakeha are European settlers living among the Maori and adapting to their ways. Jake Heke, the father of the Heke family in the film, represents the Pakeha as crude, cultureless, and violent people who have little family values. He feels that he was never good enough for his wife’s Maori family and would never be accepted. This drives him to alcoholism and physical abuse of his family and others. Maori did oppress the Pakeha’s living within their culture as a social group. This is based off their strong sense of nationalism for Maori history and is built by antagonism toward the Pakehas.

There is also a very strong representation of domestic violence in this film. This is based on physical, verbal, and sexual abuse that is shown in the Heke family. Due to Jakes insecurities he attempts to physically and psychologically dominate the other family members. You can see the anger and craze in Jakes eyes when he wildly attacks his own wife after she talks back to him during a late night party. His use of alcohol plays a key role in his mood and judgment in the dominant role of his family. He disregards his families well being when he brings home the party from his local bar. This is a very unsafe environment for children to be brought up in.

The Maori culture shown in the movie to gives the male a more authoritative position where as the women appear to be more care givers and handle issues at home. This is represented in the movie by Beth Heke, who doesn’t have a job, but rather takes care of the children and does the cooking and chores around the house. The Maori men are shown as respected and important figures that can be very dominant. This is displayed when their son Boogie is taken away to a boys home after getting in trouble and the leader of the home is a Maori man who teaches him the old ways of their culture. Beth also shows that her culture can give her the strength to resist Jake and leave him at the end of the movie.

The Maori culture is depicted as the salvation of the family in this movie. The Heke’s sons Boogie and Nig learn the ways of Maori and grow into men of their own. The culture takes them from the path of criminal behavior and teaches them how to get respect and deal with the death of their sister.

The contrast between the urban landscapes and the beautiful country side of New Zealand also represent the difference between Maori and Pakeha cultures. The city in which the Heke family lives is very poor looking. The children seem to have no education or interest in going to school. They also run into trouble with the law and are witness to the use of alcohol on a daily bases. Some of their friends are homeless and living in cars under bridges. This shows the gritty reality of Pakeha and what they represent. The countryside shows the Maori way of life. It has lush green hillsides, blue skies, and clear water. This is the natural beauty of New Zealand and where Maori people come from. They still have old buildings in the country, where Grace is taken when she dies, to hold ceremonies for her funeral and lay her to rest. This is where she felt most at home before and where she belongs, because she represnts the modern day Maori who see beauty in the world and good in people.