Mahana - Eine Maori-Saga

Mahana is exactly what I thought it would be, a testament to New Zealand's cinematic triumphs. It boasted both great acting and a plot that was easily followed by anyone.

I loved the underlying Maori'ness of the story and the family dynamics the movie portrayed. There is always a head of the family who is string willed and stubborn. Temuera Morrisson truly came in to his own in his role as Grandfather Mahana, I was steadily reminded of his role as Jake The Muss in Once were warriors many years ago.

Simeon Mahana(Akuhata Keefe) was the picture of perfection for his role in this movie he brought such honesty to his character and a truly a breath of fresh air.

In turn Mahana was a splendid movie that drove my emotions from one end of the scale to the other I was truly engrossed in the film and every character seems to come alive through the great choices of casting.

I see this movie has been given a bit of a drubbing by many critics. This is somewhat confusing for while it may not be "Gone with the Wind" or "Citizen Kane", it is a far, far better movie than a great many movies that have been reviewed far more favourably.

First up I would like to give a HUGE vote of thanks for a movie that shows the Maori people in a positive light, this must be a first. I am fed up to the back teeth with movies that show the gangs and the violence, not that these do not exist in any race, but enough already, we get the picture. What we badly need are some positive role models to aspire to and this movie is a step in the right direction. So bravo for that.

Not that Mahana is a "Maori" movie as such, for while the main characters are indeed Maori they could be any race or any mixture of races, they are simply people in a particular time and place, struggling like everyone else.

This movie has been described by some as a "pot boiler" and a "melodrama", rather unfairly I feel. I have seen a few potboilers in my time and this isn't one of them. And while there are a number of scenes that are overly sentimental or just plain unbelievable (the opening car chase and the horse in the cinema, for instance) in the overall sweep of the movie I think these are acceptable without rendering the entire movie a "melodrama". Personally I would say that Tamihori/Morrison's "Once were Warriors" is just as, if not more, melodramatic than "Mahana", yet ironically it didn't get branded as such because it was a "serious" movie with "serious" themes, whereas Mahana is "just" a story and doesn't get off so lightly.

As stories go it is a relatively simple one, not unlike "Warriors" in some respects since Temuera Morrison virtually reprises Jake the Muss. The acting is superb all round, and the cinematography breathtaking so full marks for technical aspects.

Seeing "Mahana" may not have changed my life but then again very few films have. But I enjoyed this movie far more than I expected and felt better for having seen it, so what more can you ask?

Nothing not to like about this native New Zealand tale.

'The Patriarch' as a title tells us more about this fine family drama than "Mahana". Right from the opening, you know you're about to be entertained in grand style. The screenplay by Scottish writer John Collee seems to capture novelist Witi Ihimaera's characters with all their charismatic colour but, some unnecessarily crude story elements and predictable situations don't hold up all that well. Temura Morrisson's portrayal of Grandfather is at times a little disturbing in his sternness, bordering on the downright cruel and sets a powerful, if not frightening presence. All performers bring their roles as family members and town's folk to vivid life and the production design creates a powerful atmosphere.

It's difficult to find words to do justice to the look of this movie – cinematographer Ginny Loane makes New Zealand's hills and valleys look like heaven on earth! Colourist, Set Decoration, Art Direction and Lighting Masters have infused external and internal settings with a haunting evocation of 50's – 60's moods. There's even a marvelous clip from the above-average 50's western '3.10 to Yuma' – complete with that haunting theme song in all its original arrangements - that I'm sure, would have been lifted right out of the writer's memories from the time.

This is movie-making as it once was, real, involving, something many viewers could identify with. It's just a pity the last quarter was not as convincing as the beginning - still, Congratulations are due to those involved – think I might be looking at this one again.

In 1994 relatively unknown New Zealand based director Lee Tamahori made Once Were Warriors.

A haunting drama centred around a group of native Maori's, Once Were Warriors is one of New Zealand's most respected films and set Tamahori into a career in Hollywood were he went on to direct a group of relatively forgettable films such as Die Another Day and The Edge, but after 20 plus years plying his trade in the land of dreams and big budgets, Tamahori has returned to the beautiful shores of his homeland to helm quiet family drama Mahana, that in turn reteams him with his Warriors breakout star Temuera Morrison.

Here playing the Mahana family matriarch, the Mahana's a group of farmers in 1960's New Zealand, Morrison still cuts an imposing figure but like the film itself, his granddaddy Mahana just isn't as fully formed and memorable as Mahana the film could've so easily been and while this handsomely crafted drama attempts the epic, this is more middle of the range than Tamahori's home country return would've initially seemed to be on paper.

All the hallmarks of a captivating family drama are here, from the young teenage centrepiece Simeon, here played by Akuhata Keefe who doesn't exactly engage to the level needed, the 1960's settings, family mysteries and tensions between rival farming families but Mahana always feels like a glass half-full experience and while there's emotional material at the core of this tale, Tamahori and his cast can't make the audience commit to proceedings like Once Were Warriors so easily did.

One thing that is for sure however is that Mahana absolutely looks stunning, it'd certainly take a fair effort to make the natural surrounds of New Zealand look anything but wondrous but Tamahori is clearly relishing the chance to get back on home soil and showcase the vast and plenteous lands of this magical country and the 60's time period allows things to look even more appealing as the audience is transported back to a time and place where nature was still king.

Final Say –

It's great to see Tamahori back home and once more working with the underrated Morrison and it's especially nice to see Tamahori step away from forgettable Hollywood actioners but while Mahana has all the elements of a potential new classic NZ based drama you can't help but feel this 90 minute film is just a slight cut above a made for TV experience that could've benefited greatly from a tighter script and a sharper execution, even if the backdrop of New Zealand makes for a constantly eye-capturing tale, just not one that captures the heart.

3 interrupted cinema screenings out of 5