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As far as I'm aware, Sam Neill's first film - and what a start!

Starring a Kiwi, directed by a Kiwi and packed to the gunwales with Kiwi talent, this is definitely no Hollywood hyperbole extravaganza.Its sole concession to the 'star power' syndrome is the presence of Warren Oates ("Dillinger") as an armed subversive type (I didn't dare to use the dreaded 'T' word!).

The film is under the very capable guidance of the now-also-well-known Roger Donaldson, who was also responsible for another powerful home-grown effort, "Smash Palace". Impressionable youngsters like Peter Jackson may have seen this and decided their futures.

Like Jackson's LOTR trilogy, "Sleeping Dogs" is filmed on location in New Zealand. As such, the sets and scenery give a fair idea of life in provincial and metropolitan NZ in the mid-70's (but there's no stunning vistas of the majestic Southern Alps here, I'm afraid).

"Sleeping Dogs" is an adaptation of a story by New Zealand author C.K.Stead and pits an increasingly autocratic government of the near-future against a group of resistance fighters. Smith (Neill), very recently separated from a cheating wife, pretty much accidentally and quite reluctantly, gets involved with this group.

One scene in the movie was (and still is) something of a talking point here in NZ because it seemed, in hindsight, so chillingly prescient - life imitating art.

In the scene, a large group of protesters have clashed violently with unyielding, merciless, baton-wielding riot police; blood is flowing, injures are rife.

Some five years after the film had been released, in 1981, the then-internationally-banned Springbok rugby team from South Africa were allowed to tour here, despite clamorous local and global opposition.

New Zealand experienced the horrors and scarring of civil division. Wherever the Springboks played and also in the capital, Wellington, violence erupted. And it seemed to many of us at the time that the scenes that Donaldson had shot many years ago were now being replayed almost nightly on the news. Spooky.

The story of Sleeping Dogs carries a sense of tragic inevitability, where fate feels impossible to resist. The more one tries to stay away from politics, the deeper they are dragged into the heart of the struggle. The more they strive to do the right thing, the worse their situation becomes. The tragedy of Smith lies in how an ordinary man watches helplessly as his peaceful life is shattered and one by one, the people he cares about fall victim to political terror.

This movie brilliantly captures the fundamental characteristic of political terror: no one is spared.

Filmed in New Zealand, the movie showcases stunning landscapes paired with perfectly complementary music. The stark contrast between the film's aesthetic tone and its theme of political terror makes the viewing experience all the more poignant. It is a masterpiece worthy of thoughtful appreciation.

Based on the novel Smith's Dream by academic C. K. Stead, Sleeping Dogs is set in a totalitarian New Zealand. Smith moves to the country to escape trouble but is framed by the state as a terrorist.The rest of the film involves his attempts to avoid arrest and his eventual fate.

Released in 1977, the film possessed a poignancy for New Zealanders, who at the time viewed the then Muldoon National Government with some suspicion. A scene involving riot police in an Auckland street was a chilling portent of events during the 1981 Springbok rugby tour to New Zealand, and indeed on its release in the USA, some Americans confused the film's images with media reports of the tour protests.

Notable for Sam Neill's role as Smith, the movie started a late 1970s revival in the New Zealand film industry, including movies such as The Scarecrow, Skin Deep, and Smash Palace.

A history-making New Zealand production (it was the first to obtain general release in the U.S.), "Sleeping Dogs" is a good, engaging story, based on a novel by Christian K. Stead. It takes place during a tumultuous time in NZ's history, when people were actively rebelling against the government. Sam Neill, in his starring debut, plays Smith, an apolitical man estranged from his family, who does NOT want to get involved. He'd rather live in seclusion on an off-shore island, but people and circumstances keep drawing him into the fray.

Neill is typically solid as a rock, and you can understand his characters' frustration. He's surrounded by good Kiwi actors, including Ian Mune (who also co-wrote the screenplay) as the passionate Bullen, Nevan Rowe as Smiths' activist wife Gloria, Ian Watkin (you may remember him as Uncle Les in Peter Jacksons' "Braindead") as helpful bar owner Dudley, and Clyde Scott as government man Jesperson. Jesperson wants Smith to confess to being a revolutionary in exchange for better treatment, but Smith will have none of that.

Of course, part of the hook of the story is watching Smith resist the inevitable, and wondering if or when he will give in.

Gorgeous NZ scenery, an effective music score, and some good action scenes add to the overall entertainment value. Naturally, many American viewers may be drawn to this upon seeing that the iconic Warren Oates has a "guest star" role. It's a reasonably interesting role that benefits from his unique presence.

This also announced the arrival of filmmaker Roger Donaldson in a big way. In the 80s, he moved to Hollywood when he turned out features like "The Bounty", "No Way Out", "Species", and "Dante's Peak". (His peer Geoff Murphy is credited with special FX; Murphy himself has directed such movies as "Utu", "The Quiet Earth", "Young Guns II", and "Under Siege 2: Dark Territory".)

Overall, a compelling tale well told, that keeps the viewer attentive until its final scenes.

Eight out of 10.

I was slightly confused by the content of this movie. From what I gathered, Sam Neill's character was a family man whose wife had an affair, and he was then mistaken for a guerrilla. There was plenty of guerrilla warfare on the streets who were trying to protest something. I couldn't quite gather what it was. There were plenty of shoot-em-up scenes on the streets and in the wilderness when Neil was trying to escape and clear his name. Other than that, I thought the movie was decent. The scene where he was imprisoned in a dank jail cell was harrowing and unforgettable, and I loved the part where he vomits on the guards to escape from the transport car. I sort of liked the movie and might recommend it.

** 1/2 out of ****