The Dead Lands - La vendetta del guerriero

Fine little action movie settled in pre-colonial New Zealand (Maori tribes) - reminds me a little of Mel Gibson's Apocalyptico (with a far smaller production of course - but not a cheap looking one) or Rapa Nui (1994).

A fine revenge trip into long gone times - the actors are also very good, very believable in their roles. Just good.

Finally we have the Maori action movie we have all been begging for! If you have ever seen the Haka performed by the All Blacks, and wondered what these guys would do to their enemies without the limitations of Rugby rules, then all your questions will be answered. The plot is a Kung Fu style revenge tale. A young chief's son vows revenge for some tribal treachery, and hooks up with a mystical, wiser warrior, to take out a small army of baddies. Action movie aficionados will be pleased to see some authentic Maori weapons and fighting choreography, instead of the typical blade weapons and the Asian martial arts we see in countless movies these days. The acting is fascinating because you are basically watching actors represent their own culture from an earlier era, unlike let's say, having a Scottish man portray an ancient Greek warrior in a film. The authentic locations add to the overall realistic effect as well. I'm sure there are artistic liberties taken with the historical accuracy, but nothing as crazy as the 300 franchise. The directing is a bit frantic, with quick cuts and lots of camera movements during fight scenes, but that seems to be the visual style for action movies these days. Overall, this film is a fascinating look at a culture that is completely exotic to the rest of the world because of vast geographical distance and centuries of colonial influence.

Hongi is the young smallish son of Maori chief Tane. They receive a party led by Wirepa, son of the chief of the neighboring tribe. Tane hopes to make peace but Wirepa desecrates the dead and blames it on Hongi. Wirepa uses it as an excuse to attack during the night and massacre the tribe. Tane curses Wirepa as Hongi survives after getting thrown down a hill. Wirepa decides to lead his men through the Dead Lands where a spirit supposedly eats trespassers. Hongi follows them looking to kill Wirepa for revenge. He recruits the spirit to hunt down Wirepa and his men.

There isn't much to the story other than a simple revenge. There isn't anything new other than some good Maori fight action. The acting is perfectly natural. The characters are simple. There is a supernatural side to the story but it's not really elevated. It may be more compelling to make this more of a fable and increase the sense of the supernatural spirits. This is a little too basic.

Due to my current time restraints I'm going to skip the usual intellectually enthusiastic movie exaltation and just cut right to some idiotically strait-forward praise.

This movie was quite an amazing surprise. I didn't expect it to be so good, to the point where I haven't seen an action movie like it in at least a year. And when I use the word "good," it's to symbolize an all-encompassing quality. The depths of the human spirit were represented in the film, clearly and intensely, not considering it's depletion of maybe romance and humor, at it's worst. I found the drama unmatched, and the action and cinematography are extremely inventive. Not to mention: it's the only good Mauri period piece I've ever seen, so I think I might've been waiting a long time for something like this.

A true work of art.

In brief, this is an entertaining movie with lots of impressive fighting, a bit of supernatural colour, authentic period setting in pre-European New Zealand, and believable characters. The plot is simple: a chiefs son must avenge the dishonourable slaying of his father and his tribe, and with the support of his deceased grandmother (an effectively spooky Rena Owen) he seeks the help of a reclusive warrior with a dark past. The film deserves extra credit for the authentic portrayal of Maori fighting tradition and weapons, and the accuracy of the central role of honour, revenge, and supernatural beliefs in the warrior culture. I appreciated the decision to have Maori dialogue, I find the sound of the language itself expresses the warrior spirit.

The theme of honour and revenge was also central to the plot of Utu, meaning "blood for blood" a 1984 film directed by Geoff Murphy and set during the early European colonial era in NZ. Worth watching if you enjoyed the Dead Lands and want to see more of the warrior culture of the Maori, although a much more philosophical and slow paced film than this one.

Perhaps to add a little to the appreciation of both of these films, the depiction of Maori as extremely tough and fearless warriors is in no way exaggerated. These people lived very hard lives in a land with very few resources for humans. With no native animals to speak of, and few edible plants, Maori survived on little more than fish, a few birds, and a few berries and roots. The average life expectancy was early 30's. Despite this, they were tall, powerfully built people. There was fierce competition between tribes for resources, and they constantly fought each other over any pretext, usually ascribed to matters of honour and leading to endless blood feuds, but in at least some cases the real motive was hunger. Cannibalism was common, especially after the ostrich-like moa was hunted to extinction and the climate became colder.

Despite these desperate circumstances, Maori retained a rich mythological heritage and believed their land was populated by spirits, good and evil, and it was imperative that their ancestors be honoured and remembered, just as depicted in the film. To this day some Maori can trace their lineage, literally naming their ancestors, back 1000 years to the first tough, brave warriors that crossed the vast pacific to find and colonise NZ.

The only negative for me was that the film dragged a little in the middle.