Tracker

The Boer War has ended. Arjan van Diemen (Ray Winstone) arrives in New Zealand. The soldiers are returning home but he's a former Boer soldier who lost everything. Three drunken white soldiers find a white woman with a Maori man. The white men start a beating and one of them accidentally kills another. The innocent Maori is accused of murder and becomes a hunted man. Arjan joins the hunting party for the reward.

For the longest time, I struggle to formulate Arjan's journey. I don't think that this movie ends perfectly but it ends well enough. One way to help is not to show the inciting incident. His innocence or guilt can be achieved in other ways. The arrival to that opinion can parallel Arjan's journey. It's harder to pinpoint his thinking unless it's laid bare. I do like the finger idea but it's a little rushed. They should reveal his finger premise from the very beginning. All in all, this is a riveting chase movie with two great actors and a few minor problems.

The cat and mouse/hunter-prey theme is pretty well rought but this film adds a convincing human element to a film that might otherwise get caught up in the landscape or action.

The early scenes and some of the supporting cast are a little lackluster, and reminded this viewer how difficult it is for New Zealand films to escape a sort of provincialism (for want of a better word) that can often be detected in kiwi films trying to be 'international'. Winstone, Morrison and Andy Anderson as the colonial tracker all stand out in this.

The film has plenty of action and fistycuffs and ballyhoo but the focus is firmly on the tension of the hunt and the connection that forms between Winston and Morrison's characters.

Without adding a spoiler I will say the ending, while not disappointing, might have been 'more'. You make your own mind up!

Boer War veteran Arjan Van Diemen (Ray Winstone), an Afrikaner who has lost everything at the hands of the British, including his family and farm, lands in New Zealand. A superb tracker and thorn in the side of the British during the war, Van Diemen nevertheless is facing an uncertain future. Ironically, he accepts an offer from former foe Major Pritchard Carlysle (Gareth Reeves) to help hunt down and apprehend a fugitive Maori sailor (Temuera Morrison) who has been accused of murder. Venturing deep into the dominion from the coast, Arjan soon finds himself struggling with not only a formidable quarry, but also his own conscience.

Somewhat overlooked upon release and since, Tracker really does deserve a more elevated status. With a well written script and to the point story line, the film quickly demand the viewer's attention. The characters are well fleshed out, with interesting and sympathetic back stories. Veteran director Ian Sharp handles the tale very well indeed, showing strong technical ability and a polished style but without the need for flashy gimmicks or pointless editing. Crucially, he lets the story flow seamlessly and brings out the best in his talented cast.

Performances are truly excellent throughout, with both Winstone and Morrison utilising their considerable screen presences to great effect without ever becoming overbearing. Winstone, a truly underrated actor in my opinion, brings Van Diemen's inner turmoil and sorrow subtly home, as well as providing a convincingly thick Afrikaans accent. Morrison is equally as good as a man beset by his own demons, eliciting sympathy and respect without overacting. The leads are well supported by the rest of the cast, with Reeves as the respectful Major and Andy Anderson as local tracker Bryce being particular highlights.

Of course, the other star of the show is the wonderful New Zealand scenery. The locations are quite simply breathtaking. Harvey Harrison's cinematography is extraordinary well judged, with each scene set against tremendous backdrops that give Tracker a look and feel like few other movies. Mixed with subtle post-production, you quickly find yourself eagerly awaiting the next stunning location.

The only real criticism to make is that the story arc is sometimes predictable, however this is a minor quibble as Tracker is an exceptionally well made and beautifully shot piece of work. Add in it's splendid performances and you have a truly absorbing, well told and refreshingly unpretentious dramatic adventure that deserves to find itself a greater audience.

I am not sure what the complaints are all about. The acting is brilliant, the story line holds together just fine. The scenery is fantastic. It is culturally and historically sensitive.

The back and forth in the story between the Tracker and the Maori escapee is reminiscent of another great movie, Hell in the Pacific, which starred Toshiro Mifune and Lee Marvin. Each of them would get the upper hand from time to time.

This movie had me on the edge of my seat and the twist at the end had me gasping. I cannot say enough about this movie. All I can say is watch it!

Keremea a Moari sailor finds himself being falsely accused of murder in New Zealand at the turn of the 20th Century so flees in to the countryside hotly pursued by a posse led by Arjen Van Diemen a veteran of the Boer war

Reading the above synopsis the premise is one that's very familiar , almost too familiar . In many ways it resembles that of a revisionary Western in the tradition of CHATO'S LAND where whites pursue the noble savage and as the story unravels white men are portrayed as being less noble and more savage than their prey . Certainly the audience are under no illusion who to root for but unfortunately the film suffers from a seen it all before feel . It's a common feeling on this page that TRACKER is a film that isn't as good as it could have been but it's impossible to do anything radically different with this type of story

One aspect that is very noticeable is the landscapes . It was common in 1970s Antipodian cinema to to have sweeping rural locations for settings . Later on Australian cinema seemed to locate to urban locations to tell a story where as New Zealand seemed happy to keep its output in a rural setting . Of course LORD OF THE RINGS needed a landscape of wide open spaces but you can see any director quickly falling in love with the country with its beautiful vistas of coastline , forests , mountains and rivers . Here director Ian Sharp seems hypnotised by the countryside , so much so that the hypnotic beauty of the natural countryside ends up becoming the star of TRACKED and overwhelms the narrative