Once Were Warriors

A detailed Summary of Once Were Warriors

The film: "Once Were Warriors" is a deeply moving story about Jake and Beth Heke and

their five children - a family in crisis. Although the story takes place in New Zealand, and

the characters portray an urban Maori native family, many of the scenarios, situations and

characteristics that are presented in the film are relative to our own country and culture. I

found the viewing and reviewing of this film to be extremely triggering for me

emotionally. Over and over again I found myself drawn back to the memories and

emotions of a time when my own lifestyle reflected only too closely the events that were

depicted on the screen. Time and again my fists clenched in sympathetic agony, and my

stomach knotted with tension in anticipation of the next scene, which from my

experience, I knew would be coming. The characters seemed so real that I could replace

the names and faces with those of people I have known well; Most of whom dwell now in

the place of spirits, or no doubt wish they did.

I found myself contemplating deeply on the concept of duality - both the duality

represented in the timeline of my own history, and the duality that the characters wrestle

with in the film. The plot, with its stark images seems to

this is only a perception, no matter what our personal feelings tell us about violence,

moving to a situation that will undoubtedly offer them more self esteem and greater life

determine, is the idea of right and wrong. It is this concept that a human service worker

powerlessness of life in the ghetto. We see this vividly displayed in Jake's behavior when

hatred for him, they do not seem willing to follow in his footsteps.

The unemployment which we see in the film (Jake gets laid off near the beginning of

expressway billboard. The reality is that of roaring traffic, surrounded by industry, ghetto

perception changes, we realize that the serenity we felt was merely the image on an

and condemn the lifestyle of such a family as wrong. However, we must remember that

All young men go through a period where it becomes necessary to "fly from the nest"

Approximate Word count = 1841
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Movies

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