Once Were Warriors

New Zealand 1994, 105 minutes
Dir. Lee Tamahori
Rating: [R]
Genres: Drama

Feat. Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, Julian Arahanga, Cliff Curtis, Emile Taungaroa

Aroview: As sensational as it is important, Lee Tamahori's adaptation managed to transform Alan Duff's relentlessly down-beat novel about domestic violence into a slick, highly digestible drama without compromising its integrity, then went on to become a local box-office record-breaker. Exceptional performances, direction and script combine to deliver a film of enormous potency.

Member Reviews

Average rating (Very Good). Showing 1-3 of 4 member reviews.

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4 stars (Very Good) Brutal but well constructed. Understandable as to it being the breakthrough for the Director and the two male leads. In saying this Rena Owen is equally as good. MUST SEE ~Baby
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5 stars (Exceptional) One of NZ's best films, based on an excellent novel, this will go down in the history books as an all-time must-see. Shedding insight to 80s/90s NZ gang culture, this drama is gripping and emotionally-charged throughout. ~Tom H
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3 stars (Good Enough) The first time I saw this movie - I cried, hated father, felt sorry for the children and the wife - Truly an emotional roller-coaster - I felt exhausted yet hopeful at the end of this cinematic journey. ~Anon

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Reference Links: Once Were WarriorsNZ On Screen film review.

DVD Features

The digitally-restored "Special Edition" contains the bonus material below, plus "Thunderbox", a short film by Lee Tamahori, and a 'making-of' featurette.

The standard edition contains the following features only.