Once Were Warriors

The movie we watched last Thursday was very unusual. By only looking at the tile “Once Were Warriors”, it’s hard to know what to expect from the movie, because it sounds like a war or science fiction film. Nevertheless, when you start the movie, better fasten a seat belt, and be ready for the shock wave.

At first, for a little while, I think it is peaceful. A man and a woman are in love. They have some kids. It looks like a seemingly happy family. There is no danger, but, the next moment, I become so upset that I can’t stop thinking HELP THAT POOR WOMAN!! Oh my goodness! The man is devil! He should not be categorized as human, and I spend the following hour worrying about whether the woman is going to get beaten again.

New Zealand is a beautiful country in my impression, but the movie reveals something not so beautiful. Domestic violence is not a new topic, but it is striking me so fierce when seeing it on the screen. The strength of men ought to be used to build and protect his family, but this, on the contrary, becomes the origin of destruction in this movie. Beth, who gets beaten by his husband Jake, wants to fight back, but, maybe terrified by his violence or in the hope to save love, she thinks things will better if she gives Jake another chance. Things do not turn out as she wishes, though. Jake let her down every time.

Violence is not the only theme of the movie. Moreover, there is love, the love of a mother, which is also a nature of human, or more expansively, the whole live species. Beth has a Maori heritage and the influence of her culture is strong. Her strengths lie in her devotion to her family and her heritage. Jake, sometimes, also shows his love to the family. He works to feed the family when he is not drunk; he brings back seafood for his children.

That is little comfort, though, as their daughter is struggling to accept adulthood, their youngest son is heading towards juvenile detention, and their oldest son is fast on his way to joining a brutal gang. Worst of all, Jake is a heavy drinker. Various problems arise and they are tearing the family apart. Beth does her best to hold the family together, but she can hardly make a change which is because of Jake's drinking and carelessness of his family's dissipation. Jake insists it's best to drink away the problems and quit being so "soft" on the kids. These finally lead to a terrible strategy.

The movie is bloody and gloomy as my professor warned us before class. I still think it’s worth watch. I’ve watched many movies, and a lot has already faded out of my memory, but this one is going to stay with me for long.