Once Were Warriors

1994
R
1h 42m

IMDb RATING

7.9/10

38K

YOUR RATING

Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell, Rena Owen, and Calvin Tuteao in Once Were Warriors (1994)

Play trailer2:08

2 Videos

99 Photos

Tragedy Crime Drama

A family descended from Maori warriors is bedeviled by a violent father and the societal problems of being treated as outcasts.A family descended from Maori warriors is bedeviled by a violent father and the societal problems of being treated as outcasts.A family descended from Maori warriors is bedeviled by a violent father and the societal problems of being treated as outcasts.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.9/10

38K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 22 wins & 7 nominations

Videos2

Trailer 2:08

Once Were Warriors

Clip 4:19

The Rise of Temuera Morrison

Clip 4:19

The Rise of Temuera Morrison

Photos125

118

More like this

6.3

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?

Once We Were Warriors

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Temuera Morrison would get challenged to fight all the time by local thugs after seeing him play Jake Heke.

Goofs
When Beth is being beaten by Jake at the start of the film she is thrown into a mirror which shatters completely. Later when the children are cleaning up the mess the mirror is back on the wall with only a few cracks.

Quotes
Beth Heke: Our people once were warriors. But unlike you, Jake, they were people with mana, pride; people with spirit. If my spirit can survive living with you for eighteen years, then I can survive anything.

Crazy credits
Most of the opening credits are either split in half, scattered in different areas of the screen, abnormally shaped or used in small white print. Some are even mixed.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Exotica/Heavyweights/The Wild Bunch/Once Were Warriors (1995)

Soundtracks
Once Were Warriors (The Awakening)
Performed by Tama Renata

User reviews332

Review

Featured review

Great New Zealand film!!!

OWW is a truly great film. However I feel that people have missed one of the main ideas of the film. That is the fact domestic violence is truly horrifying. And it doesn't just happen in Maori families, it happens all over the world! I am Maori myself and first saw this film at the theatres with a mostly Maori audience. It was very well recieved. I was surprised to read the commentary by Glamwog when she said all of her Maori friends hate it. Oh and by the way not all Maori are as depicted in the movie!

If you haven't seen this film, do yourself a favour...watch it.