Once Were Warriors Essay

For educate the big players in the world it is the people in the margins of our corporation whose stories are most compelling. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Respond to this question with close lengthiness to unitary or more than text(s) you have studied. The Heke family that feature in the ground-breaking young Zealand film from 1994, Once were warriors direct by Lee Tamahori are clearly a family living on the margins of society. They live in a state house next to a busy and noisy motorway in South Auckland, raw(a) Zealand.Their story is undoubtedly a compelling one an abusive husband with a love of beer imbibing and parties who gains respect from the use of his fists at the local pub a long-suffering wife who has somehow managed to fill the family together through an obviously tumultuous 18 year marriage a disillusioned elder son who flees the dysfunctional household to join a gang a pubescent daughter who is the de-facto yield of the family another son who has gotten in with the wrong crowd and is committing petty theft and two younger children, Polly and Huata. coach Lee Tamahori uses a range of camera and sound techniques, dialogue and compelling themes to teach us astir(predicate) the dangers of excessive alcoholism and moving away from our ancestral connections. Jake the muss Heke is a compelling protagonist. After existence laid off from his job, he uses his redundancy money to bring home seafood for his family. We are initially positioned to disclose him as a loving and caring family man, that is until his wife Beth discovers he has been laid off and sees her dreams of buying their avow home go out the window.Jake is a man of excuses who sees the dole as being only 15 bucks a week less than my wages and bursts into a tirade of abuse when his wife Beth resists his sexual advances after discovering the truth. Jake also excuses his own propensity for forcefulness when he says, Look when I get like that, get out of my way , but youve got to get all lippy on me. Sure Ive a temper, but who hasnt? It is apparent that Jake has an inferiority complex dating right back to his hailing days of Beth saying I was never bloody good enough and that he descends from a long line of slaves unlike Beth who originates from more upper-class Maori grow.What this highlights is that domestic violence, while inexcusable can often have its origin in insecurities from years beforehand. This is why men in particular need to seek help when they are attempt with issues instead of resorting to excessive bing-drinking to numb emotional pain. Jakes wife, Beth is also on the margins of society as we see her struggling to raise her family amidst all the physical and verbal abuse around her. Gradually the low angle shots of Beth buy the farm more prominent as her courage to stand up to her abusive husband increases as also seen in her dialogue. I wont have any more of these parties or your bloody fugly mongrel mates coming o ver. Tragically, Beths surge in power in response to Jakes failure to take the family to see Boogie in the Boys home comes too late, as unbeknownst to her, Uncle Bully has raped her daughter, Grace sending her into a downward spiral which culminates in her suicide. Beths courage in standing up to Jake and restoring the family without him is compelling.It must have inspired many women across New Zealand and indeed the world to leave behind dysfunctional and violent domestic set-ups. The fabulous low-key illumine and low angle shot of Beth at the end as she calmly informs Jake that from now on I make the decisions for my family is inspirational and reminds us of the mana, pride and spirit that many Maori have. She finally goes home to her Maori ancestral roots as well as literally home to restore her devastated family in the wake of Jakes departure. by chance the most compelling story of hope in the film is that of younger son, Boogie who is sent into benefit after the state decide s his family can no longer control him after his mother, Beth fails to accompany him to a court hearing (due to suffering a beating and rape at the hands of Jake) as a firmness of a string of petty crimes. Boogie finally gets the tough love he needs from Maori man, Bennett a distinguished tane who teaches Boogie to use his taiaha on the inside, instead of on the outside.Boogie learns that true mana is found by using your mind and developing the inner-strength and resolve to solve problems instead of resorting to violence. Bennett, initially called a black pecker by Boogie despite being Maori trains Boogie to reconnect with his maori tikanga and culture which effectively clears up Boogies confusion about his Maori identity and that this can be a source of pride. This shows that with the appropriate guidance, initially perverted youth can have a chance to redeem themselves, although this is a job parents and to a lesser extent teachers need to be doing.State foster homes should onl y be a last resort. In conclusion, Once Were Warriors left an indelible mark on the psyche of many New Zealanders with its brutal violence and depiction of problems such as binge-drinking and poverty that previously were swept under the carpet. Only by examining characters on the margins of society can we truly learn how easy it is to get there ourselves if we do not pass judgment our families, our education or seek help when we are struggling with issues from our past. The story of the Heke family is a compelling one and a story we would do well to consider seriously.