The Dead Lands, 2014
Directed by Toa Fraser
Starring James Rolleston, Lawrence Makoare, Te Kohe Tuhaka, Xavier Horan, Rukura Turei, George Henare, Rena Owen, Pana Hema Taylor
SYNOPSIS:
After his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery, Hongi, a Maori chieftain’s teenage son, must avenge his father’s murder in order to bring peace and honor to the souls of his loved ones. Vastly outnumbered by a band of villains, Hongi’s only hope is to pass through the feared and forbidden Dead Lands and forge an uneasy alliance with the mysterious Warrior, a ruthless fighter who has ruled the area for years.
Like Dredd a few years back, The Dead Lands benefits from being made outside of the “studio system”. With no men in suits to answer to, director Toa Fraser can take brave moves and make a film that doesn’t have to bow down to movie conventions. There is nothing special or original about its story and it could have easily been turned into a big budget epic. If were to be made in Hollywood however, The Dead Lands would have big name actors with bombastic action sequences and it would be filmed entirely in English. But because it wasn’t, The Dead Lands is a genuine, powerful, dramatic and thrilling movie and it’s all the better for it.
Filmed entirely in their native tongue, The Dead Lands tells the story of a Maori tribe savaged and brutally murdered by a rival group led by the maniacal Wirepa, who is hell bent on proving that he is force to be reckoned with. The only person to survive is Hongi, the youngest son of the Maori tribe’s chief, who is now on a quest for revenge with the help of a mysterious man known as The Warrior, a supposed “monster” who killed his own tribe to rule alone. The two form an unlikely bond as they follow Wirepa and his clan through the Dead Lands.
While the story of The Dead Lands is lacking in its originality, its bar is raised somewhat by the fantastic performances by the cast. Nothing feels forced or contrived and the central relationship between Hongi and The Warrior is captivating with both James Rolleston and Lawrence Makoare giving outstanding performances. The two work so well together and you really feel their relationship grow with each passing scene. Hongi is the hothead son who needs to learn discipline and control while The Warrior is the troubled mentor who is seeking forgiveness from his ancestors. He is not a Yoda or an Obi-Wan written to train the “boy” to fight against the bad guy, he is his own character with his own story arc to take. There is a point in the movie towards the end of the second act where the scenery chewing and hammy dialogue goes into overdrive, but this is more down to Glenn Standring’s script rather than Rolleston and Makoare.
The true star of the movie however is Te Kohe Tuhaka who plays the drunk-on-power Wirepa. Outside of Koba in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, 2014 has been lacking in decent villains, but Wirepa – despite his unoriginality – outshines them all. His character progression feels genuine and his emotions get the better of him just enough so that his actions never feel manufactured simply to justify the plot. He is a man who believes he is a God among men and that his ancestors are looking down upon him fondly (which ultimately leads to his downfall) and Tuhaka sells every beat of this perfectly. Like the plot, Hongi and The Warrior, there is nothing original about his character, but Tuhaka brings his a-game to make Wirepa a captivating screen entity. He is a revelation and he gives a powerhouse performance that is terrifying and brilliant in equal measures.
There has been some complaint over the action and fight scenes in The Dead Lands for adopting the sadly commonplace “shaky cam” style of filming to seemingly hide the cracks in the choreography. It is a real shame that Fraser uses this method rather than shooting fight scenes like Gareth Evans did with The Raid because it feels like the actors and stunt performers could have easily pulled it off, but this Bourne-style of action still packs a real punch. Each blow has force and weight and Fraser wisely uses blood sparingly to have more impact when it does make an appearance. Even with its style-shortcomings, The Dead Lands will still grab you by the short and curlies and it won’t let go until only one man is left standing on screen.
Brutal, gripping and brilliantly acted, The Dead Lands will not appease everyone but it could be the sleeper hit of the festival. There will be those who can’t forgive the movie’s uninspired plot synopsis, but those who can get into the action and performances will be treated to a superb film that really packs a punch, both physically and mentally.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Luke Owen is the Deputy Editor of Flickering Myth and the host of the Flickering Myth Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @LukeWritesStuff.
Originally published September 25, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
