‘Once Were Warriors’ Blu-Ray Review – A Devastating Look At Toxic Masculinity & Colonization In New Zealand

Amidst the mean streets of Auckland, Beth Heke (Rena Owen) lives with her husband Jake (Temuera Morrison) and their three children in a tenement house for native Maori. Jake’s battle with alcoholism frequently results in terrifyingly violent outbursts, but Beth’s unwavering devotion prevents her from seeing how much his rage is destroying their family until it is nearly too late.

Winner of nine New Zealand Film Awards, this groundbreaking adaptation of Alan Duff’s hard-hitting novel set local box office records and launched the international career of director Lee Tamahori.

For thoughts on Once Were Warriors, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required: 

Video Quality

Once Were Warriors returns to Blu-Ray with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1 derived from a digital restoration. This new release is most likely the same transfer as the one released in 2016 from Film Movement Classics, only with the addition of an optional slipcover through OCN Distribution. We don’t know the exact details of the restoration, but we are largely pleased with the texture and detail on display. There are some lingering specks of print damage, but it does not emerge as a major deficit. The shots of the exteriors are packed with distinct details that are easily observable thanks to this transfer. Colors are deep and natural in all environments. Skin tones are natural and consistent with facial features prominent in close-ups. Black levels hold up with very little in the way of crush. Digital noise does not present as an exceptional issue here. This presentation is solid work from Film Movement Classics. 

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a strong DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track with optional English SDH subtitles. While the New Zealand accents are mostly easy to understand, some audiences may need subtitles to help parse some of the phrases even if they don’t normally need them. Environmental sounds around the community are rendered well alongside everything else. The music sounds rich and full of personality throughout the film. There is never a moment when it overwhelms the dialogue, and the track maintains a commendable balance so that exchanges come through clearly. There do not seem to be any obvious instances of age-related wear and tear. Film Movement Classics has provided a good presentation for the film. 

Special Features

This Blu-Ray set includes a multi-page booklet featuring an essay by film critic Peter Calder that provides a great analysis of the themes of the story, its place in New Zealand cinema, and more. The on-disc special features are as follows:

• Audio Commentary: Film critics Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson provide a great commentary track in which they discuss the importance of this film to New Zealanders, the thematic layers of the story, the background of the performers, and more. 

• Behind The Scenes Featurette: A 13-minute archival piece that takes a look at the making of the film. 

• Trailers (2:09)

Final Thoughts

Once Were Warriors is a really tough look at the devastating effects of toxic masculinity and its links to the colonization of New Zealand that will stick with you long after the credits have finished rolling. While you may hate some of the characters, the performances that bring them to life are impeccable on every front. This is an incredibly assured feature debut from Lee Tamahori that marks a high point of New Zealand cinema. Film Movement Classics has released a Blu-Ray that features a great A/V presentation and a couple of engaging supplemental features. Recommended 

Once Were Warriors is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.  

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Film Movement Classics and OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.