Utu

To me, a good movie uses the introduction to snap your tether of disbelief; the middle to entertain you and deliver you to the end; and the end to make it worth the journey.

This movie does it better than any other movie that I've ever seen.

The story is about revenge ("utu"), how the cycle starts, how it changes, and the price to be paid to end it.

The time and the place are not important, though the movie is beautifully shot and historically valid. The action is only a device to tell the story, though it is compelling and riveting. The subject matter is profoundly serious, though there are elements of comedy even during the most serious scenes.

Overall, this is one of the best constructed films that I have ever seen. The pacing of the scenes, the respect for the intelligence of the audience, the dark endearing humor, and the impact of the message all make this one of my favorite movies.

The director's cut provides additional scenes that explain some of the details that are missing from the original, but these extra scenes foul the sharp pacing that makes the studio cut work so well.

This movie might remind you of "Dances With Wolves." I enjoyed it, and thought it gave a good insight into Maori history and culture.

Leonard Maltin gave it a less-than-appealing review while another book loved it. I rank it more in the middle and more towards the "other book" with the second half redeeming it.

If you are into something different, try out this New Zealand western. I am a HUGE fan of kiwi actor Bruno Lawrence (Williamson in this film). I recommend it.

*** out of ****

Awesome.. You need to watch this film. Just do yourself a favour and watch it.

This film takes place during the New Zealand Land Wars and does justice to the portrayal of violence and revenge (hence the title). The setting is lively and convincing and the story shows the conflict between all people without oversimplifying.

Utu is quite a good film. Having said that, it is quite possible that we have seen it before in other settings.

Utu is unique in that it is one of the few films available in North America dealing with the Maori culture of New Zealand. Other than that, the film is basically an anti colonial sentimented film which could have taken place almost anywhere else in the world where colonialism was experienced.

Utu still manages to pack a punch in the very earnest way the main character sets out to rid his country of the white invaders. Utu, meaning revenge, is the basic theme of this story. The colonial army in the film pillages Maori villages. The Maori corporal who quits the army to fight against it seeks revenge. The story is simple, yet compelling.

The film examines imperialism in a light not uncommon to stories of this nature, but it is better in the sense that it does not try to gloss over the anger of the natives by arming them conveniently with western values. That is a crime many movies are guilty of. The level of violence in the film is typical by genre standards, and it actually lends itself to the films raw emotion. This one's worth a look.