The Maori Merchant of Venice

I saw this film but once on SBS in Australia (it must have been when it was first released). I have never forgotten the experience, my search to procure a copy of it has thus far proven fruitless. I have left enquiries at my favourite dvd stores for years and keep asking them still. There is even a Maori store in Werribee (Victoria) that I contacted, but even they were unable to locate a copy of The Maori Merchant of Venice. I am not Maori, nor do I speak that wonderfully evocative language, yet I found this movie marvelous. The native sets and traditional Maori carvings did much to lend weight and exotic atmosphere to Shakespeare's play, and even if it's true I can't understand Maori, it is equally true that archaic English is just as foreign to me, but the facial expressions of the actors was anything but wooden (for me) and helped me grasp what was happening, and the mood, there were moments these talented actors elicited a genuine belly-laugh from me. I love this film ! Please, somebody, save this Maori take on Shakespeare from vanishing, I understand it is the first Maori feature film, regardless of whether that is true or not, this work of art deserves to be saved and enjoyed. If ever somehow you are privileged to view this movie then you will understand my gushing comments about it. At the very least I believe "The Maori Merchant Of Venice" needs to be saved/archived for the native peoples of New Zealand, for their posterity as well as for their fun and entertainment. This film enriches our world by putting a Maori slant/perspective on it, that would be an inestimable loss to us all were it to be lost/forgotten.

This movie presents a Maori version of Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice,' which has been translated into Maori for the movie, and then the Maori has been translated back into English for the English subtitles. This takes it several steps away from Shakespeare's original text, but the story is pretty faithful to the original plot. Some of the acting appeared to be quite wooden, but that may have been a cultural thing, because I had to glean the meaning from the subtitles and body language. I found it a very enjoyable movie, and enjoyed the Maori take on Shakespeare's play. One thing that I found particularly good was the way the movie handled the rivalry between Antonio and Shylock. Antonio can often come across as an insipid loser, but this movie highlights the antagonism between him and Shylock, and makes the 'merry bond' most believable as a challenge thrown down and taken up. I would recommend this movie to anybody interested in Shakespeare, particularly 'The Merchant of Venice.'