Utu

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david l Utu is a New Zealand historical drama about the Maori uprising in the 19th century. It's an authentic period piece in terms of technical aspects and casting. The performances are terrific while a couple of sequences were quite powerful. The problem here is that the film focused more on action than on drama, resulting in an overly bloody, chaotic viewing experience that is more style than substance. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review William L A Revisionist Western in everything but setting, Utu transposes many of the same conflicts from arid desert to misty moors, technically different parties sharing a similar conflict against colonialism, rapidly changing lifestyles, and disparate identities. The latter in particular is a major sticking point of the film, as Wallace's Te Wheke, initially a soldier in the employ of the British, instigates a bloody guerilla campaign against them in retaliation for an attack on his village; he is not presented as a pure-hearted man bent of virtuous revenge, but instead as a nigh-schizophrenic member of two conflicting backgrounds forced against his will to reconcile them. His behavior is erratic and brutal, and it makes for a much more solid character than a generic revenge-fantasy protagonist. His 'introduction' after his declaration of utu (revenge) is particularly well-composed and shocking, as the audience witnesses a sermon against violence from an English preacher only for Te Wheke to walk in, toss the man a pistol, and proceed to behead him with a hatchet before delivering a speech against the foreign invaders with the priest's head dripping blood on his own pulpit. Anzac Wallace feels particularly strong in the part, a surprise given his lack of prior experience in film. The 'Redux' restoration makes the film look fantastic, with exceptional on-location shooting that makes use of the unique landscape of the country in a way that studio productions with all of their investment in CG still can't emulate properly. There are parts of the film that I'm way less of a fan of, particularly a tortured romantic subplot involving relatively green Lt. Scott (Johnson) and a Maori woman of seemingly shifting motivations, Bristowe's Kura, which seems to pop up sporadically and with little overall significance beyond offering a counter to Te Wheke; Scott is the English-heritage Kiwi who finds himself drifting from loyalty to the Crown by the local lifestyle, but the transition is not nearly as compellingly crafted as that of his counterpart. Still, the film remains surprisingly overlooked outside of New Zealand, and deserving of a wider audience; shame it's not more readily accessible. (3.5/5) Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/06/21 Full Review delysid d this movie is really WILD Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/17/20 Full Review Audience Member Sometimes im mad,sometimes im not Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review S R 1001 movies to see before you die. This was a tough one to find and it turned up on Toky Video one day and I had to watch before it went away. It was informative to learn about the Maori uprising in New Zealand, but the fabrication of some of the drama was a bit much. Regardless, it still had some good bits. I don't plan on watching it again. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/12/23 Full Review Audience Member A raw action drama that has proved to be just as fantastic in 2017 as it was upon release in '84. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Utu

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