Krigarens själ

Once Were Warriors

The real discovery here (...) is the hitherto unknown Owen, who delivers a performance of towering proportions, one moment bristling with pure anger, the next inflamed with passion for her bullying husband.

The director's key achievement is creating a convincing sense of daily life in the household and neighborhood. This is not a narrow drama that focuses on a few themes; it paints a whole style of life, the good times with the bad...

With its complex cultural backdrop and its stark view of this societal cancer, Once Were Warriors attains a level where it is equally painful and potent.

...it's hard-hitting stuff, and a welcome antidote to the sentimentalized picture of the Maoris (...) in 1993's THE PIANO.