The Dead Lands hit theaters and VOD on April 17th from Magnet Releasing
The Dead Lands is a bit of a miracle movie. One has trouble believing that it was able to become a fully fleshed out movie in what is likely a form very close the filmmakers’ original intentions. I say all this because movies like The Dead Lands simply don’t get made. What it is? It is a mythological action/adventure movie starring no big name actors (or any white people, for that matter), spoken entirely in the Maori language (the Natives of what is now New Zealand), and it hews very closely to the culture which it depicts. Like I said, movies like this just don’t get made on the scale which this one was, much less receive an American release. And The Dead Lands feels all the more special for it.
To be clear, I don’t think this film is some kind of masterpiece of cultural documentation or anything like that. It is primarily crafted to be a piece of entertainment, and as such, the action movie junkie in me was initially skeptical, but totally won over. And being that I know absolutely nothing about the Maori tribal culture, the film succeeds in introducing someone like me to that culture by entertaining me. Which I appreciate. But since writer Glenn Standring and director Toa Fraser made it a point to tell an accessible and mythic adventure tale using authentic customs, language, and even weapons and fighting styles, they were able to distinguish their film from countless others and craft an action film that actually has something to say and manages to even flesh out a few characters beyond one dimension.
Set in an undisclosed time before recorded history when the Maori people were a complex web of tribes with differing customs and interests who placed high honor and glory around noble death by combat, this film is unapologetically brutal in its depiction of violence. Yet while it felt shocking, it also felt genuine. The values of these warriors are very different from our own, but time honored amongst themselves. So when young Hongi (James Rolleston, The Boy) watches on as his chieftain father attempts to broker peace with a neighboring tribe’s prince (Te Kohe Tuhaka in a memorably villainous performance as Wirepa) only to become victims of a calculated massacre, he sets out on a quest for revenge. Alone and ill-equipped, he attempts to chase down Wirepa’s warriors.
Essential to the story and to traditional Maori custom is the nearness of their ancestors. So there’s a dynamic where Hongi is guided by his Grandmother’s spirit, and throughout all the characters are very concerned about honoring their ancestors and even dialoging with them as though they were present. Once again, my unfamiliarity with Maori culture and my trust that the filmmakers were actually attempting authenticity made this dynamic feel engaging instead of cheesy, which it had the strong potential to be.
Ultimately Hongi is forced to travel into the titular Dead Lands, a haunted and accursed place, populated by a fearful demon, in order to pursue Wirepa (who, in his pride, has broken custom already by slaughtering Hongi’s tribe through a deception, and who further brings curses upon his men by travelling into the Dead Lands). He is advised by his grandmother that he’ll need to take the risk of confronting the demon in hopes of aligning causes, and so begins the central relationship of the film, in which Hongi is tutored and aided by The Warrior (Lawrence Makoare in the film’s best role). There’s a bit of a guerilla warfare element to the film as The Warrior and Hongi dwindle the numbers of Wirepa’s men, all while forging a complicated mentor/mentee father/son analog relationship that I found to be pretty effective. The Warrior’s past is checkered and he’s known as a forsaken demon for good reason… but he’s given a chance at some type of redemption through his bloody tutelage of Hongi.
And with the introduction of The Warrior, The Dead Lands really hits its stride and becomes a fully fleshed out film. Wirepa and Hongi represent a very clear evil and good, respectively. The Warrior introduces some mystery and greyness to proceedings, which isn’t exactly rocket science, but it does deepen the impact of the film and allow for more interesting character dynamics throughout, as well as provide some genuine character investment which pulls the audience in a little deeper than the action alone might.
And about that action. Have I mentioned it is brutal? There’s actually a native martial art known as Mau Rakau which was utilized to give the deadly hand to hand combat a genuine and unique feel. This level of detail, along with the native language being spoken and the most accurate recreations of tribal customs being utilized, one gets the sense that a fun and accessible action/adventure movie has been made for everyone to enjoy, but largely made by Maori and Kiwi people who have been able to represent their culture in a way that does them proud. And like I said at the top, a film like that being made is sadly a bit of a miracle these days.
The Dead Lands won’t be a game changer for most people, unless they’re a Maori person, in which case this will likely strike closer to home and be something to really take enormous pride in. But it does put a fresh coat of paint on a really simple two-versus-an-army action film trope that I’m always happy to revisit. I love that a team of filmmakers was able to get together and craft something that represents their culture, something with meaning and a unique vision audiences haven’t seen before, and were able to create it and get it out for the world to see. If you’re into action cinema I recommend taking a walk through The Dead Lands.
And I’m Out.