Once Were Warriors

Date

1994

Description

Creator of the image: Lee Tamahori (director)
Date of the image creation: 1994
Medium of the image: Film
Person depicted: Beth Heke, as played by Rena Owen

This image of Beth Heke comes from the New Zealand film, Once Were Warriors. Based on the best-selling novel by Alan Duff, the film tells the story of the Hekes, an urban M?ori family living in a city in New Zealand. The film deals explicitly and graphically with poverty, domestic violence, child-abuse and alcoholism, mostly at the hand of the family’s patriarch, Jake. His wife and mother of five, Beth Heke is frequently the victim of this violence, with the film revolving around her struggles.

Beth’s third child, the 13-year-old Grace, was raped by one of Jake’s friend, nicknamed Uncle Bully, and she writes about it in her journal. Later, her father rips the journal in half — without reading it — and defends his friend. Shortly thereafter, Grace takes her own life. Beth and her remaining four children attend Grace's funeral, which is conducted in a customary M?ori fashion. Upon returning home, Beth repairs Grace’s torn diary, and opens it to read a passage. There she learns of her daughter's rape by Bully, the incident that prompted her suicide. The still frame is captured at this moment as she reacts to the text.

This leads directly into the film’s climax, with Beth and her eldest son Nig going to the bar where Jake and Uncle Bully are drinking. They confront the men, and Beth accuses Uncle Bully of raping her daughter. Jake defends his friend, and makes violent threats, until his wife, with the support of her son, forces him to read the diary. Jake explodes with violence, savagely beating Bully, and stabbing him in the groin with a broken beer bottle. Beth and Nig leave the bar, with the blood splattered Jake in pursuit. Beth tells him that she is taking the kids and leaving him. He responds by blabbering incoherent threats as his family drives away and sirens approach.

Quotes

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