Backbencher

Once Were Warriors is based on Alan Duff's novel of the same name and tells the story of a current day Maori family dealing with alcoholism and domestic abuse. Jake "the Muss" Heke is an abusive father whose violent nature affects his entire family. Beth, the mother of the family, is also an alcoholic who does little to prevent her husbands abuse. The children of the family are also deeply scarred by their parents lack of control as the oldest son Nig, joins a street gang and "boogie" is already in prison in Borstal. The most tragic figure of the film is the daughter Grace. She is the only child who seems to be attempting to make something of herself but her dreams are cut short when she is raped late one night by her Uncle Bully. Her father has no sympathy for her and as a result she hangs herself. This finally prompts Beth and the rest of the family to leave Jake.

This film was a very sad story but raises some questions in my mind. Is there a situation similar to the one on Native American reservations in the United States where the problem of alcoholism is must higher per capita than the surrounding areas. I wonder if there is a similar problem facing the Maori people in New Zealand. This film could just be a portrait of one families tragic life but i wonder if Alan Duff didnt write the novel and later the film to bring these problems to the attention of the people?