In New Zealand in the 1860s the native Māori people fought the British colonials to keep the land guaranteed to them by treaty. The warrior Te Wheke fights for the British until betrayal leads him to seek utu (revenge). The settler Williamson in turn seeks revenge after Te Wheke attacks his homestead. Meanwhile Wiremu, an officer for the British, seems to think that resistance is futile.
Acting
Anzac Wallace's simmering rage—never overplayed, always terrifying.
Cinematography
New Zealand landscapes as beautiful and brutal as the story.
Score
Māori instruments clash with colonial military drums.
Director
Geoff Murphy
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Anzac Wallace was a former gang member with no acting training; Geoff Murphy found him driving a taxi.
Utu helped spark New Zealand's 1980s renaissance in Māori-centered storytelling, predating Once Were Warriors by a decade.
NZ
US
