History Film / OnceWereWarriors

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Jake is a completely amoral bastard who is almost always drunk, unconcerned about his family’s budget and survival, beats and rapes Beth, and nearly beats Grace at one point. However, even he is badly shaken by [[spoiler Grace's suicide]], and [[spoiler:beats Uncle Bully to a bloody pulp in a blind rage when he finds out he raped her.]]

* AllegedCar: Beth and her remaining family [[spoiler: drive away from Jake]] in one at the end. It takes about ten seconds before it even starts up.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Uncle Bully is usually polite and rather nice, especially when compared to Jake. He never shouts and is nice to Grace [[spoiler: before raping her]].

* DrivenToSuicide: Poor [[spoiler: Grace]] ends up hanging herself on a clothing line tied to a tree after [[spoiler: her rape at the hands of Uncle Bully.]]

* EmpathyDollShot: When [[spoiler: Uncle Bully comes in to rape Grace]], there’s an overturned teddy bear lying near the door.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Jake is a completely amoral bastard who is almost always drunk, unconcerned about his family’s budget and survival, beats and rapes Beth, and nearly beats Grace at one point. However, even he is badly shaken by [[spoiler: Grace's suicide]], and [[spoiler: beats Uncle Bully to a bloody pulp in a blind rage when he finds out he raped her.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: At one point, the family stops by the road and Beth points out [[spoiler: a cemetery where her ancestors are buried...]]

* HopeSpot: The moment after [[spoiler: Beth is savagely beaten and raped by Jake]] has them seemingly re-unite and go to family picnic, before drunkenness and beatings continue.
* HowDareYouDieOnMe: Beth does this [[spoiler: over Grace’s body]].

* MamaBear: Beth. Especially after [[spoiler: Grace's death]].

* OnlySaneWoman: Grace seems to be the only one who realises how bad things are for them and attempts to do something positive for her siblings. [[spoiler: it doesn’t work out well for her.]]

* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Child rape certainly is, as [[spoiler: Grace is driven to suicide because of it]] and the perpetrator is called out on it and beaten to bloody pulp. However, Beth’s rape at the hands of Jake is not treated as anything different from the regular abuse she endures at the hands of Jake and when she forgives him for it, the film no longer comes back to it again.

* SoundtrackDissonance: “What have you done to my baby” is played by Jake and his friends when outside [[spoiler: Grace goes to kill herself.]]

* VillainousBreakdown: Jake finally undergoes one when [[spoiler: Grace hangs herself]], unable to hit Beth when directly confronted by her and reduced to smashing furniture and pointlessly attempting to chop down a tree.

* BadassGrandpa: The instructor in the traditional Maori ways is at least 50 and he easily takes a stick from Jake and does some pretty impressive martial arts with it.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Jake is a completely amoral bastard who is almost always drunk, unconcerned about his family’s budget and survival, beats and rapes Beth, and nearly beats Grace at one point. However, even he finds it too far that [[spoiler: Bully has raped Grace]] and beats the bloody pulp out of him.

* AbusiveParents: Jake, so very much.

* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Played straight with Grace and Boogie. Grace is the older of the pair, is responsible and stays out of trouble. Younger brother Boogie smokes, runs with gangs, and is apparently no stranger to the police.

Due to its success it became something of an icon for the New Zealand film industry of the 90s, creating a number of persistent NZ [[MemeticMutation cultural memes]] and adding to the cult status of TemueraMorrison.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: At one point, the family stops by the road and Beth points out a cemetery where her ancestors are buried...

* TheFilmOfTheBook:

* DepartmentofChildDisservices: The hapless social worker who visits the Hekes. Subverted in that Boogie actually ''does'' get better after being taken away.

* MoodWhiplash: Nearly every scene of beating is preceded and almost immediately followed by bikes, sunglasses and other superficial cool.

* WildTeenParty: Jake tends to invite everyone from the pub back to his house on a nightly basis.

* VictimBlaming: Jake is completely unashamed to blame Beth for everything he does to her, including savagely beating her after she refuses to cook for his guests and then raping her.

* DieChairDie: While Grace's funeral is going on, Jake is sitting in the pub. A song he'd been singing along to with his family (See EarWorm) earlier in the film comes on and Jake becomes so enraged that he grabs a bar stool and puts it through the jukebox.

Based on the [[TheFilmOfTheBook novel]] by Alan Duff, ''OnceWereWarriors'' is a 1994 film set in UsefulNotes/NewZealand and dealing with the trials of a dysfunctional working-class Maori family. It was famous on its release as a result of its hard-hitting depiction of low-life, abuse and poverty among poor urban Maori (something of a hot-button issue in New Zealand).

* TheAlcoholic - Both Jake and Beth.

* AxeCrazy - Jake.
* AwesomeButImpractical - Jake beats on a guy who he claims has done "all weights, no speedball".

* BeautyIsNeverTarnished : One of the most dramatic aversions in cinema. After Jake brutally beats and rapes Beth, she looks it.

* CurbStompBattle - Every fight Jake gets into.
* {{Delinquents}} - Nig and Boogie

* {{Diary}} - Grace keeps one, and Beth later finds it.
* DieChairDie - While Grace's funeral is going on, Jake is sitting in the pub. A song he'd been singing along to with his family (See EarWorm) earlier in the film comes on and Jake becomes so enraged that he grabs a bar stool and puts it through the jukebox.
* DomesticAbuse - Jake abuses Beth (and, presumably, the children) regularly. Also inverts the trope BeautyIsNeverTarnished, as poor Beth's face looks like it's been rearranged after one of Jake's benders.
* DrivenToSuicide - Poor [[spoiler: Grace]] ends up hanging herself on a clothing line tied to a tree after [[spoiler: her rape at the hands of Uncle Bully.]]

* EroticEating : Beth and the seafood.

* FreudianExcuse: at one point Jake seems to justify his actions by saying that he comes from a long line of slaves. Given what he does in the film, no-one buys it.

* HellBentForLeather - The Toa Aotearoa members, as befits what is effectively a biker gang.

* ProudWarriorRaceGuy : Varying examples.

* WildTeenParty - Jake tends to invite everyone from the pub back to his house on a nightly basis.

''OnceWereWarriors'' is a 1994 film set in UsefulNotes/NewZealand and dealing with the trials of a dysfunctional working-class Maori family. It was famous on its release as a result of its hard-hitting depiction of low-life, abuse and poverty among poor urban Maori (something of a hot-button issue in New Zealand).

* TheAlcoholic - Jake and Beth both

* DepartmentofChildDisservices: The hapless social worker who visits the Hekes.

* DrivenToSuicide
* EroticEating : Beth and the seafood.
* FacialMarkings - Nig
* TheFilmOfTheBook
* HellBentForLeather - Most of the male cast.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy : Varying examples.
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil - More than one example - crosses with VictimBlaming (and how)

* HeyItsThatGuy : Cliff Curtis plays the aptly named Bully.

* DomesticAbuse - Jake abuses Beth (and, presumably, the children) regularly.

''OnceWereWarriors'' is a 1994 film set in NewZealand and dealing with the trials of a dysfunctional working-class Maori family. It was famous on its release as a result of its hard-hitting depiction of low-life, abuse and poverty among poor urban Maori (something of a hot-button issue in NewZealand).

Due to its success it became something of an icon for the NewZealand film industry of the 90s, creating a number of persistent NZ [[MemeticMutation cultural memes]] and adding to the cult status of TemueraMorrison.

* {{Alcoholism}} - Jake and Beth both