Once Were Warriors.

The film, Once Were Warriors foregrounds the issue that Maori are a culture that has lost its way .The invited reading is that the Maori community deals with domestic violence, poverty, gangs and alcoholism. The film positions the viewers to believe that Maori men are violent, as the film portrays them in a negative way. By exploiting the representation that Maori men are brutal alcoholics and dangerous, viewers are positioned to agree with the expressions of the film. This representation is evident through the language and actions of the males throughout the film.

Once Were Warriors portrays Maori men as violent and ruthless. It is evident throughout the film that they have portrayed these men, by showing their association with alcoholism, gangs and violence, also showing how brutal these men are. The portrayal is represented throughout the film through the characters of Jake and Uncle Bully. Because of Jakes aggressive behavior and actions towards his family, he is portrayed in a negative way. Jake and his wife, Beth, still have moments during the film when the initial attraction they had for each other is still visible. But mostly life for Beth and Jake, especially for Beth, is a series of horrors, as Jake has a terrifying short fuse once he starts drinking. Jake brutally abuses his wife and children, believing that this is something he is quite entitled to do. Jake embodies the Maori’s physical prow-ness and their strength. This is evident in the repeated references to his huge muscles, fighting skills and ability to inspire fear in others. He personifies the glorified Maori warrior’s culture of the past. However, his physical strength doesn’t provide him with the skills necessary to survive in the modern world. Or the ability to care for his family, hold a job, or support himself in the present urban culture. The film invites us to believe that Jake is a violent, vicious man who has no connection with his family.

Uncle Bully is another male