Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 2, Number 1, 1 January 1985 — Hawaiians Among Turn-Away Crowds at "Utu" Showing [ARTICLE]

Hawaiians Among Turn-Away Crowds at "Utu" Showing

By Maleolm Naea Chun Cultural Specialist "Utu," a New Zealand-made film, attracted a large number of Hawaiian viewers among the turn-away crowds during the recently completed Hawaii International Film Festival. This appeal for a foreign film by Hawaiians was based upon the film's emphasis of native culture and concepts. The story centers on three events of a Maon soldier, Te Wheke who is in the British army and comes across a massacre of a Maori village by the very army he serves; his "conversion" from army soldier to Maori warrior, the killings he commits to seek vengeance and the "chase" to capture him; and finally forthe"crimes" he committed. This is the way the action moves in the film but its strength lies in its attempt to give meaning to the Maori/Polynesian concept of "utu" as well as other aspects of Maori culture. "Utu," (uku in Hawaiian) has a vague similarity to the English words of retribution, recompensation, revenge or "pay back." In the film, mueh of the "utu" sought seems to be a!ong the lines of revenge, but in one scene a Maori woman saves the life of a Pakeha (haole) officer from Te Wheke's raid on the British army because he let her escape when she was held prisoner. There are other sub themes such as Maori-Pakeha relationship, the status of women in both societies and the reasons or motivation whieh cause people to pull the trigger of a gun to kill another person. The other strength in the film lay in the tasteful and sensitive usage of Maori language and waiata (chant). Both had a definite and integral role and were not ineidental or token elements as are found in films about Hawaiians. Certainly the chants and even the haka (dance) were chosen for what they mean and the role they have in relationship to the action of the film. In comparison, most film makers or television producers choose Hawaiian music for what it sounds like in the background without mueh eoneem for its meaning and role relationship. Within this strong structure, however, the film does have flaws, particularly the Maori characters in major and minor roles. They show little development from the start of the film; its the Pakehas who change or grow. Finally, the film is still centered towards a Pakeha audience in the way it attempts to present the meaning of "Utu." This may explain the large attraction to young Maori-Hawaiian audiences as a sort of "Roots" film, but not to the purist. The film was based upon a fictionalized version of actual Maori history, quite like James Michener's "Hawaii." At times it seemed more like the Western movies of soldiers chasing lndians across the countryside. Its emphasis on concepts and sub themes as well as the proper use of Maori cultureand language saves the film and makes "Utu" an intelligent production. "Utu" in this sense is very mueh like the television series M*A*S*H whieh used humor, character development, social, moral and ethical issues upon the background of war. In the future, film makers and television producers will have to be more careful, sensitive and accurate towards native roles in their productions. They will need to have more native advisers as well as to listen to them. This would be the legacy of "Utu" for Hawaiians beyond identifying with Te Wheke and the Maori.