In Auckland, New Zealand, a Maorian family, descendants of ancient tribal warriors live a life in urban decay, fraught with poverty, unemployment, alienation, and abuse. From a novel by Alan Duff, Lee Tamahori's Once Were Warriors is startling and harsh, though thoughtful and even poetically composed. Even if it isn't always completely convincing, it manages to inform about a culture by the trials of one family, educating while hitting home with its more blunt aspects.
*** 1/2 out of ****
