Andrew Wilson

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I went to this movie interested, but expecting to be disappointed a little, if not a lot... It is such a hard task to tell a captivating story, while staying true and authentic to the characters, behaviours and environment of the time. It would be so easy to get it wrong. Shouldn't have worried.. Tamahori at his finest is the safest pair of hands.. It started well and just builds and improves the whole movie. Definitely Lee Tamahori's best, if not a close run with Once Were Warriors. The Convert doesn't attempt, or claim to be, a historically accurate representation, but from my readings of earliest pre treaty interactions with Missionary & Maori it was very close in its essence of Maori, Pakeha & Missionary behaviour, if not attempting to be directly historically factual. The filming location of Whatipu was inspired and the moody weather and rough seas of the Manukau harbour entrance set the tone for the film brilliantly as did the forest and more peaceful Wenderholm scenes. Guy Pearce was a great choice and gave a top shelf performance as always (Eric Bana was the other I thought could be great in this role). Ngati-Melbourne and McKenzie were excellent and authentic, but it was the Maori Chiefs who stole the acting and credibility show for me, the honour, mana, mischief and volatility often silently portrayed was gripping and electric. Pearce's Character was like an amalgam of historic early Missionary characters that lived amongst the Maori such as retired (and tired of war) Naval Captain, Henry Williams (Caroline Fitzgerald's book "Letters from the Bay of Islands" based his Diary writings is just as gripping as this movie) and known as a peacemaker, for literally standing between warring tribes to stop the bloodshed. These tribes developed as much respect for his mana as he had for theirs and this became a theme in the movie. Pearce's Character also seemed to represent several early Europeans who lived with Maori Tribes and adopted their ways and even married Maori and fought alongside them to protect Pā and Whanau, some taking facial tattoos as Pearce did (such as Barnet Burns, Jack Love and Dick Barrett). The Maori Chiefs and stars of the show reminded of powerful chiefs such as Hongi Hika and Te Rauparaha. Intelligent, lethal, spiritual, mortal, shrewd, honourable, mischievous, traitorous all rolled into one and often displayed each trait perfectly with simply a glance and a stance better than 1000 words ever could. Brilliant!