Once were warriors

A good beginning and a brilliant ending are crucial to a successful film. Discuss this statement with detailed reference to a feature film or films you have studied.

New Zealand feature film Once Were Warriors, directed by Lee Tamahori, has a brilliant and captivating beginning that immediately engages the audience’s attention. Both the beginning and the ending contribute greatly to the film’s popular success and have been made specifically to introduce motifs and symbols, key characters, relationships and conflicts.
How is success defined? Once Were Warriors could be considered to have been a success in many ways, not just by it’s commercial value. Firstly, there is the academic success of the film. It portrayed a tragic and violent family cycle to other New Zealanders, of whom many believed that we lived in a violence free country. The film was very successful in showing that not all people are privy to equal opportunities in life. Secondly, the aesthetic success wa...