History Film / Utu

In the 1860s, after the murder of his family by colonial forces, Māori ArmyScout Te Wheke (Anzac Wallace) starts a rebellion against the British. Opposing him are :

* HollywoodNatives: Subverted. The Māori wear European style clothing and use advanced modern firearms.

* CainAndAbel: Te Wheke [[spoiler:clubs his sister Kura to death for loving a white man, and wrongly assumes she betrayed them]].

* TitleDrop: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utu_(Māori_concept) Utu]] is a Māori concept about reciprocity, and to some extent, about revenge. Used twice in that context, when [[spoiler:Matu tries to execute Te Wheke]] at the end:
-->'''Matu:''' For you, this is a court of military law. For me, it is blood for blood. [[TitleDrop Utu]].

-->'''Wiremu :''' And you, who claim [[TitleDrop Utu]] for the [[spoiler:death of your wife]]...

In the 1860s, after the murder of his family by colonial forces, Maori ArmyScout Te Wheke (Anzac Wallace) starts a rebellion against the British. Opposing him are :

** Cpl. Wiremu (Wi Kuku Kaa), a loyalist Maori

** The loyalist Maori and the British troops

* ActionGirl: Emily, Williamson's wife, shoots at least three Maori which is significantly more than her husband. She comes pretty close to ambushing Te Wheke and uses the explosion to almost escape him afterward - also she steps in front of him to prevent him from shooting her husband ( who to be fair was riding to try and rescue her ).

* ArmiesAreEvil: Subverted. Although many of the white officers are bastards, the enlisted men are Maori who oppose the rebellion. Cpl. Wiremu is [[spoiler:the brother of rebel leader Te Wheke]].

* BlackFace: A Maori smears flour on his face to impersonate a white man.
* BraidsBeadsAndBuckskins: Subverted. The exception is the elderly WitchDoctor who wears the traditional Maori grass skirt and feathers when tattooing Te Wheke.

* DavidVersusGoliath: In their first battle, the Maori rebels are armed with flintlock muskets, shotguns and clubs. They soon capture modern cartridge rifles from the defeated British.

* TheEmpire: The British colonial administration wants to plunder New Zealand's natural resources, and recruits some Maori warriors to wipe out the other tribes opposing them.

* HollywoodNatives: Subverted. The Maori wear European style clothing and use advanced modern firearms.

* MuggedForDisguise: The Maori rebels steal the uniforms of dead British soldiers, and use them to infiltrate the stockade.

* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Wiremu and the loyalist Maori are Kupapa who allied with the British during the earlier tribal wars. Even today, there is strong royalist sentiment among many Maori, to the point that many are opposed to New Zealand becoming a republic.[[note]]This is partly because the treaty protecting their land rights (though often violated) was made with the Crown. They fear its status without that.[[/note]]

* RebelLeader: Te Wheke recruits other disillusioned Maori to turn his personal vendetta against the Colonel into a full-blown anti-colonialist revolution.
* RedShirt: The British redcoat troops are expendable, and relatively easy for the rebel Maori to kill.

* SergeantRock: Wiremu has a duty to protect his commander, because Scott was born in New Zealand. As a Maori elder who previously fought in the Musket Wars, Wiremu is also AFatherToHisMen, many of whom are members of his tribe.

* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized: The Maori rebels massacre white women and children, and even other Maori who won't join their rebellion.

* TheWestern: The Maori represent the Indians, and the British are the Cavalry.
* TitleDrop: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utu_(Maori_concept) Utu]] is a Maori concept about reciprocity, and to some extent, about revenge. Used twice in that context, when [[spoiler:Matu tries to execute Te Wheke]] at the end:

* AristocratsAreEvil: The upper class British Colonel is a Lord.
** Let's not exaggerate. He's arrogant and condescending, but he fights bravely enough and after his carelessness almost causes a disaster he is willing to listen to those who know best.

* EvilBrit: The Colonel is an upper class Englishman who commits atrocities in the name of the BiggerBad UsefulNotes/QueenVictoria.
* ExactWords / IronicEcho: The minister's sermon is reused by Te Wheke :
-->'''Te Wheke:''' He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword.

----

Website/{{IMDb}} Entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086497/

%%* BlackBestFriend: Scott's native servant Hennery.

* ActionGirl: Emily, the planter's wife, shoots at least three Maori which is significantly more than her husband. She comes pretty close to ambushing Te Wheke and uses the explosion to almost escape him afterward - also she steps in front of him to prevent him from shooting her husband ( who was riding to try and rescue her ).

In the 1860s, after facing too much of the colonial rule, Maori ArmyScout Te Wheke (Anzac Wallace) starts a rebellion against the British. Opposing him are :

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

After facing too much of the colonial rule, Maori ArmyScout Te Wheke (Anzac Wallace) starts a rebellion against the British. Opposing him are :

* TheEmpire: The British colonial administration wants to plunder New Zealand's natural resources, and recruit some Maori warriors to wipe out other tribes who oppose them.

* TheEmpire: The British colonial administration want to plunder New Zealand's natural resources, and recruit some Maori warriors to wipe out other tribes who oppose them.

* CoolGuns: Williamson's quad barrel shotgun, Scott's Spencer repeating carbine, and Te Wheke's flintlock pistol.

''Utu'' is a 1983 UsefulNotes/NewZealand Western directed by Geoff Murphy. After the murder of his family, Maori {{army scout}} Te Wheke (Anzac Wallace) starts a rebellion against the British. Opposing him are Lt. Scott (Kelly Johnson), the vengeful widower Williamson (Bruno Laurence), and loyalist Maori troops led by Corporal Wiremu (Wi Kuku Kaa).

!!Tropes:
* AristocratsAreEvil: The upper class British Colonel (Tim Elliot) is a Lord.

* ArmiesAreEvil: Subverted. Although many of the white officers are bastards, the enlisted men are Maori who oppose the rebellion. Cpl Wiremu is the brother of rebel leader Te Wheke.

* BatmanGambit: Te Wheke tosses the preacher a loaded gun, knowing full well that his victim would hesitate to use it. This gives Te Wheke enough time to decapitate the minister with an axe.
** "Would I give you a loaded gun? Of course I would!"
* BlackAndGreyMorality: Te Wheke's tribe are massacred by British troops. In turn, his own followers commit many atrocities against the white settlers.

* BraidsBeadsAndBuckskins: Subverted. The exception is the elderly {{witch doctor}} who wears the traditional Maori grass skirt and feathers when tattooing Te Wheke.

* CainAndAbel: Te Wheke clubs his sister Kura to death for loving a white man.
** Wiremu later executes his brother Te Wheke to end the circle of vengeance.

* DavidVersusGoliath: In their first battle, the rebel Maori are armed with flintlock muskets, shotguns and clubs. They soon capture modern cartridge rifles from the defeated British.
* DeterminedHomesteader: Williamson was once a wealthy farmer, before Te Wheke murdered his wife and burned his house.
* DidNotGetTheGirl: Kura (Tania Bristow) is murdered by Te Wheke for helping her lover Scott escape.
* DoesNotLikeShoes: IndianMaiden Kura goes barefoot to signify her youthful innocence and closeness to nature.
* TheEmpire: The British colonial administration want to plunter New Zealand's natural resources, and recruit some Maori warriors to wipe out other tribes who oppose them.

* TheGunslinger: Williamson relies on the firepower from his unique four barreled shotgun.
* HeelFaceDoorSlam: A rare villainous example. Wiremu's son tries to defect to the rebels, but Te Wheke rejects him.
* HeroAntagonist: Scott is a reasonably decent man who is respected by his troops.

* KlingonPromotion: As the last surviving British officer, Scott ends up in command.
* MakeItLookLikeAnAccident: Wiremu does this to the brutal Colonel, and blames it on the rebels.

* PreacherMan: Te Wheke beheads a minister then preaches his own "sermon" from the pulpit.

* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: Wiremu's son is shunned by Te Wheke for betraying his British superiors, and is later tracked down and shot by Williamson.

* YoungestChildWins: Subverted. After the defeat of the rebels, Wiremu executes his younger brother Te Wheke.

* YouKilledMyFather: The uncle of Te Wheke and Wiremu was among the villagers killed in the Colonel's attack on the village.

* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Wiremu and the loyalist Maori are Kupapa who allied with the British during the earlier tribal wars. Even today, there is strong royalist sentiment among many Maori.

* WickedCultured: Te Wheke identifies himself with {{Macbeth}}.

'''Utu''' is a 1983 UsefulNotes/NewZealand Western directed by Geoff Murphy. After the murder of his family, Maori {{army scout}} Te Wheke (Anzac Wallace) starts a rebellion against the British. Opposing him are Lt. Scott (Kelly Johnson), the vengeful widower Williamson (Bruno Laurence), and loyalist Maori troops led by Corporal Wiremu (Wi Kuku Kaa).

[[quoteright:347:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/0fecdceb9de1f6f221ab90e87afd6c99.jpg]]

* EvilBrit: The Colonel is an upper class Englishman who commits atrocities in the name of the BiggerBad QueenVictoria.

* SavageSouth: New Zealand is represented as a harsh tropical jungle full of snakes and bugs.

%%* BadassLongCoat: Te Wheke and Williamson.

%%* CaptainSmoothAndSergeantRough: Lt. Scott and Cpl. Wiremu.

%%* CavalryOfficer: Lt. Scott and Col. Elliot.

%%* DoesNotLikeShoes: Kura
%%* TheEmpire: British colonialism.
%%* EvilBrit: The Colonel.
%%* GreaterScopeVillain: Queen Victoria

%%* TheGunslinger: Williamson

%%* IndianMaiden: Kura

%%* NobleSavage: Wiremu

%%* RebelLeader: Te Wheke
%%* RedShirt: The British troops.

%%* SergeantRock: Wiremu.

%%* TheSavageIndian: Te Wheke

%%* VillainProtagonist: Te Wheke

* BadassLongCoat: Te Wheke and Williamson.

* BlackBestFriend: Scott's native servant Hennery.

* CaptainSmoothAndSergeantRough: Lt. Scott and Cpl. Wiremu.

* CavalryOfficer: Lt. Scott and Col. Elliot.

* DoesNotLikeShoes: Kura
* TheEmpire: British colonialism.
* EvilBrit: The Colonel.
* GreaterScopeVillain: Queen Victoria

* TheGunslinger: Williamson

* IndianMaiden: Kura

* NobleSavage: Wiremu

* RebelLeader: Te Wheke
* RedShirt: The British troops.

* SergeantRock: Wiremu.

* TheSavageIndian: Te Wheke

* VillainProtagonist: Te Wheke

* BiggerBad: Queen Victoria

* PreacherMan: Te Wheke beheads a minister then preaches his own "sermon" from the pulpit.

* YoungestChildWins: Subverted. After the defeat of the rebels, Wiremu executes his younger brother Te Wheke.

* AristocratsAreEvil: The upper class British Colonel (Tim Elliot).

* ColonelKilgore: Elliot becomes increasingly ruthless in his quest to capture Te Wheke.

* NobleDemon: Te Wheke

* ScaryBlackMan: Te Wheke.

'''Utu''' is a 1983 New Zealand Western directed by Geoff Murphy. After the murder of his family, Maori {{army scout}} Te Wheke (Anzac Wallace) starts a rebellion against the British. Opposing him are Lt. Scott (Kelly Johnson), the vengeful widower Williamson (Bruno Laurence), and loyalist Maori troops led by Corporal Wiremu (Wi Kuku Kaa).

IMDB Entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086497/