Muru Review
A gripping story about an important piece of New Zealand history, couched in a relatively entertaining actioner.
Local Police Sergeant Taffy Tawharau (Cliff Curtis) is trying to protect his community in the best way he knows how, but working with them to solve their problems and help a troubled youth. But when the Government declares their activist community members terrorists, and send in an armed team of special forces led by Gallagher (Jay Ryan), Taffy has to choose between his badge and his people.
Muru is probably best lauded for its ability to shock with the tale it is telling. The film tells of the horrific government action against a local populace that it labelled as ‘terrorist’ in nature, despite all evidence to the contrary. What’s so shocking as an audience member is to be brought into the film and to understand the full lunacy of such a claim; to be shown just how harmful this oppression was, and the horror that came from it.
Director Taerepa Kahi begins the film by noting that this isn’t a direct retelling of a certain event, but rather a tale based on 100 years of oppression. That’s important, because of the weight it gives this film. That weight is carried too by the inclusion of Tame Iti, a well known New Zealand artist, actor and activist who was himself embroiled in the very events that inspired this film.
Ultimately, the good intentions of a movie can’t carry its runtime, and so it's with great pleasure that I confirm that while Muru can at times feel a little local in its production aesthetic, it is bloody entertaining. Kahi’s choice to couch this tale in what amounts to effectively an action movie is a bold one, but also one that maintains the nuanced emotionality of its story while also delivering in spades when it comes to gun battles, fist fights, car chases and helicopter stunts.
Despite the fast paced action, however, the real heart of this movie is the emotionality between the characters. Curtis and Ryan are both fantastic in their roles, but Iti has one of the most emotional scenes of the movie and carries it with aplomb.
In the end, this is an important film that tells a tale everyone should learn, but also does so in a way that makes the 1 hour 44 minutes in the theater an absolute thrill.
