''River Queen'' is a 2005 New Zealand-British war

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...

directed by Vincent Ward and starring Samantha Morton,

Kiefer Sutherland Kiefer William Sutherland (born 21 December 1966) is a British-Canadian actor and musician. He is best known for his starring role as Jack Bauer in the Fox drama series ''24 (TV series), 24'' (2001–2010, 2014), for which he won an Emmy Award ...

, Cliff Curtis,

Temuera Morrison Temuera Derek Morrison (born 26 December 1960) is a New Zealand actor and Singer who first gained recognition for his role as Dr. Hone Ropata on the soap opera '' Shortland Street''. He gained critical acclaim for his starring role as Jake "Th ...

and

Stephen Rea Stephen Rea ( ; born 31 October 1946) is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in films such as '' V for Vendetta'', '' Michael Collins'', ''Interview with the Vampire'' and '' Breakfast on Pluto''. Rea was nominated for the Academy Aw ...

. The film opened to mixed reviews but performed well at the box office in New Zealand.

Plot

The film takes place in New Zealand in 1868 during Titokowaru's War phase of the

New Zealand Wars The New Zealand Wars took place from 1845 to 1872 between the New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori on one side and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. They were previously commonly referred to as the Land Wars or the M ...

between the

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

and New Zealand colonial forces. Sarah O'Brien ( Samantha Morton) has grown up among soldiers in a frontier garrison on Te Awa Nui, the Great River. Pregnant at 16 by a young Maori boy, she gives birth to a son. When, seven years later, her son, Boy, is kidnapped by his Maori grandfather, Sarah is distraught. Abandoned by her soldier father, Sarah's life becomes a search for her son. Her only friend, Doyle (

) is a broken-down soldier without the means to help her. Lured to the ill rebel chief Te Kai Po's village by the chance to see her child, Sarah finds herself falling in love with Boy's uncle, Wiremu ( Cliff Curtis), and increasingly drawn to the village way of life. Using medical skills she learned from her father, Sarah heals Te Kai Po (

) and begins to reconcile with her son (Rawiri Pene). But her idyllic time at the village is shattered when she realises that she has healed the chief only to hear him declare war on the Colonials, men she feels are her friends, her only family. Her desperation deepens when she realises that Boy intends to prove himself in war, refusing to go back down river with her. As the conflict escalates, Sarah finds herself at the centre of the storm, torn by the love she feels for Boy and Wiremu, anguished over the attachments she still has to the white man's world, and sickened by the brutality she witnesses on either side. And when the moment comes, Sarah must choose where she belongs; will she be forced back into the white man's way of life, or will she have the courage to follow the instincts that are telling her where she truly belongs?

Cast

* Samantha Morton as Sarah O'Brien *

as Doyle * Cliff Curtis as Wiremu *

as Te Kai Po *

as Francis * Anton Lesser as Major Baine * Rawiri Pene as Sarah's son * Danielle Cormack as Viola

Production

Sam Neill Sir Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill (born 14 September 1947) is a New Zealand actor. Neill's near-50 year career has included leading roles in both dramas and blockbusters. Considered an "international leading man", he has been regarded as one o ...

was originally favoured by Vincent Ward to be cast in a leading role, but he declined. Director Vincent Ward was dismissed from the film towards the end of the shoot to be replaced by

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

Alun Bollinger Alun Robert Bollinger (born 1948) is a New Zealand cinematographer, who has worked on several Peter Jackson films, and many other films in New Zealand. He has also been a Director of Photography, including the second unit for Peter Jackson's tr ...

and then in an unusual reversal, was rehired just weeks later for six months of editing and additional shooting in both

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

and

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. Primary filming was done on the

Whanganui River The Whanganui River is a major river in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the country's third-longest river, and has special status owing to its importance to the region's Māori people. In March 2017 it became the world's second natur ...

. The film features the song "

Danny Boy "Danny Boy" is a ballad, written by English songwriter Frederic Weatherly in 1913, and set to the traditional Irish melody of " Londonderry Air". History In 1910, in Bath, Somerset, the English lawyer and lyricist Frederic Weatherly initial ...

" sung in Maori and English. The film is set in 1868, and the lyrics for "Danny Boy" were written in 1910 and adapted to the traditional Irish melody "

Londonderry Air The "Londonderry Air" is an Irish air that originated in County Londonderry. It is popular among the North American Irish diaspora and is well known throughout the world. The tune is played as the victory sporting anthem of Northern Ireland at ...

". It is possible the melody was known in

at the time, but another 42 years were to pass before the lyrics were written by

Frederick Weatherly Frederic Edward Weatherly, KC (4 October 1848 – 7 September 1929) was an English lawyer, author, lyricist and broadcaster. He was christened and brought up using the name Frederick Edward Weatherly, and appears to have adopted the spelling 'F ...

Reception

The film topped the New Zealand Box Office on its first weekend of release. Alexander Bisley of '' The Dominion Post'' says "''River Queen'' convinces that you don't have to be indigenous to tell indigenous stories. Ward who lived for 18 months as the sole Pakeha (person of European descent) in a remote Maori community in the

Ureweras Te Urewera is an area of mostly forested, sparsely populated rugged hill country in the North Island of New Zealand, a large part of which is within a protected area designated in 2014, that was formerly Te Urewera National Park. Te Urewera is t ...

, deserves a lot of mana (respect). This is his story, this is my story, this is your story - every New Zealander should see ''River Queen''."

Awards and recognition

Fair International Film Festival 2007

* Best Artistic Achievements Award

New Zealand Screen Awards 2006

* Won: Best Achievement in Cinematography: Alun BollingerAlternative Film Guide.com NZ Film Awards 2006
Retrieved 21 November 2009. * Won: Best Achievement in Costume Design: Barbara Darragh * Nominated: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Cliff Curtis * Nominated: Best Achievement in Production Design: Rick Kofoed * Nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Samantha Morton * Nominated: Best Performance by Actor in a Supporting Role: Rawiri Pene * Nominated: Best Picture: Don Reynolds, Chris Auty

Shanghai International Film Festival 2006

* Won: Golden Goblet, Best Music: Karl JenkinsFilm Guide.com
Retrieved 21 November 2009.

References

External links

* {{Vincent Ward 2005 films 2000s adventure films 2000s war drama films 2000s action drama films British action films British adventure films British war drama films New Zealand Wars films Films about child abduction Films about dysfunctional families Films directed by Vincent Ward Films shot in England Films shot in New Zealand Films set in 1868 Films set in jungles Films set in New Zealand New Zealand drama films War adventure films Taranaki wars 2005 drama films Films about Māori people 2000s English-language films 2000s British films