While best known for his American action thrillers in the early 2000s, writer-director Lee Tamahori returned to his roots in 2016 with the critically acclaimed Māori-centric 1950s historical drama Mahana. Tamahori continues to explore his people’s stories with The Convert. Set right before Britain colonized New Zealand, the film explores the dynamics between the white settlers and the differing Māori tribes, with much more accuracy and sympathy than older films towards the indigenous community, culture, and characters. It’s shot quite beautifully, with stunning landscapes and decent fight scenes, and the performances, especially that of Guy Pearce, make the film watchable. That being said, the film still mostly stems from the white Thomas Munro, whose perspective mostly comes about by passive observation rather than active participation in the story.
"The Convert manages to combine an entertaining portrayal of an often ignored historical era with universal questions about whether it’s ever possible to build a human society on the foundation of something other than violence."
— Christian Zilko
"The movie takes on a bittersweet note, bringing history to life in all its messy complexity - and the everyday players who shape it."
— Monica Castillo
Munro, a soldier turned lay preacher, comes to New Zealand to minister to the first British colonists, but he is converted by the powerful chief Maianui to serve a different purpose.
New Zealand, 1830. Seeking redemption, lay preacher Thomas Munro heads to Epworth, a new British settlement, and ends up saving the life of the indigenous tribal chief’s daughter Rangimai. However, because of this, Munro finds himself ostracized from the white community he is meant to serve, and instead, caught in between a war between Māori tribes.
Of course, with the star power of Guy Pearce, you would like to maximize his role in the film to get much more viewers. But in doing so, in making Munro the main character, the Māori characters receive less screen time, so even when the conflict is about the Māori, the stakes aren't really felt by Thomas Munro, who’s just tagging along for the ride.
I can appreciate a new perspective to Māori culture, but I wish we saw more of the Māori rather than the white guy just witnessing it all.
