Really Awful Movies

For a film called Open Grave, the story doesn’t really need one.

A man with amnesia wakes up in, well, an open grave, littered with a hundred corpses. It’s a bit excessive — literally overkill. The film’s got an intriguing enough premise that they could have shoveled dirt on this opener, which doesn’t necessarily mesh with the aesthetic of the rest of the film.

Anyway, the unnamed man (Sharlto Copley, from District 9 and Elysium) is hoisted to safety in the midst of what looks like a lightning / rainstorm straight out of Mario Bava. It’s Gothic electric that nearly blows the fuse, a supernatural setup that’s at odds with what is at its heart, a biohazard film.

The man encounters a bunch of well-armed strangers holed up in a home in the middle of nowhere, with a fully-stocked pantry (presumably including tins of red herring. This viewer’s question: “why don’t they just leave?” addressed by one survivor’s remark about how bright the stars are and how they’re probably miles from anywhere).

As it happens, none of these strangers, each of whom sports needle marks in the crook of their arm, has a clear recollection of what transpired to put them there; this leads to much finger-pointing, gun-pointing and paranoia as they gradually begin to recollect fleeting moments of their ordeal (“it may not be safe to be around me”).

As they explore their surroundings with light from video cameras (their home is stocked with everything) they encounter a cabin with a feral woman chained to the wall being fed from a slop bucket. In the cabin is a video camera detailing the proceedings. With no clear leaders, the group of seven has to figure out how to cope with a possible killer in their midst or out in the wilderness (or both).

The “why don’t they just get out of there?” question alluded to earlier, is also addressed with the placement of bodies creepily strung up by barbed wire around the property.

The discovery of a mobile army surgical hospital in an abandoned warehouse nearby, confirms what many suspect: they were the victims of a bizarre government experiment.

Open Grave boasts a slow-burn build-up, several truly creepy moments, deft cinematography and atmosphere to spare. However, it’s marred by what’s become a staple plot device: the video evidence left at the scene that reveals all.

*** (out of 5)

The Dead Lands is a coming of age flick, a revenge flick, and a kick-ass action flick set among the ancient Maori tribes in pre-colonial New Zealand.

As the film begins, two formerly warring tribes who now share a tenuous truce trek to the Place of Bones – a place where neither tribe has visited since their great war. One tribe is led by the tribal elder Tane, while the other is led by the young, hot-headed Wirepa.

Despite the truce, Wirepa vows to avenge his ancestors’ deaths. He is followed by Tane’s young son Hongi, who witnesses Wirepa defiling the bones of the ancestors. This is an act of war, and Wirepa initially puts the blame on Hongi.

Hongi wants to be a great warrior, but he is young and far from ready. His father tells him a tale of The Dead Lands – a place where a great tribe once lived before inexplicably disappearing. Now The Dead Lands are reputed to be haunted by ghosts and monsters.

That night, Wirepa and other members of his tribe invade Hongi’s village. They set homes ablaze and slaughter most of the tribesmen. As a further act of dishonour, Wirepa decapitates Tane and takes the head. Hongi manages to survive and vows revenge.

Hongi and Wirepa’s repective destinies converge in the mythical Dead Lands. In getting back to his village, impetous Wirepa orders his men to trek through the Dead Lands so as to save five days off their journey. Told that the Dead Lands hold many ghosts, Wirepa brashly declares that “The ghosts will hide from us.” Hongi, on the other hand, enters the Dead Lands seeking The Warrior to train him so he can exact his vendetta.

The Dead Lands is a lushly beautiful film. However, the beauty of the landscapes is contrasted sharply by the visceral brutality of the fight scenes. This is the first film to feature the Maori martial art of Mau Rakau, a fighting style that involves quick, brutally efficient blows as well as ancient weapons such as spears and the Patu – a paddle-like weapon which can be used to both crush skulls and hack off limbs.

Many themes are explored in the Dead Lands. Amongst the Maori, the Dead weigh heavily on the living and there is tremendous honor and respect for the old ways of the ancestors. Honor and tradition is represented in the elder Tane. However, Wirepa is representative of the hubristic nature of youth and the desire to attain power and glory. Wirepa wants to avenge his ancestors, but in doing so, spits in the face (both literally and figuratively) of the many sacred rules of conduct and honor that the Maori hold dear.

The theme of legend vs. reality is also explored. Hongi meets the feared and fearsome Warrior of the Dead Lands who, with a little coaxing, does take the young warrior under his wing. The Warrior trains Hongi and assists him in his quest for vengeance. Hongi learns the truth behind the Dead Lands and the Warrior and learns that ghosts indeed haunt the lands, but they are more the ghosts of sorrow rather than spirit. Finally, The Dead Lands is a meditation on the cyclical effects of warfare and violence.

The performances in The Dead Lands are uniformly strong. Lawrence Makoare gives an affecting performance as the terrifying yet ultimately all-too human Warrior. But it is James Rolleston’s performance as Hongi which is most impressive. The young actor undergoes a marked transition throughout the film’s duration – evolving from a child who is weak and unsure of himself and his place among his people to a warrior who is capable, mature, brave and wise.

The Dead Lands dialogue is delivered completely in the Maori language. While subtitles inexplicably deter some, it would be a shame if they prevented viewers from seeking out this singularly impressive film.

**** (out of five)