Action in Motion: Toa Fraser's The Dead Lands

In New Zealand historical epic The Dead Lands, pre-colonial Aotearoa provides a stage upon which a timeless tale of good battling evil plays out. Sarah Ward examines the film's sumptuous storyline and style, and analyses both its cultural specificity and its faithful adherence to the action genre.

Additional keywords: Maori, coming of age, James Rolleston, George Henare, tribe, spectacle.