A beautiful fable for our time.
The story of “The Convert” is set in 1830 in Aotearoa, the islands which would become New Zealand. British lay minister Thomas Munro (Guy Pearce) is concluding his travel to the English settlement of Epworth, where he has been hired to serve the community’s spiritual needs. Nearing the end of the voyage, the ship is damaged in a storm and puts in at an anchorage to get timber for a new mast.
There Munro comes upon a Maori woman, Rangimai (Tioreori Ngatai-Melbourne), and a few members of her tribe. Later, he and the crew of the ship are involved in a battle between that group and a warlord, Akatarewa (Lawrence Makoare), who is conquering other tribes. Munro exchanges his horse for the life of Rangimai and becomes her protector.
Munro arrives at Epworth, an ugly collection of wooden buildings on a flat, wet stretch of land abutting the ocean. At first, he is welcomed, but his support of Rangimai as an equal in the face of the racism of the colonists becomes a major point of contention. The English “rent” their land from the local Maori tribe, but their plans to eventually overwhelm the “inferior” natives are apparent. No more so than when the daughter of the colonial leader is taken with a young Maori man – the leader has him murdered.
Director and co-writer Lee Tamahori (“The Patriarch”) has beautifully woven a story of adventure, intrigue, war, love and self discovery. He has been part of the New Zealand film community since the 1970s, and been involved in many productions centered on Maori subjects – both historic and present day. His appreciation of the Maori customs and art is evident in every frame featuring these impressive, spiritual, violent and even cannibalistic people. He also shows us the nefarious nature of the settlers. Like so many colonial powers, they begin by getting a foothold, then weakening the native peoples, in this case by encouraging their natural intertribal warring instincts, and then seizing control of the land.
Tamahori also draws an intense contrast between the natural beauty of the land and the people who inhabit it with the desolate location and racist nature of the colonists.
A standout performance comes from Tioreori Ngatai-Melbourne, who is alternately gentle, fierce and desperately mournful in the face of the death of her husband at the hand of the warlord, and at the death of the young Maori man at the hands of the colonists. Another standout is Lawrence Makoare who exudes menace as the warlord.
And, of course, there is Guy Pearce. His character is the solid rock upon which the tale stands – resolute in his need to demand justice for all in the face of war and prejudice, based on regret for his own sordid past.
While historical fiction, great attention was paid to cultural detail and customs of the time. Many of the actors are themselves Maori.
There is considerable violence between the Maori in this film – some will find it objectionable.
Runtime: One hour, 59 minutes
Availability: Currently streaming on Fandango, Apple TV and Google Play
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