OLD MAORI TALE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 25, 29 July 1939, Page 15

OLD MAORI TALE

RE-ENACTED FOR SCREEN

it Was with some misgivings* that dt\& wettt to see the fiifst screeiiirig of "fiiei ■fiki," the Maoi'i film which is starting What ought td be a Very guec^ful season at the Opera Mouse. How would. iioliyWdbd technique mix with anfei&it Maori legend and NeW Zealand's roirlilitlc scenery? After a fe^v liUlldi*ed' ffeet otf so of film, ail misgivings wtiirs banished. A really excellent j 6b has been niade of the film, which supplies real entertainment "and <£K&Ltement along lines aiifeTifif^om : :.theae of the majority of fiim& $hf'tt}j#z is based btt an ancient Maori sagn^Wnt tWo rival tribes liviftg oft opposite *ides Of Lake Taupo. The daughter pi the Chief of one of the tribes, Wdg. ideiai- • dated as the virgin brld? of fK^.Waf : god who was expedtdt! to deficeiia MGm. the mountains, to claim hey, and. m& was kept uiider close; watch. Escapirig th§ Watchful eye of her guard efcfe day* she wandered from the pa MiA :;i!^il\iri With the son of the chief of thifh?al j)a* Who Wad spying out the. kttd >With &■ Vi^w td making a' surprise/ &,tfack» ■The two Ml.in love^ and th 4 shwi B<m, WtUfning to his, pai :;fdrmUlated a ijlatt ioi wihm'rig Hte .bfid& ; Acddin* panled by a few "trasted fdlioWerl,;he ascended the sacred mountain: arid : kindled a m$ W rnak6' it?:l0&fe :fl# 'if it were in eruption, Robed.asUife^ar god, he descended the rhbuntaiii;6iit of th(j ishidkgi and th§ iwe^tWc^'mSeris in the rival pa handed =:6v;e? >theiir chieftain's daukhtef;-/t6r iM, ejDijppeged god as his bride; -the^byV.' \2t«:sttiey thought, "conferring -invirteibility •on their tribe,. Hardly hkd the: ig^befen, borne away by hef iever*r^aii: w.|r;aud • was discovered. . The; • war^jpi^ were assembled and, rnahiiing tn^ic "#ar Catlo^g, set dUt acrds^ the rttk^irJ^rsuit ma bent en revfeftg^sr-hiei. vttffe* tibtilfom the-chase6tihdysegeir'iiiGitor» cars '& cemMofti iri-te&ttSii^t-iliii-joi ; &]m&^ A gtv&i battle bitw^eftfthfewkr* riors of the two Wydi/'tjp#^afeelt : Itlaee, but. in■; thjg; middle Adff-it; #ie , ehifef, Whdse daughter liad beeii llJdilfcU ed, hag the hapjiy thougHi itig to the rival warrior^ Mtft \%%&i Jiad. happened really iridicatgd a trifli?mi;i*V<*. tribes were meant td-'p^-. tttii^d'l'itt peace afid'h&frneriy, that the #KS;god bride" belief wa§ Wt'dtti. So the':flfht ceased arid an ended happily. Ail the cast taking part in "Hei Tiki" are Maoris* and exceedingly have tHey been trained to dehfofm tb HollyWodd Standal'ds, All the scenes are laid iii p&S biiihe shotes of take Taupd, and gonie very pifctureique scetiersr haS been Incarcerated inta* the film. Thie Ma6ri participants carry oh too dm* iOgiie, but there is a running: 'cerflnientary thrciUghQut the fllfii inaxeat* ifig the progress of the Stdty. The MftoMs, however, sing, play, ahd datice,arid one would like a little firing 61 this, but the haka performed by thS Waffidfs befdre getting otit Was a V&f tame affair. But, taken as a. whole* "Hei Tiki" gives a very faithful £ictlire df Maori life in the past, and. pip vides an exciting and refreshingly original fetaty which should app6al^tbi ail New 2leaianders. AleSaridet Markey is to be Congratulated UpctS. this original prbductionj which, 6il6_ UhdefStandSj has been very well ire* Ceived dVerSeas. ,_ . ■_ Also dti the prdgfamme is1 VJ'ofged Passport." This is art exciting and flis* tiftetly humorous tale about the StttUg-,: gliiig of aliens acrdss the United States border, empty petrol lorries being; Used fbr the purpdse. A ■ gang'.-ofj sUpgf-Crooks nieet ■ their: match in %■ dismissed ihimigratidtt.officer. .; t !