The Te Kooti Trail

The Te Kooti Trail is a 1927 New Zealand historic drama film about Te Kooti,[1][2] based on a newspaper serial written by Frank Bodle.[3] It is described as New Zealand's first docudrama and was created by husband and wife team Rudall and Hilda Haywood.

The Te Kooti Trail
Directed byRudall Hayward
Based onWork by Frank Bodle
StarringTe Pairi Tūterangi
Tina Hunt
Mary Kingi
Tom McDermott
CinematographyRudall Hayward
Edited byHilda Hayward
Release date
  • 1927 (1927)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryNew Zealand
LanguagesSilent
English intertitles

Synopsis

Historical drama about the Māori leader Te Kooti showing exploits from Te Kooti's War that was part of the New Zealand Wars of the late 19th century.[4]

About

Initial screening of the film was held up by the New Zealand censor stopping the film because of its 'disturbing realism'.[5] This fact was used in the films promotional material. Although the film censor had arranged special screening for key Māori to view it in advance of a general release to ensure it didn't cause offence. After proof of historical accuracy the film was released after changes to two intertitle cards.[2][3]

The Māori cast were all from Te Urewera region and Ngāti Tūhoe chief Te Pairi Tūterangi played Te Kooti. As a child he had known Te Kooti.[2] With the costuming for the film Tūterangi's resemblance to Te Kooti was said to be close, and because he had known Te Kooti he portrayed his mannerisms very well, particular in an early scene of Te Kooti preaching.[6]

The camera used to film The Te Kooti Trail
The camera used to film The Te Kooti Trail

One of the actors in the film Tom McDermott introduced a 1964 screening of film by the Upper Hutt Film Society.[4][5] McDermott was critical to the survival of the film as the National Film Library discovered and preserved the only existing copy of the film that had been 'disintegrating in its metal container in his garage'.[5]

The Te Kooti Trail featured in New Zealand's contribution to the British Film Institute's Century of Cinema series - Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill (1995).[7]

The style of cinematography in The Te Kooti Trail is described as 'perfunctory and functional' with static shots of people in landscape and none of the dramatic lighting and a more mobile camera style that became common by the end of the 1920s.[8] Some scenes were filmed on location in the same places as the historical events they were depicting in Whakatāne and Te Urewera.[5] The film was edited by Hilda Hayward who was praised by critic Sam Edwards for 'constructing the subtleties of the narrative'. Edwards also says that The Te Kooti Trail was 'New Zealand’s first significant docudrama' and acknowledges the quality storytelling and camera work of director and cinematographer Rudall Haywood.[9]

Cast
  • Tina Hunt as Monika
  • Mary Kingi as Erihapeti
  • Tom McDermott as Gilbert Mair
  • Te Pairi Tūterangi as Te Kooti
  • H. Redmond as Jean Guerrin
  • Patiti Warbrick as Taranahi
  • Jasper Calder
  • Billie Andreasson
  • Arthur Lord
  • Eric Yandall
  • Edward Armitage
  • AP Warbrick
  • J Tennant
  • J Warner
  • Arapeta Tuati
  • Tipene Hotene

Awards

Preservation with transfer from nitrate was completed with UNESCO support in 1994.[3] In 2000 the New Zealand Film Archive won the Haghefilm Award.[3][10] The restored print premiered at Le Giornate del Cinema Muto, Italy in 2001, celebrating Hayward’s centenary.[3]

References
  1. Martin, Helen; Edwards, Sam (1997). "New Zealand film, 1912-1996". Trove. Auckland ; Melbourne ; Oxford :Oxford University Press. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  2. Martin, Helen (22 October 2014). Feature film - Pioneering days. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  3. "The Te Kooti Trail". Wayback Machine. The New Zealand Film Archive. 30 May 2004. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  4. "Original Actor Present At Upper Hutt Screening Of 37-Year-Old Film". Upper Hutt City Library. No. Vol XXI, No 35. Upper Hutt Leader. 23 September 1964. p. 6. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  5. McDermott, Tom (1964). "Audio recording of Tom McDermott introducing Rudall Hayward's film". Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  6. "Through the Lens: The New Zealand Wars". Ngā Taonga. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  7. "Cinema of Unease". NZ On Screen. Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  8. Petrie, Duncan J. (2007). Shot in New Zealand : the art and craft of the Kiwi cinematographer. Auckland, N.Z.: Random House. ISBN 978-1-86941-791-8. OCLC 174083958.
  9. "Hilda Hayward | NZ On Screen". www.nzonscreen.com. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  10. "Haghefilm Foundation Award". Haghefilm Foundation. 2000. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
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