Utu

After being shorn of 14 of its more controversial minutes for its U.S. release, this 1988 New Zealand epic from filmmaker Geoff Murphy has been restored and re-released in a letterboxed video. Set during the Maori Indian uprisings during the 1870s, Utu is an action-adventure-satire (and, yes, uneven film) which stars Anzac Wallace as Te Wheke, a guide for a British regiment. When the Brits slaughter the people of his own village, Te Wheke claims "utu"--revenge--and launches a war against the white colonials, killing in quick succession a preacher in front of his congregation and, more importantly, Jonathan Williamson's (Bruno Lawrence) wife. In response, Jonathan builds a quadruple-barreled shotgun and tracks Te Wheke and his band of fellow anti-colonialists, as do the British who also want to settle Te Wheke's hash. Utu is beautifully filmed and features some truly wonderful scenes--a great shot of a massive military cavalry bearing down on a itty bitty spit of a town in the desert to the accompaniment of "Oh Susanna" is a sight I'll not soon forget--but, ultimately, the combination of Looney Tunes cartoon speed-up comedy with the visceral crunch of hatcheting someone's head off just doesn't work. Still, at $39.95, this is a strong optional purchase. (R. Pitman)