"River Queen" with Kiefer Sutherland

[Irish in Tacoma]

Picked up this movie in the video store called "River Queen", about the British Army in New Zealand in 1860 and the efforts of the Maori Tribesmen to drive them out. Interesting movie in that some of the natives saw alliance with the outsiders as the future, while others wanted them out.

Kiefer Sutherland plays Private Doyle, an Irishman fighting for the British who befriends the movie's female lead. He is kilted throughout the movie in a Black Watch kilt & other uniform and field gear accoutrements. There are some great battle scenes, and everyone is covered with mud and blood. No dainty formal wear here.

For the military history buffs, I saw that his jacket had buttons with "18" on them. The uniform jacket was blue, and he wore a blue beret with dicing on it. There was quite a bit of variety in the uniforms, and only a small portion of the troops were kilted.

Kiefer looked as if he had worn a kilt his whole life, very comfortable and non-chalant. The movie was well done, good story, lots of action, yet not your run of the mill military flicks due to the setting. Worth renting.

[BEEDEE]

I'll pick it up and then post an unbiased review from a Kiwi!

Brian

[Irish in Tacoma]

Thanks. A local perspective would be great. Us Yanks don't know much about the history of your area during that time (or contemporary matters).

One thing I forgot to mention. One of the songs played both instrumentally and sung by one of the actors is Danny Boy. They do a really interesting version where the tune is sung partly in English and partly in Maori. Very nice.

[ronstew]

On Danny Boy: The wikipedia says that the tune "Londonderry Air" was around during the period of the film, but the words "Danny Boy" were written in 1910 by an Englishman in the United States.

I don't mind artistic license, but I like to know when it is being taken.

[Mael Coluim]

Just added it to my NetFlix queue. It will help to get me to the next season of 24.

[Jack Daw]

Kiefer and dad, Donald, are very aware of their Scottish ancestry. Donald has mentioned that his Sutherland line were victims of the Highland Clearances.

[McClef]

Now everyone will want to see Kiefer kilted in the next series of 24

[###KILTEDKIWI###]

Quite a good movie, espically for a New Zealand made...

Filmed / based in the New Plymouth area and Taranaki, where a large proportion of the fighting took place.

Whats interesting is, the Maoris were the first to use trench warfare to great effect.

In brief, the Tribe/s would come close to the settlements (close enough to antagonise), and build a hastily chucked up Pa (fortification)(overnight mostly), and being that the Europeans saw it as a threat, they would jaunt out and attack, which is what the Maori's wanted...they would have a skirmish, hopefully wound or kill a few of the troops, then abandon the Pa, disappear back into the bush, then come back and do it all again.

Problem was, the ole Maoris were, some of the most effective Guerrilla fighters at that time, none of these set piece engagements.

At one stage, they reckon the whole of the region was skirted with small Pa's.

Problems for the british forces, included getting there, and if they had a piece of artillery, they would have to lumber that through the bush with them.

A direct, and or frontal assault on these Pa's were pointless, as they would have warriors scattered in "Hides" around the Pa, who would pop up and cause confusion, which was shown in River Queen.

What the British forces didnt realise, was that the warriors would have to retire from warfare, and go home and farm, gather food, so their time at the "front line" so to speak was fairly limited.

So there was basically a "warfare season".

For all the issues they had with this movie (problems during filming etc). I really enjoyed it.

Phil C

[###KILTEDKIWI###]

Addition to above,
the reason they were successful Guerrilla fighters; was their inguenity, i.e., their Pa's had false entrances, which would lead to "killing dead ends", (kind of like WW1 where obstructions would funnel troops into killing arcs of MG's), they would construct the trenchs in the Pa to shoot under the walls giving greater cover, and not over.
They had multiple walls (in bigger more permnant Pa') with earth between each wooden wall, and mulit layered shooting platforms....

and then the housing and stores in trenchs etc...

[McMurdo]

I rented it a few weeks ago it was a good little movie the scenery was first rate. Kieffer sure looks comfortable wearing the kilt, he was married in one though so it should not be that big a surprise.