Director
Taika Waititi
Leading Actors/Actresses
Sam Neill, Julian Dennison
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Rima Te Wiata, Taika Waititi, Rachel House, and Oscar Kightley
Genre
Adventure-Comedy
Language
English
Awards
Date of Release
March 31st, 2016
Producer
Carthew Neal, Matt Noonan, Leanne Saunders, and Taika Waititi
Setting and Context
New Zealand
Narrator and Point of View
Told from a third-person point of view
Tone and Mood
Jovial, Dark, Fun, Irreverent, Solemn, and Energetic
Protagonist and Antagonist
Ricky and Hector (co-protagonists) vs. the New Zealand authorities (antagonists)
Major Conflict
Ricky and Hector’s struggle to elude New Zealand’s authorities and establish independence from the state.
Climax
When Ricky and Hec are finally apprehended by the police.
Foreshadowing
Ricky turning a corner and feeling like he belongs is foreshadowed by Bella's kind treatment.
Understatement
Many of the more dramatic moments, such as Bella's death and Hec's eventual arrest, are understated as a way of upping the irreverent comedy of the film.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
Allusions
Allusions to the history and geography of New Zealand, popular culture, the Bible, religion, and mythology.
