Utu

Utu Redux

Utu - 1983/ Utu Redux - 2013

Utu Productions - 124/108 min.

DVD UPC/EAN # 738329018924(US); 9315842009373(AU/NZ); 4260387610285(DE)
Redux DVD UPC/EAN # 9421020699905 (single disc); 9421020699912 (2-disc SE)
Redux Blu-ray UPC/EAN # 9421020699936 (2-disc Blu/DVD SE set); 3475001054517 (2-disc Blu-ray/DVD SE set with French subtitles)

Cast: Anzac Wallace; Bruno Lawrence, Wi Kuki Kaa, Tim Elliott, Kelly Johnson, John Bach, Tania Bristowe, Ilona Rodgers, Faenza Reuben, Martyn Sanderson, Merata Mita.
Crew: Screenplay: Geoff Murphy, Keith Aberdein; Photography: Graeme Cowley; Editor: Michael Horton; Music: John Charles; Costume Designer: Michael Kane; Production Designer: Ron Highfield; Producer and Director: Geoff Murphy.

New Zealand in 1870 - a friendly Maori village is massacred by colonial troops and discovered by army scout, Te Wheke, whose own people are among the dead. He turns on his employers and takes up his warrior chieftain past, seeking utu (revenge), he engages in guerilla warfare against the Pakeha (Europeans). One of those attacked is a farmer whose wife is killed and house burned. The farmer in turns seeks his vengeance. Shot in the Hawke's Bay area near Hastings, Napier and Te Pohue. The original score was the first NZ feature to use the full New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. One to put on your "must see" list, but see 'Utu Redux' for the director's restored version.

Censor rating: M - Review rating: B+

Utu

Official Utu Redux MP4 Trailer

AVAILABILITY OF COPIES

Used PAL VHS copies will be about $20nz or 10eur. Used NTSC VHS copies sell for about $25us. The vhs format is 1.33:1.
New R4 PAL DVDs have been available from Australian sources for about $15au. It is presented in a 1.66:1 format with a 2.0 dolby digital English soundtrack.
DealOZ North American price comparison site for the original US DVD version

DVDLady - DVD-R for North American buyers

As of Nov. 2005, the only R1 NTSC distributor (Kino) is no longer providing this title. Therefore remaining R1 copies are starting to climb with the asking price of over $100us for new copies and used going for at least $50us. It is presented 1.66:1 non-anamorphic with an English only 2.0 dolby digital sound and no extras. It's length is 104 minutes.

In February 2015, a 1.33:1 formated, not the original 1.85, German R2 DVD version was released with the original spoken English as well as a German language 2.0 soundtrack. It has no subtitles nor extras and sells for 10-12eur.
Book Butler (de) European comparison price site for the original DVD version in German

A digitally restored and re-edited version, 'Utu Redux', had its "World Premiere" 28 July 2013 at the Auckland Civic, as part of the 2013 International Film Festival. They (Geoff Murphy, Graeme Cowley, Michael Horton) have made both technical and artistic changes and the result is a 108 minute film, instead of the original 124 minute film whose negatives no longer exists at that length. It is presented in its original 1.85:1 format, enhanced for 16:9.

Starting 01 December 2015, Utu Redux is available on DVD and Blu-ray.The 108 minute feature is presented in its original 1.85:1 format, enhanced for 16:9. All Redux discs have spoken English and Maori, with English subtitles only when Maori is spoken. There are multiple offerings: a DVD containing only the feature, about $20nz; a 2-disc DVD set containing the feature, the "Making Utu" documentary, Interviews with Geoff Murphy and Graeme Cowley, the trailer, promotional scene clips and a 12 page Collector's Booklet, about $30nz; a signed limited edition 3-disc DVD set that includes all that is in the 2-disc plus a CD of the soundtrack ($39.95nz).

There are two Blu-ray offerings - 2-disc ($39.95nz); and a signed, very limited edition, 3-disc set ($39.95nz) with the same contents as the DVD sets but have a Blu-ray of the feature. All Utu Redux editions are Region Free with two audio options, DD 2.0 and DD 5.1 Surround, for both DVD and Blu-ray, but the DVD is PAL. As of January 2018, it would appear that the "very limited edition" Blu-ray 3-disc set is OOP.

Details and orders can be placed with Aro Video of Wellington

Starting 07 March 2018, the 2-disc Region B/2 Blu-ray/DVD set became available in a slipbox digibook package with a 40 page booklet in French. The feature blu-ray has optional French subtitles in addition to the original spoken English soundtrack. It is selling for about 25eur. The DVD has the same contents as mentioned above in the original Redux 2-disc set.

French Blu-ray and DVD offerings at The Jokers Shop

STREAMING AND DOWNLOADING

Aro Video On Demand

NZFC OnDemand New Zealand Rental & Purchase of Utu Redux

Academy Cinemas OnDemand of Auckland

iTunes FR - Redux Purchase or Rental - SD & HD - Spoken English with French Subtitles

WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog - Click to find the nearest Library that has 'Utu'.

WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog - Click to find the nearest Library that has 'Utu Redux'.

Kanopy.com

SOUNDTRACK ON AUDIO CD

Click for Utu CD Details

SOUNDTRACKS VAULT - Link to MP3 samples of all titles

REVIEWS

DVD Compare - Blu-ray versions

French Utu Redux Blu-ray Review

English translated version of French Utu Redux Blu-ray Review

French Utu Redux Review at DVD Classik

English translated version of French Utu Redux Review at DVD Classik

NZ 13th Floor Redux Blu-ray Review

Lemuel Lyes 'History Geek' Utu Redux Review

Graeme Tucket Utu Redux Review

Dominic Corry Utu Redux Review

Letterboxd information and reviews

Cinema Aotearoa Review

Maori Television Review (Maori Spoken)

Reviews at Flicks.co.nz

New Zealand Film Archive Info and Reviews

Wellington Film Society Review

Movie Review Query - 6 articles

TV Guide Review

Peter Harcourt's Sequence Review

IMDB User Comments

Graham Reid Review of Utu Redux

World Festival of Foreign Films Review

"Unlike some of the products of the New Hollywood, films such as Utu are not meant to be totally consumed in the cinema but are designed to start people talking. Utu was an uneven film but it succeeded in stirring up more discussion of New Zealand history than any recent book has done." - (Roger Horrocks, Headlands, MCA 1992)

"In Utu, someone is always stalking someone, and being stalked in return; the comings and goings of the characters, as they tramp through forests and across mountains, create a visual metaphor for the movie's web of revenge. What lends Utu its particular richness is the way director Geoff Murphy plays with your sympathies; you never know which side you're supposes to be on - and neither, evidently, do the characters" - (Paul Attanasio, "'Utu': From Down Under, a Rich Tale of Revenge", Washington Post, either December 26 or 12, 1985)

OFFLINE REVIEW SOURCES

North & South Review by Brian McDonnell - December 1987 - For details or copies contact Kakapo Books

TRAILERS - MISC

VIDEO VAULT - Links to trailers and clips for all titles.

NZ On Screen Videos & Comments

The N to Z of Film on SoundCloud

Official Facebook Page for Utu Redux

Geoff Murphy Utu Redux Interview

TV 'Current Affairs' Waimarama On-Set Interview (15 minutes)

Information at the New Zealand Film Commission Website

Geoff Murphy 1985 Interview - talking about Goodbye Pork Pie, The Quiet Earth and Utu.

Quentin Tarantino January 2016 Auckland Interview in which he comments on NZ films (4:48-6:18)

Information at IMDB

Internet Movie Poster Awards

Info on the Featurette 'Making Utu' by Gaylene Preston

Alphabetical List * Chronological List * News * Buy-Sell-Rent * DVD List * Blu-ray List * Streaming List

What is A New Zealand Feature Film * First Choices * Books * Misc * Links * Directors* Soundtracks

Comments, suggestions or questions are welcomed at info@nospamnzvideos.org, but delete the nospam portion before sending