Tanna (2015)

That was an excellent one.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

I have seen a few reviews both here and on other sites that make me laugh in relation to the reviewer's knowledge of the movie "plot" and of Tanna Island itself.NO, NO, NO! Tanna is NOT in a remote part of Australia nor is it a part of the Solomon Island group.Tanna is one of the 97 Islands in the Republic of Vanuatu, (Formerly known as the New Hebrides until independence in 1980.)There is no such word as "Vanuatuan" it is just Vanuatu. The people are known as Ni-Vanuatu (basically meaning 'born Vanuatu'), not "Indians".For those who thought that the 'plot' was a bit thin, what were the film makers supposed to do? The 'plot' is based on REAL events that happened just as 'recently' as 1987. Would it have been right for the film makers to fabricate a different story or outcome?One of the real take aways from the movie and the events themselves was just how quickly the Ni-Vanuatu people reacted to the sad outcome that was initially brought on by the prior custom of arranged marriages.The people in the movie may be viewed by some as 'uneducated savages', but hey, they stopped arranged marriages in 1987, the Royal Family of Britain were still wanting to arrange marriages until Prince William and Prince Harry turned the tide.The other thing that gains some criticism, is that the film gets a bit slow from time to time. Yes, I agree that it does.But I think what the movie makers were trying to create, was not just a typical movie with just a storyline, they were trying to draw us into knowing the people of Vanuatu better, they were giving us incredible images of the great beauty of the country and it's islands, and they were showing us that Vanuatu is "another time, another pace".Things do tend to happen a bit slowly in Vanuatu, and the Pacific Islands as a whole. The term 'Pacific Time' is well known to seasoned travellers.In Vanuatu, you learn to slow down, look around and see and appreciate the little things in life. Take time to smell the Hibiscus and the fresh clean environment.Sure there is violence, but also look at the simple pleasures and happiness gained by the people. People living happily and contentedly without the need for material things that we think are so important to our lives.People living together, supporting one another and coming together and resolving issues in times of turmoil and grief.Look beyond the storyline and our own ideas of life and see that these 'primitive' people have so much to teach us 'civilised' ones, if we just take the time to stop and really look.

Going into this I wasn't really sure what to expect. Maybe for that reason the sheer dazzling beauty of its beauty really surprised me and really had me falling in love with what I was seeing. I don't think the screenplay is on the level of the directing, acting, and cinematography here (although it's still rather good) and that's only because the film works on a level of poetry and trance-like mystery and awe. Its beauty sort of transcends the screen and really leaves you with so many different emotions. It's great that a film like this got nominated for the Oscar and while I don't think it's the best of the nominees, it surely comes highly recommended.

This movie is wonderfully shot, giving you a taste of life at Tanna. I wanted to watch this movie to better understand people on this island after I read autobiography of John Paton, a missionary to Tanna. I am a bit disheartened by portrayal of Christians in this movie as some kind of weirdoes. And when the chief said that they though off the colonial powers, money, Christians etc., he did not mention this cannibalistic tribe, robbed, ransacked, killed and ate missionaries who brought medicine, written language, hope and so much more to the people of Tanna. The Christian church was built on their blood and bones that are still there in the ground of Tanna. But that would, of course, take away from the main story of love, which is very beautiful and touching. I thought I would write about something that I felt was unjustly treated in the movie. Great movie. I wholeheartedly recommend.

This is a love story set on Tanna, one of the islands of Vanuatu in the Pacific off the coast of Qld. It is a contemporary story, not that it matters, little has changed in thousands of years for the traditional tribes living barely clad in the jungles. Dain, the Yakel chief's son, loves Wawa but she is promised to another by custom. The love marriage that the two want will surely lead to war between the tribes. What will the tribal chiefs do? Made by Australian film makers Martin Butler & Bentley Dean while living and working with the Yakel tribe, the result is a lushly beautiful, suspenseful and uniquely rewarding story. The island setting is cinematic with its active volcano, dense jungle, ash plains and sandy beaches. The untrained, brown-skinned actors bring both realism and natural charm to this mythic, Romeo & Juliet story imbued with traditional cultural elements. The medicine man plays the medicine man, Chief Charlie plays himself and Dain, the acknowledged most handsome was put forward to play the lead role.(Now on DVD)