The opening titles give the clue. All the finance has come from one state funded quango or another. This means one thing only: Every money making production company on earth has passed on the script. With good reason. It's lame. The photography and locations are lovely but the locations are nonsense. The act on which the plot depends happens in a port of arrival to NZ. The rest of the action, which is in a day's walk of said port is in the mountains and fjords of the SW S Island. That is impossible. Then we come to casting. My first impression was, Why cast Ray Winstone as a Boer if he can't get within a mile of the accent? After about 20 minutes the answer is clear. Nobody else would do it. It's one of the weakest scripts I've ever suffered. Perhaps Ray doesn't gamble as responsibly as he would have us believe.

You should watch this. Don't read anything more about it needing nothing more than an excellent opportunity to experience another life in highly plausible reality believably. In ways a slow starter, keep it in forefront and appreciate subtle detailing throughout vs occasional and arbitrary emphasis. Appreciate the art of man-tracking and the skills necessary minimalist survival is merely uncomfortable. Anticipate multi-individual characters developing and can't remember when last guessed what will happen next, and was right. Be in that other time where we as a people came from and experience dynamics that develop legends and young people's heroes. Who would you be 100 yrs ago?

Boer War veteran Arjan Van Diemen (Ray Winstone), an Afrikaner who has lost everything at the hands of the British, including his family and farm, lands in New Zealand. A superb tracker and thorn in the side of the British during the war, Van Diemen nevertheless is facing an uncertain future. Ironically, he accepts an offer from former foe Major Pritchard Carlysle (Gareth Reeves) to help hunt down and apprehend a fugitive Maori sailor (Temuera Morrison) who has been accused of murder. Venturing deep into the dominion from the coast, Arjan soon finds himself struggling with not only a formidable quarry, but also his own conscience.Somewhat overlooked upon release and since, Tracker really does deserve a more elevated status. With a well written script and to the point story line, the film quickly demand the viewer's attention. The characters are well fleshed out, with interesting and sympathetic back stories. Veteran director Ian Sharp handles the tale very well indeed, showing strong technical ability and a polished style but without the need for flashy gimmicks or pointless editing. Crucially, he lets the story flow seamlessly and brings out the best in his talented cast.Performances are truly excellent throughout, with both Winstone and Morrison utilising their considerable screen presences to great effect without ever becoming overbearing. Winstone, a truly underrated actor in my opinion, brings Van Diemen's inner turmoil and sorrow subtly home, as well as providing a convincingly thick Afrikaans accent. Morrison is equally as good as a man beset by his own demons, eliciting sympathy and respect without overacting. The leads are well supported by the rest of the cast, with Reeves as the respectful Major and Andy Anderson as local tracker Bryce being particular highlights.Of course, the other star of the show is the wonderful New Zealand scenery. The locations are quite simply breathtaking. Harvey Harrison's cinematography is extraordinary well judged, with each scene set against tremendous backdrops that give Tracker a look and feel like few other movies. Mixed with subtle post-production, you quickly find yourself eagerly awaiting the next stunning location.The only real criticism to make is that the story arc is sometimes predictable, however this is a minor quibble as Tracker is an exceptionally well made and beautifully shot piece of work. Add in it's splendid performances and you have a truly absorbing, well told and refreshingly unpretentious dramatic adventure that deserves to find itself a greater audience.

Good characters, and a wonderful setting. Ray Winstone looks good as a grizzled Boer, the Maori fugitive conveys his conflicted upbringing very well, and the British Empire characters are convincing enough. However, the relationship between the tracker and the tracked is quite stilted and wooden, unfolding predictably through various twists of fate and escape attempts. The motivation for the tracker in releasing the prisoner towards the end is not quite clear ... it would have been better if he had cynically taken the reward and *then* released the prisoner. This is all mitigated by the great setting and wonderful imagery of the New Zealand wilderness, but the story falls apart at the climactic scene through a fairly basic continuity blunder at the end when Winstone has dry clothes despite jumping into a pool...this also undermines the critical twist. Definitely worth watching if you like outdoors movies, as it deservedly scores highly on scenery, but it could have been a far better film with attention to plot and dialogue.