Domestic Violence In Once Were Warriors

Every relationship has its problems. The problems can be small like communication issues or they can be as dangerous as a controlling relationship. These issues can lead to bigger dilemmas in a person’s life. In the film Once Were Warriors we see a family and marriage be destroyed by domestic violence. The main characters Beth and Jake are greatly impacted by their gender, environment, and society. These issues affect their relationship and how Jake treats his family. Jake and Beth are in an abusive relationship that revolves around many intimate partner dynamic issues. A character that shows major intimate partner traits in the movie is Jake the Muss. Jake keeps his family under control by using the power and control methods: male privilege, …show more content…
The first phase is tension building; this is where the victim feels like they are walking on eggshells. There is tension in the home, because of an argument or disagreement, which leads to the abuser being angry. This phase can feel so intense and uncomfortable that victims can instigate the abuse to get the violence over with. The first phase is shown the beginning of the movie when Jake gets angry with Beth for “spoiling” his gift of bringing food to his family. The second phase, violence, is seen during the party when Beth instigates the fight by throwing eggs on the floor and calling Jake a coward. The little power that Beth has, she is displaying it by acting defiant towards the abuse. The third phase is the honeymoon period, where the abuser is apologetic and remorseful. However as time goes on the honeymoon period can disappear and the violence occurs more often. An example of the third phase is when Jake is being apologetic and affectionate with Beth a week after the abuse. He is kissing her shoulder and excusing his violence to his temperament, but not taking responsibility for the abuse. These violent behaviors affect their children despite the couple not believing that the children are …show more content…
Every member of the family loses some kind of innocence, because of the violence they witness or perform. The film did an excellent job showing the different dynamics an abusive relationship encounters. It demonstrated how the children where all affected differently by their parents relationship. The manner that they gave every child a different storyline accurately represented how all children will react differently. The depiction of a batterer was done in a believable manner. Jake is a character that one begins to fear because of his rage and violence. It did a believable illustration of how a batterer physically and sexually assaults their partner. The movie was also very emotional and heartbreaking. Grace’s death is a plotline in the movie that shows the tragic end of a young life. It is a very unfortunate death that many young girls have experienced. Beth’s defiance seemed out of character for a woman in an abusive relationship. However, the film did explain how Beth grew up differently then Jake. Beth’s culture helped her realize that she was stronger than she realized. Being able to survive eighteen years an abusive relationship made her realize that she was a warrior just like her past descendants. Even though the film made this realization happen quickly, it does show how a survivor can use her children and culture as a reinforcement to leave an intimate partner