Warriors of The Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Reception - Controversy

Controversy

There were controversies about the accuracy of the film's representation of history and aboriginal culture. Dakis Pawan (a Seediq man, also known as Kuo Ming-cheng), the film's consultant, published a book that recognizes the efforts of the filming crew and their needs for dramatization, and that lists many deviations of the film from his studies of history . The final attack to take back Mahebu village, for example, is fictional. Dakis Pawan also expressed doubts on the existence of the group of boys led by Pawan Nawi.

The film's view on aboriginal individuals and groups were controversial. After the film's release, Apple Daily reported that an Atayal elder said that a year before Wushe Incident there was Qingshan Incident, in which Mona Rudao cooperated with Japanese and attacked his village. The elder "said Mona Rudao was not a hero as described in the movie but a brutal man who killed 26 women, children and old people in the attack." Walis Pelin, a former lawmaker, and Chiu Hung-shui, a chairman of a local organization from Nantou, confirmed the elder's story, and added that Mona Rudao was forced under the Japanese policy of "using barbarians against barbarians." However Dakis Pawan "quoted a spokeswoman for the Mona Rudao family and the chief's foster-daughter as saying that she had never heard of the Qingshan Incident.".

There were worries about that Temu Walis and Toda group's place in the history may be simplified. In a 2011 talk show, Watan Nomin, a young student from Toda group, said that the conflicts between the Seediq groups is not only result of tradition, but also influenced by Japanese policy of setting up "frontier guard line" (隘勇線) in the area.

On a forum conference, Watan, a TV reporter from Toda group, criticized the movie for not describing the "gaya" custom of the people, and for its changes and mistakes of the historical details. In addition, Watan argues that the trauma among Seediq people is too sensitive to be filmed, and the movie should address the aspect of peace and reconciliation. Chenzhang Peilun (陳張培倫), a professor, noted that people are moved by the movie but don't relate the movie to aboriginal people's current situation.

The representation of Seediq culture is controversial. A letter to a newspaper expressed concerns about the gore and violence depicted in the movie may hurt the image of Aboriginal people. In a talk show, Dakis Pawan, Shen Mingren (AKA Pawan Tanah, a school principal) and others responded that the movie does not represent Seediq people, and the killings has to be understood in the context of history, national defense and Seediq custom (called "gaga"). Iwan Pering, a translator of the film, said many details of customs and history are incorrect, and that Mona Rudao was unlikely to have invaded other group's territory and take the game, since it was forbidden by the rules of his group. Dakis Pawan also said in his book that Seediq rules were strict and group-centered, therefore Seediq people were unlikely to act as freely and self-centered as in the film. In particular, Mona Rudao was unlikely to feud with Temu Walis in the way shown in the film.