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Whale Rider
2002
New Zealand's Maori culture is the focus of WHALE RIDER, the powerful coming-of-age tale of Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes), a 13-year-old girl who feels destined to become leader and chief to her tribe although that role has always been reserved for males. In part, the role is her birthright, as her twin brother died in childbirth, .. Read more
| Starring | Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton, Cliff Curtis |
|---|---|
| Director | Niki Caro |
| Genres | Drama |
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Whale Rider
New Zealand's Maori culture is the focus of WHALE RIDER, the powerful coming-of-age tale of Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes), a 13-year-old girl who feels destined to become leader and chief to her tribe although that role has always been reserved for males. In part, the role is her birthright, as her twin brother died in childbirth, and she survived. However, her grandfather, Koro (Rawiri Paratene), who is the current chief, stands firmly in the way of Pai's dream. He is extremely traditional and is superstitious that even Pai's curiosity in learning to be chief could upset the ancestors (who are the whales themselves). Pai's grandmother, Flowers (Vicky Haughton), defies Koro to support Pai, and her uncle, Rawiri (Grant Roa), trains her in the chants and battle techniques she needs. The rest is intuition, and Pai has loads of it--enough to communicate with the ancestors, and call them to her for help and guidance.
Weaving family life, cultural tradition, and an ancient myth into a contemporary story, WHALE RIDER is a tender tale. As Pai, first-time actress Castle-Hughes is a small but impressive warrior, perfectly balancing kid naivety with adult bravery. The traditional costumes, language, chants, and personality of the Maori people come through well, while the tale is clearly a modern fiction, based on a novel by Witi Ihimaera. Beautiful and dramatic New Zealand landscapes and dreamy underwater whale photography cement the formula of the film and add to its magic.
| Starring | Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton, Cliff Curtis, Grant Roa |
|---|---|
| Director | Niki Caro |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 37 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 19 Jan 2004 Production year: 2002 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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If you want a family drama that takes in such weighty issues as spirituality, destiny and the role of women in Maori culture, then this unsentimental drama from director Niki Caro fits the bill. The focus is on schoolgirl Paikea (played by Oscar-nominated Keisha Castle-Hughes), who must prove her ancestral worth and leadership qualities to her old-fashioned grandfather, a believer in upholding masculine tribal traditions in a fast-changing world. The stern character of the patriarchal Koro (Rawiri Paratene), the stunning scenery of the New Zealand coastline, the often sharply funny and well-observed script and the uniformly solid acting ensure that any cloying worthiness is disguised. The last-act arrival of the magical whale riding might come a little late for even the most patient of children, but parents will warm to the many fine moments that highlight the unpredictability of familial love.
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A manipulative movie about prejudice and female empowerment, but so delightful and charming, with a winning central performance, that its failings can be forgiven.
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Most helpful member's review
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36 out of 41 people found this review helpful
Wonderful story about hope
‘Whalerider’ chronicles the heart warming tale of a young Maori girl who is trying to live up to the role of leader assigned to her by birthright, despite opposition in masculine dominated Maori culture. The film deals with the collision between the old and the new world.
Paikeea, the young girl, is a direct descendent of the original Whalerider, as in Maori legend when coming from the old world into the new, the original Paikeea was carried on a whale’s back to New Zealand. The traditional ways are represented by Paikeea’s grandfather the leader of his generation who is trying to pass the baton to a new generation, but he does not want Paikeea to become the new leader as it will disrupt tradition.
The film makes tremendous use of the beautiful, remote New Zealand coastline and all the extras in the film are actual Maori’s who live on the sacred land, lending the film genuine authenticity. The film juxtaposes documentary style footage with dreamy, almost otherworldly shots. This perfectly captures the divisions between the mysticism of Maori culture and the problems the culture faces today, in order to remain vibrant.
Couple the footage with a haunting, ethnical score and you have a great film. Where the film really succeeds is in its ability to emotionally connect with all the characters and allow you to understand the love the characters have for each other and for the preservation of their indigenous culture. -
Most recent members' review
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2 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Beautiful and moving
Fantastic and thoughtful film, brilliantly acted, wonderfully portraying the dilemma of ancient traditions in a modern world - definitely a must see!
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News and features
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Mystic River leads screen acting nominations
- 16 Jan 2004
Clint Eastwood's drama Mystic River is leading nominations for this year's Screen Actors Guild awards. Nominations for the awards were announced on Thursday and Mystic River garnered nominations for Tim Robbins as best supporting actor, best leading actor for Sean Penn and best ensemble for the cast. Other films in best ensemble include The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, In America and horseracing drama Seabiscuit. Bill Murray for Lost in Translation, Ben Kingsley for House of Sand... Read more
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Whale Rider
New Zealand's Maori culture is the focus of WHALE RIDER, the powerful coming-of-age tale of Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes), a 13-year-old girl who feels destined to become leader and chief to her tribe although that role has always been reserved for males. In part, the role is her birthright, as her ...
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