Cast: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton, Cliff Curtis, Grant Roa, Mana Taumaunu, Rachel House
Director: Niki Caro
Producers: John Barnett, Frank Hόbner, Tim Sanders
Screenplay:Niki Caro, based on the novel by Witi Ihimaera
Cinematography: Leon Narbey
Music: Lisa Gerrard
U.S. Distributor: Newmarket Film Group
The theme of Whale Rider that of female empowerment is not unique, but the context in which it is presented is. Like many tribal societies, the Maoris are patriarchal, and the concept of a female ruler, if not unthinkable, goes against tradition. Whale Rider, based on the novel by Maori author Witi Ihimaera, postulates what might happen if, in seeming contravention of religious custom, a girl appears to have been endowed with the mystical abilities of chieftain.
The Whangara people live in a village on the eastern coast of New Zealand a place they have inhabited for more than a millennium. Legend says that their demi-god ancestor, Paikea, arrived in New Zealand on the back of a whale. Since then, the first-born son has always been the Whangara chieftain until now. Pai is the lone survivor of a difficult birth that claims the lives of her mother and her twin brother. Her grief-stricken father, Porourangi (Cliff Curtis), flees the island for Europe, leaving his little daughter in the care of his father and mother, Koro (Rawiri Paratene) and Nanny Flowers (Vicky Haughton). Koro is bitterly disappointed, since it appears that the bloodline of centuries has ended with his immediate family. He cannot bring himself to consider that Pai, the firstborn in Paikea's bloodline, might be the rightful chieftain because she is not a male.
The majority of the story takes place when Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes) is about 11 years old. She spends most of the film trying to prove herself to her grandfather, who stubbornly refuses to consider her as anything more than a disappointment. He begins to teach all the first-born males in the village in the "old ways," hoping that one of them will show the courage, strength, and fortitude to take over the Whangara's leadership. Ultimately, however, it is the whales those animals that bore Paikea to New Zealand who indirectly reveal the truth.
Whale Rider is the second movie in a decade to address the subject of Maori survival in modern culture. The other film, Once Were Warriors, was directed by Lee Tamahori (a Maori) and presented a bleak perspective of how progress and assimilation have emasculated the Maori spirit. Whale Rider has a more optimistic point-of-view, indicating that, while change is necessary, it need not destroy culture and tradition. Pai's role is to not to tear down a custom that has held true for more than 1000 years, but to re-shape and continue it. Screenwriter/director Niki Caro is not a Maori, but she went to great pains to ensure the authenticity of the movie, including hiring Maori advisors, populating the film with indigenous extras, and filming in the actual place where the book is set.
All of this probably makes Whale Rider sound like a study in sociology, but that's only the background. The story itself is richly rewarding and uplifting the coming-of-age tale of a girl who must defy the odds to achieve her goals. There's plenty of humor to keep the overall tone light, although there are moments of deeper, heartfelt pathos. The characters and relationships are three dimensional. The most rewarding of these is that of Pai and her grandfather. There is affection there, but, on Koro's side, a self-imposed distance. Especially early in the film, we see that he genuinely cares for his granddaughter, but his disappointment about her gender colors his actions and perspective. For her part, all she wants to do is earn his respect a point that is heartbreakingly illustrated when she gives a speech dedicated to him.
Keisha Castle-Hughes is wonderful as Pai, showing the character's unflagging spirit and boundless determination. The aforementioned speech is the actress' best scene. The way in which she delivers it and the tears she sheds are entirely believable. Meanwhile, Rawiri Paratene portrays Koro as a stern and humorless man, but not a villain. He is an individual of strong values and beliefs who cannot escape the rigidity of his upbringing. In a way, Whale Rider is as much the story of Koro's growth as it is Pai's.
Whale Rider has been successful at every film festival where it has played, but it faces an uphill battle during its North American release. Nearly every viewer who sees Whale Rider will leave the theater uplifted and full of praise, but the subject matter sounds so dry and off-putting that the difficulty facing the distributor is to get people to buy tickets. Whale Rider has the potential to generate strong word-of-mouth if Newmarket can get enough butts in theater seats to start the flood of praise.
© 2003 James Berardinelli