Review of Whale Rider (2003) by Antonio L — 02 Feb 2012

Whale Rider, 2002 film directed by Niki Caro, tells the history of Kahu Paikea Apirana, a 12-year-old girl struggles to be accepted by her grandfather (Paka) as the next tribe chief.

Kahu Paikea struggles begun following the death of her twin brother and mother when she was born. The M?ori tradition believe that their next leader should be the first born son descendent of Paka (The chief ) and a female cannot inherit the leadership, although Paka has two sons Porourangi and Grant Roa , they are not interested in taking the leadership role.

Porourangi, who is Kahu's father does not live with the M?ori (A tribe from New Zealand) community and travels a lot promoting his art, he lives her daughter to be raised by Paka and his wife. There is an emotional bond between Paka and his granddaughter Kahu but he is angry at her for the troubles facing the tribe and believes they are caused by her. Paka decides to form a school that will teach the male children of the tribe leadership skills and tribe traditions so that one day one of them will became The tribe chief, a successor of Paka, Kahu wanted to attend to this school but Paka prohibited her to go because she is a woman, but Kahu is determined to learn the tribes ways and what is needed to become a chief, her uncle Grant Roa teaches her.

Paka takes the boys to the ocean for a final test he throws a collar with a whale tooth into the ocean and tell the boys that whoever brings it back to him will be the next chief, but no one retrieves it and Paka is very disappointed to the point that goes home and does not want to get out. Kahu's uncle takes her to the spot where the collar is and she is able to retrieve it from the bottom of the ocean.

Kahu invites his grandfather to a school concert as her guest of honor, as he is heading to the school he sees whales lying in the beach, everyone in the tribe want to keep the whales alive and help them back into the water but they are unsuccessful. Kahu approaches the largest whale that legendarily belongs to the Paka, she climbs onto the whale and makes her go out into the ocean again and the other whales follow her, she rides the big whale for a while and then let's go thinking that she is not afraid to die. Kahu is rescued and taken to a hospital. Later in a ceremony she is declared the leader of the tribe and Paka asks for her forgiveness.

This movie shows us how customs can change either by conviction or by faith, that woman also have a place in earth and can be leaders as well as men not only in tribes but is society, but even though Packa was angry for the way his sons turn out and that they did not wanted to follow their father's footsteps. The fact that having a female grandchild was really a bad thing in Packa's believes, and he blame her for everything, he loved her and saw that she believe in him and his tribe, and was man enough to ask for her forgiveness.