Review of Whale Rider (2003) by Brandy M — 04 Sep 2010

Whale rider is an interesting movie that takes a glimpse into the world of the Maori people. The Maori are an indigenous people that live in New Zealand. Whale Rider centers on a chief (Koro) that is filled with disappointment because his son Porourangi doesn?t want to follow in his footsteps and become the next chief of the tribe. Hope is found when Porourangi?s wife becomes pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl. The boy and the mother die during child birth, but the girl lives and is named Piakea by her father. This is a sacred name to Koro and in his anger shortens the child?s name to Pai. Porourangi is in grief and goes to Europe leaving Pai to be raised by her grandparents. Pai knows about her grandfather?s disappointment as she grows up but in time they do form a bond. Nanny Flowers who is Pai?s grandmother adores the child and raises her as her on.

Porourangi returns home and refuses to take his place as the next chief and offers to take Pai back to Germany with him, she goes but soon turns around to go back. In an attempt to find the next chief Koro rounds up all the 12 year old boys and starts to teach them the sacred ways of the tribe. His hope is through all the chants and lessons the next chief will emerge from the group. When Koro finds out Pai has been listening in on the lessons he is enraged. Nanny Flowers then tells Pai that Koro?s other son was a fighting stick champion; Pai is intrigued and starts taking lessons from him. After a battle with another boy that Pai wins Koro explodes with anger causing a rift between himself and Pai. Koro drops a whale tooth in the water in hopes that the future chief will retrieve it; after everybody fails Koro loses hope.

In an attempt to help their relationship Pai invites Koro to a play at the school, Pai has something special planned for Koro. Running late Koro notices a number of beached whales on the way to the school. The village attempts to coax the whales back into the ocean with no luck. Pai is then yelled at by Koro for touching the largest whale and tells her she had done enough damage. After Koro walks away Pai climbs on the back of the largest whale and gets him back into the ocean. The other whales follow but in the process Pai nearly drowns. Koro sees this and is handed the lost whale tooth that Pai had retrieved, Koro breaks down. At the hospital Koro declares Pai the future chief of the village which is the first for a female. The movie finishes with the entire village pushing a newly finished waka into the ocean to celebrate the new chief.

This movie was intriguing as it showed the daily culture of the Maori people and the struggle that comes with an ingenious tribe. Starting off the movie really gets you involved with the struggles of Pai and her father over the death of Pai?s mother and her twin brother. This is where the movie becomes a clash between modern times and ancient traditions. With the grandfather so persistent to find his next replacement, Pai seems to be overlooked and despised because she lived instead of her brother, who would have been the first born grandson. Even when Pai showed excitement and willingness to learn the chiefly ways she was cast aside because she was a girl. This all changed when Pai who never gave up, rode the biggest whale back into the ocean and nearly drowned. This action saved the ways of the tribe and helps the tribe move in the right direction by making Pai the new chief. This movie showed me the power of being persistent and never giving up, that one child can in fact change the world.