Luke
stu-kicks
CibbuanoWhale Rider
May 22nd 2010 07:35
Most Americans will know this film (if they know it at all) as a small New Zealand film in which a young girl was nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award in 2004. Every now again the Academy will find a random, non-American performance like this and elevate it to global scrutiny (another example that comes to mind is the nomination of Catalina Sandino Moreno the following year for Maria Full of Grace)... it's a strange gesture that feels altogether political, especially since these actresses never ever actually win. The positive knock-on effect of this though is that Whale Rider received a lot of exposure as a result - the kind of attention a small-scale film like this wouldn't even dream of achieving. It's worth such attention.
Keisha Castle-Hughes plays Paikea, the surviving twin sister of a stillborn boy who was destined to rule his community as it's chief (traditionally symbolised as 'the whale rider'). Her father (Cliff Curtis), devastated by both the loss of his son and his wife, turns his back on his responsibilities and his own demanding father (Rawiri Paratene) to leave the country altogether. Paikea is left in the care of her grandparents, and grows to be a serious young girl who wants nothing more than to fill her brother's shoes. Her grandfather struggles with the idea that she may be the next chief - initially rejecting it, then burdening her with his impossible expectations before eventually turning to the boys in the community in the hope that a male might still ascend to the position.
Much like Once Were Warriors, this is a film that deals with the erosion of Maori culture in modern-day New Zealand. Unlike Once Were Warriors it's a gentler story and one that explores the idea of Maori communities that defiantly try to maintain their roots in the face of a bleak, homogenised national culture. What is surprising about Whale Rider is that it ups the ante by defying viewer expectations in relation to how this film is going to play out... the opening scenes set up the grandfather as entirely indifferent to the existence of Paikea, with the feeling that this will be one of those films that usually follow a formula of rebellion, acceptance and a clash of wills between the generations. I'm not saying that Whale Rider doesn't follow such genre conventions, but the path it takes is more realistic and humble. As Paikea says in her narration, her grandfather didn't want her as the next chief, but as we watch her cradle her as a baby she adds, "he changed his mind". The film is full of these little symbolic moments... such as one scene where Paikea fixes the septic tank when her grandfather cannot, and he gets angry with her. It's a significant point that should make her grandfather aware of her ability and destiny, but he continues to struggle with the notion that a female could fulfill the whale rider's role as it's a fixed point in their traditions, and the community's culture is traditionally-male orientated.
Whilst the events primarily revolve around a sense of family drama, there's a strong undercurrent of the tragic that feeds it into a larger scale. The grandfather is a spiritual leader desperately trying to hold onto a traditional life that a lot of the community has given up on. He puts unfair burdens on Paikea - he moulds her into a leader and then leaves her out in the cold, and all she wants to do is prove herself to him despite his resolution to ignore her. We also get some small glimpses of the sort of thing Paikea's grandfather is up against... one of the candidates for future-chief is a boy named Hemi. Partway through the film Hemi's father gets out of gaol and comes to see him. The boy idolises his father, but when he asks his father if he will stay to observe the community's ceremonies his father cheerfully dismisses the idea and demonstrates a distinct sense of apathy and disrespect towards the wider community. Paikea's grandmother (Vicky Haughton) is another great characterisation, a stern but loving woman who forces her husband to acknowledge the girl at every chance she gets. Her pearls of wisdom regarding the art of influencing such a stubborn man resonate beyond the character's screen time. All these little strands help weave the plot into a larger picture, but primarily this is a story about the journeys of two people - Paikea and her grandfather.
As I mentioned earlier, Whale Rider is refreshing because it doesn't fall prey to the usual stereotypes one might associate with this sort of story. When Paikea's wayward father returns to see her, the expectation is that he wouldn't really have time for her in his life anymore - but he actually wants to take her back into his life and away from New Zealand. Also, when Paikea's grandfather rejects her as the whale rider's inheritor he takes on a group of local boys to train as her replacement, including the aforementioned Hemi. The expectation here would be for these boys to ostracise her - but they don't, and Hemi actually shows deference to her natural leadership skills. It's these little touches that help to make this a powerful and memorable film, and above all it's a strong depiction of Maori traditions that is both realistic and ultimately positive.
| 90 |
| Vote |
Comments (1)
Add Comments
Read More
