‘Whale Rider’ is one of those films that you just really have to see. Aside from the massive critical acclaim (awards at the Toronto, Rotterdam and Sundance Film Festivals to name but a few), the story is just a beautiful education in culture, casting a fascinating lens over the intricacies of a Maori community trying their best to live by the traditional customs and laws in a modern day New Zealand.
With a subject matter so delicate, casting was always going to need to be tactful. Fortunately, the local actors chosen for the task are all exceptional, especially true in the case of Pai, the young protagonist girl controversially named (by her grieving father after her mother’s death) after the tribe’s ancestral Whale Rider. The film gracefully explores her relationship with her grandfather, the leader of the tribe, as he fights to preserve generations of tradition in his search for a ‘rightful’ male successor to his leadership.
As you’d expect from this kind of film, location forms a big part in making the magic. For this case, New Zealand provides the most epic of backdrops for a film which relies on managing to convey the sheer beauty of its people effectively. The majestic coastlines play a pivotal role throughout the story, and make the film feel really honest, immersing the tribe in their true surroundings rather than relying on a Hollywood sound stage. And, as you’d expect from a film almost entirely financed by New Zealand grants, it does a pretty effective job at showcasing the beauty of the country and its indigenous people.
Though in parts the film can be quite slow, the story is treated so tenderly that the pace can be easily forgiven. The superb performances, especially from the youngest and oldest members of the cast make the story incredibly compelling, and coupled with the breathtakingly effective final scenes (which I won’t ruin here), the recipe is made just right for a really beautiful film.
With a subject matter so delicate, casting was always going to need to be tactful. Fortunately, the local actors chosen for the task are all exceptional, especially true in the case of Pai, the young protagonist girl controversially named (by her grieving father after her mother’s death) after the tribe’s ancestral Whale Rider. The film gracefully explores her relationship with her grandfather, the leader of the tribe, as he fights to preserve generations of tradition in his search for a ‘rightful’ male successor to his leadership.
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| A chilling demonstration of the taiaha. Positively chilling. |
Though in parts the film can be quite slow, the story is treated so tenderly that the pace can be easily forgiven. The superb performances, especially from the youngest and oldest members of the cast make the story incredibly compelling, and coupled with the breathtakingly effective final scenes (which I won’t ruin here), the recipe is made just right for a really beautiful film.
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