Whale Rider Film Review
The wind ripples over a dark sea as a narrator begins the story of Paikea, the Whale Rider. Beneath the water, a huge whale slides through the ocean. From the start of this haunting opening sequence, you know you're about to see a special film, and director Niki Caro
(Memory & Desire) doesn't disappoint for a minute.
Filmed on location in Whangara, on Eastland's wild coast, and based on novelist Witi Ihimaera's book, part of the movie's appeal for New Zealand viewers is its quintessentially Kiwi flavour. There's something instantly recognisable in this small, isolated beach community where the kitchen is the centre of family life and dramas, and where the wild ocean is intertwined with community life and myth.
Beyond its 'New Zealandness', though, is a story that can – and does - speak to people of all ages and cultures. Caro has adapted Ihimaera's novel with sensitivity and vision, imbuing her film with the novel's strong sense of spirituality. The plot turns on the mythology of the people of Whangara, who tell how their ancestor, Paikea, arrived at the East Coast on the back of a whale. In fact, it was the sight of a whale on New York's Hudson River in 1985 that inspired author Ihimaera to rework the legend of his people at Whangara.
The story begins with the birth of young Paikea (Keisha Castle-Hughes) and the death of her twin brother and mother. Abandoned by her grieving father, Porourangi (Cliff Curtis), the young Pai soon forms a close bond with her her grandfather Koro (Rawiri Paratene). Although he loves her, Koro is seeking a male heir to succeed him, and Paikea’s efforts to prove herself only meet with his rejection. Fighting both Koro's prejudice and the constraints of a male-oriented tradition, Pai embarks on a difficult journey to win his acceptance and understanding.
While the story raises obvious issues of Maori protocol and leadership that might not be accessible to foreign viewers, the universal themes strike a chord instantly. At its simplest level, Whale Rider is as much a story of love and rejection as it is of Maori culture and customs. The intensely moving performance of Keisha Castle-Hughes as Pai (she was 11 when filming began) forms the emotional heart of the film. She turns in the best youthful performance since Anna Paquin in
The Piano, drawing the audience to her with her passion and heart-breaking sincerity.
Caro also draws fine performances from the rest of her cast. Cliff Curtis, taking a break from the Hollywood mainstream (
Training Day, Collateral Damage, The Majestic), turns in a powerful performance as the troubled Porourangi. Alienated from his father and his own people, he has been crushed by the relentless weight of Koro's expectations. Rawiri Paratene (
What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?) strikes just the right note as the proud but stern Koro, blinded by his own tunnel vision, while Vicky Haughton, as Nanny Flowers, plays the voice of wisdom, holding together a divided family and encouraging young Pai to keep going. She and her incorrigible smoking buddies bring a down-to-earth humour to the film that is one of its most endearing aspects.
Caro's treatment of the story is superb, too, and she resists any inclination to succumb to clichés. The film's most moving scenes are its simplest – the sight of Pai standing on an abandoned waka (canoe), calling out to her ancestors in the night, sends a chill down your spine.
Thanks to these fine efforts, and equally superb cinematography from Leon Narbey (who won a New Zealand Film Award for his work on
The Price of Milk),
Whale Rider is New Zealand's most compelling piece of cinema yet. It finely balances both Pai's individual battle and the wider struggle of her family and people to forge their destiny.
In the end, it is the symbol of the stranded whales that comes to embody the community's struggle for sovereignty and direction, and its growing sense of loss. And it is Pai's empathy with their plight that gives her the strength to make a final sacrifice for her people. Whatever you do, don't miss this beautiful and haunting film - it will spirit away your heart.
Cathy Spencer