Review of the Movies—Whale Rider //oral skills

Director: Niki Caro

Cast: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton, Cliff Curtis, Grant Roa, Mana Taumaunu, Rachel HouseRunning

Time: 101 minutes

The film introduces us to a Maori family. Koro (Rawiri Paratene) is the current leader of the tribe, and his eldest son Porourangi (Cliff Curtis) has just become the father. Tragically, after the boy and mother died in childbirth, Porourangi left his family because of sadness. His daughter was cared by her grandparents. Years later, Paikea (Keisha Castle-Hughes) has grown up She is now called Pai. When Pai’s father returned, he took with his pregnant girl friend, who is a German. His father was very angry because he wanted him to be married with another one, who came from the tribe. So he wanted to take his daughter away from his fathet. However, Pai felt whales wanted her to stay and she did not follow his father. Koro began to teach the sons of the next generation in the tribe. He wanted to find a new leader who can take over him. Pai very much wants to be a part of these lessons, and Koro did not accept her, because of her gender. However she learned those skills and knowledge from her uncle-- Rawiri (Grant Roa). At last, Pai beats all of the first-born sons of the tribe; even she took keepsake back from deep sea, which is belonging to his grandfather.

The climax of the story is that all the people of the tribe try to push the whale back to sea from beach. At the same time, Pai talked to one of whales and rides on it. She persuades whales to come back sea by her spirit. She is the real leader of the tribe in the future. At the end of the film, Pai becomes a leader of the tribe sitting aside her grandfather.

This story happened in a male-dominated society. Koro loves his granddaughter, she wanted to be treated as the same as male. Her grandfather was a very traditional leader. He believed that only man could be a leader, however Pai dear to break the tradition. At last, he found he was wrong and he accepted Pai who can lead the tribe. From the ending, we can get that idea from the story: the society is in need of reform; the old ways are dying out.

That film is so excellent I have never seen it before.