The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera Buy Study Guide The Whale Rider Summary The story begins with a focus on the ancient days, when nature and all wildlife were excitedly waiting for the coming of man. Porourangi refuses to assume traditional leadership. Journey involves interacting with new people and environments, which ultimately results in the change of the person. The girl, Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes) survives. In this essay I am going to be talking about what the texts have taught me about culture and how it has shaped my understanding., A journey can be described as a passage one may undergo in order to reach a destination. He is acting out of distress when he moves to Germany to pursue a career as an artist, and he has learned that he can never live up to Koros expectations. Interests whatever the boys are doing. We see the different techniques employed by composers through Peter Skrzyneckis Crossing the Red Sea and Immigrants at Central Station, Shirley Geok-lin Lims The Town Where Time Stands Still and The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham., The killer whale, also known as an orca, is known to be the largest dolphin. An enduring issue is one that many groups across time have attempted to solve with wildly varying degrees of success. Lesson Plans for English Language Arts and Literature. History of Sex in Cinema Filmsite org. While the grandfather is explaining about the ancestors, hes trying to start the engine but the rope breaks. However, Nanny tells Pai that her second son, Pais uncle, had won a taiaha tournament in his youth while he was still slim, so Pai secretly learns from him. The rope proceeds to break when he tests it, which is further indication to Koro that the sacred line of the tribe is broken, that their ancestors have abandoned them in the face of modernity. for only $16.05 $11/page. The story of the fossil being cut from bedrock at the Little Wanganui River mouth last October sparked outrage in the local community and made headlines across the . what's in your head? Niki Caro's Whale Rider - An analysis in relation to journeys. It has a lot of awards through the world: BAFTA Childrens Award, Best Feature Film 2003; Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, Best Young Actor/Actress (Keisha Castle-Hughes) 2004; Chicago Film Critics Association Award, Most Promising Performer (Keisha Castle-Hughes) 2004; Cinemanila International Film Festival, Special Jury Prize 2003; Humanitas Prize, Sundance Film Category 2003; Independent Spirit Award, Best Foreign Film (New Zealand) 2004; Mexico City International Contemporary Film Festival and others. Her grandfather, who is her Herald in a way, condemns her for issues within the tribe. The Whale Rider Witi Ihimaera 3.83 9,773 ratings1,111 reviews Eight-year-old Kahu craves her great-grandfather's love and attention. Meet Kahu, a young Maori girl, and follow her journey as she contradicts the roles females are expected to play in her culture and develops a relationship with whales. While the movie Whale Rider is set in New Zealand and reflects Mori traditions and culture, it's relatable to kids everywhere. 'I heard helicopters whirling around and the ships in the river using all their sirens - a whale had Another example of how the culture is unhealthy is when Pai goes to her uncle Rawiris house to ask if he can teach her taiaha, the uncle is just lying down being lazy with his wife smoking. The Chief of their tribe is her grandfather Koro, but there is no one to in line after him. This is not a simplistic fable but the story of real people living in modern times. By Hemis father leaving so soon Hemi feels upset because he really wanted to show his father what he has learned about his culture. But Koro always rejected Pai just because she's a girl. Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths and Helen Tiffin, Key Concepts in Post-Colonial Studies, London and New York, Routledge, 1998. Before man, "in the years that have gone before us, the land and sea felt a great emptiness, a yearning" (8). The symbolism from the beginning foreshadows Pais future as a leader: a close up of the crying babys green eye mirrors the close up of a whales eye. The biggest whale, the founder of Maori culture, has a special relationship with the whale rider, a young man who sits upon its back. When she returns, her grandfather acts as if nothing has happened, and focuses more on the task at hand, finding somebody to lead the tribe. 2023's Most Anticipated Sequels, Prequels, and Spin-offs. "Whale Rider" arrives in theaters already proven as one of the great audience-grabbers of recent years. Even the elder women of the community are shown playing cards and smoking. As well as this journeys can be a positive and negative experience. She struggles to gain the approval of her grandfather and her people. what's in your head right now? Please enable Javascript and hit the button below! Whale Rider is a unique, untypical and fascinating film. She understood my main topic well and follow the instruction accordingly. In the arena of urban international competitiveness, cities try to raise their profile by We use cookies to offer you the best experience. Pai's Opening Voice-Over PAI (narrating): In the old days the land felt a great emptiness that was waiting, waiting to be filled up, waiting for someone to love her, waiting for a leader. This highlights the tensions between the traditional and the modern in Maori culture, with Koros stringent following of the tribes ancient traditions leading him to alienate his own kin, despite the fact that Pai shows more promise than any of the other boys. Pai herself is interested in the leadership, learning traditional songs and dances, but is given little encouragement by her grandfather. The other text that I have studied Bran Nue Dae is also a good example of this. Pai is found alive and the film closes with the whole tribe embracing their Maori culture, celebrating through traditional Maori rituals. The following chapter will compare and contrast the content, the structure, e.g. Whale Rider is an expressive, cultural drama film by the award winning director Nikola Jean "Niki" Caro, that explores the ideas of love, rejection, tradition and gender roles. Pais father leaves her because he doesnt believe that there is such thing as a leader and shows that he does not want any part of the culture. Without the author's use of actual time and place, Irving's tale would not have the same force or strength as an American myth. 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The Maori, the native Polynesian people of New Zealand, are looking for a male descendant of Paikea the brave leader who escaped death on the back of a whale to lead them and restore the traditions. On her journey to become the leader of the tribe, she comes across numerous amounts of challenges from her grandfather, Koro. Her family thought she would die, but they soon realize that she is the whale rider. Whale Rider Summary The movie is about Pai, a 12 year old who is the only living child in the line of the tribe's chiefly succession because of the death of her twin brother and mother during childbirth. When Pai is found and brought to the hospital, Koro declares her the leader and asks her forgiveness. And if that were not bad enough, Paikea ("Pai") lost her father as well. Until one person prepares to make the sacrifice to save the peoplethe Whale Rider. Koro is equally as upset because he feels that this is a sign for his people. She has used a number of cinematic techniques in this film to create atmosphere and sometimes show what the character is feeling. She gives birth to a baby girl, but things soon take a turn for the worse as the narrator reveals, When I was born, my twin brother died and took our mother with him. This technique stresses the notion of even items separated by time being interconnected which makes them part of the oneness of the world. " Women, like men, should try to do the impossible, and when they fail, their failure should be a challenge to others."-. The opening sequence presents a powerful juxtaposition between contemporary culture and Maori heritage, with a modern hospital birth-scene intercut with mysterious shots of a whale and a female narrator recounting the Maori tale of Paikea: a mythical descendant of the Ngati Konohi tribe who discovered Whangara on the back of a humpback whale after his canoe had capsized off the coast of Hawaiki the ancient Maori homeland. Koro is the chief of these people. Clock is ticking and inspiration doesn't come? But, no, her people need her--whether or not her grandfather realizes it. The stoic mysticism of Niki Caro's cool-handed charmer ''Whale Rider'' -- in which the young Pai must overcome resistance as she tries to assume her destiny as the leader of a tribe on the New. By tradition the heir . Koro Pais grandfather has been waiting for the first born of the new generation who would be chief. Therefore, Whale Rider emphasises the benefits of bicultural cooperation, incorporating what Duncan Petrie (2007: 172) describes as a utopian embrace of common humanity as an alternative strategy of dealing with the trauma of the past. The film shows New Zealanders, as an example for the rest of the world, that the past civilizations and cultures can continue to live on in harmony with todays world. This essay was written by a fellow student. There is a scene set at a school ceremony, where Pai has composed a work in honor of her people and asked her grandfather to attend. 10 of the best book quotes from The Whale Rider. Car Games . The Whale Rider starts a thousand years ago, with a pod of whales. (2016, Oct 19). Whale Rider, then, brings into question the notion of postcolonial identity within New Zealand, with a renewal of tribal values being presented as the means by which the Maori people learn to adapt to the modern-day demands of urbanisation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com. By tradition, the leader should be the first-born son a direct patrilineal descendant of Paikea, aka Kahutia Te Rangi in the book, the Whale Rider he who rode on top of a whale from Hawaiki. This is a hot issue of many cultures through the world even today, as women try to gain a respectable place by hard working. Antonio Sison, World Cinema, Theology, and the Human: Humanity in Deep Focus, New York, Routledge, 2012. Her father, Porourangi (Cliff Curtis), an artist, leaves New Zealand, and the little girl is raised and much loved by her grandparents Koro and Nanny Flowers. If you need this sample, insert an email and we'll deliver it to you. Even when Pai becomes rather proficient in taiana fighting, this still does not prove to Koro that she is good enough to be a leader of the people. Stephanie loves to read and has a bachelors degree in History. In conclusion, Whale Rider is an accurate representation of modern Maori culture. No plagiarism, guaranteed! . Nanny Flowers: Pais grandmother Porourangi: Pais father Rawiri: Pais uncle 1. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. The story then leaps forward 11 years, by which time Koro has developed a strong, (albeit slightly belligerent) affection for his granddaughter, who he only ever calls Pai, denying the true power and meaning of her full name. This film combines elements of history, traditions, depicting them from the point of view of a child, that sees the world not in black and white terms. The idea of Journey in these texts is portrayed through obstacles, various poetic and film techniques., A physical journey which involves the movement from one place to another can have lasting effects on an individual or group which can be mental, emotional, physical, or a combination. The film's plot follows the story of Paikea Apirana ("Pai")[In the book, her name is Kahu, short for Kahutia Te Rangi], a 12-year-old girl who is the only living child in the line of the tribe's chiefly succession following the death of her twin brother and mother when she was born. We will write a custom Essay on Face Negotiation Theory in the Film "Whale Rider" specifically for you. So the focus of the eye humanizes the whale and connects the young girl to the animal. Fall 2014. It isn't that Koro comes or that he doesn't come, but that something else altogether happens. The Whale Rider is a 1987 novel by New Zealand author Witi Ihimaera. They are going there to do whatever is necessary to make sure Japan does not kill any whales as it is illegal to kill whales in this sanctuary in Antarctica. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Challenge. berkeley Synopsis To become the next chief., A journey is a physical or psychological adventure that takes from one place to another. Every culture has its own traditions and many of the times these traditions are broken when new generations are born. The Routledge Encyclopedia of Films, Edited by Sarah Barrow, Sabine Haenni and John White, first published in 2015. The film gained much respect from critics, it went on in film festivals such as Sundance and Tribecca, and gained international recognition. No plagiarism guarantee. Janet Wilson, Re-representing Indigeneity: Approaches to History in recent New Zealand Australian Films, in Alistair Fox, Barry Keith Grant and Hilary Radner, (eds), New Zealand Cinema: Interpreting the Past, Bristol, Intellect, 2011, pp. Eventually, he begins teaching classes that teach the young boys how to act like true tribesmen. Need a custom essay sample written specially to meet your Similar to Things Fall Apart, the film Whale Rider by Niki Caro explores the breakdown of Maori culture in post-colonial New Zealand. Editor: David Coulson. Ever since the time of the whale rider, Kahu's tribe has been ruled by a male chief. In one scene, Hami, the most promising student in Koros school, challenges Pai to a taiahi duel, which Pai eventually wins. Indeed, as Sison suggests, the cultural milieu of Whale Rider is characterised by the ongoing Maori quest for soul and identity in the postcolonial aftermath (Sison 2012: 122), and it is these themes, as well as female empowerment, which underpin the narrative. As Pai grows older, her defiant character of a leader becomes evident. 1672. "Our Koro was like an old whale stranded in an alien present, but that was how it was supposed to be, because he also had his role in the pattern of things, in the tides of the future". She climbs on the back of the ancient bull whale as it dives deep into the sea. By using these techniques Niki has created a film that is emotionally connected to the viewers., b. The 2003 movie Whale Rider is a wonderful story, aptly described in this IMDB plot summary: A contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize. report, Analysis of the Whale Rider. From then on, Whangara chiefs, always the first-born, always male, have been considered Paikea's direct descendants. Koro explains to her about her ancestors and he uses a rope to demonstrate how the strings from the rope represent her ancestors. Whale Rider, then, brings into question the notion of postcolonial identity within New Zealand, with a renewal of tribal values being presented as the means by which the Maori people learn to adapt to the modern-day demands of urbanisation. Pai wanted to show Koro how strong she was so he could love her. $15.00. Create your account, 4 chapters | For generations, this tribe was always told that a man is to be the leader. For Jimmy and Roxane Henderson, though, it's what they do when their son Jordan plays hoops for Canisius College . The beginning of the film 'Whale Rider' introduces the characters in a close-up camera shot. He admonishes Pai against touching the largest whale because she has done enough damage with her presumption. Much to his dismay, none of the boys retrieve the pendant and Koro returns to shore, despondent. A contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to full fill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize., Whale Rider shows just how important culture and tradition is to some people. Meet Kahu, a young Maori girl, and follow her journey as she contradicts the roles females are expected to play. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. By tradition the heir to the leadership of the Maori tribe has to be the first born son- a direct patrilineal descendant of Paikea. I highly recommend you use this site! The negative side of pride can be seen in both the play Antigone, written Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) translated as The Brave-Hearted Will Take Away the Bride is romantic bollywood film directed in 1995 by Aditaya Chopra. The effects and overall impact of a journey will depend on the characteristics of the particular journey undertaken. assume youre on board with our, https://graduateway.com/analysis-of-the-whale-rider/. While he does later form an affectionate bond with his granddaughter, carrying her to school every day on his bicycle, he also resents her and blames her for many of the troubles facing the tribe. Soon after, Rawiri moves to Australia and then Papua New Guinea to see the world. The film Whale rider is considered to be a personal and family drama, showing that families even in the most far away parts of the world have similar relations and personal problems. Many centuries ago a legendary ancestor named Paikea brought there the Maori people, who still lives there. Whale Rider is the story of a girl, Pai, whose twin brother and mother die in child birth. Whale Rider is a contemporary re-telling of the 1000-year-old legend about legendary first ancestor named Paikea. When she goes out to sea, Nanny Flowers shows Koro the whale tooth which Pai had previously recovered. When the whale accepts Kahu as a leader, Koro does as well. So it may be considered as the film about interpersonal relations. Movie analysis The Whale Rider Together with Yavaraj Athur Raghuvir I watched the movie called The Whale Rider which deals with the issue of cultural restrains both as an individual and as a society. Marginalised from contemporary New Zealand society, the Maori community is ostensibly struggling in rural poverty and obscurity; rusting car wrecks and abandoned machinery litter the otherwise idyllic Whangara coastline (the northeast region of New Zealands North Island where the film was shot), emphasising the intrusion of Western/Pakeha culture and the effects of modernity. When the audience is watching the film, they compare their own family experiences with the ones in the story. The Whale Rider essays are academic essays for citation. The theme ofWhale Rideris female empowerment is not unique, but the context in which it is presented is very interesting and unusual. Koro, Pai's grandfather and leader of the Maori tribe, is devastated that their future leader has died. Summary; Recently Viewed; Bids/Offers; Watchlist; Purchase History; Buy Again; Selling; Saved Searches; Saved Sellers; My Garage; Messages; Collection beta; The eBay vault; Notification. I would definitely hire her again! By tradition, the leader should be the first-born son a direct patrilineal descendant of Paikea, aka Kahutia Te Rangi in the book, the Whale Rider he who rode on top of a whale from Hawaiki. Koro is bitterly disappointed when Porourangi announces to his family that he already has a pregnant lover in Germany and will not be returning home with the child, putting an end to Koros aspirations. 194 lessons. The girl in question is Paikea, performed magnificently by Keisha Castle-Hughes in a role for which she was . In a small New Zealand coastal village, Maori claim descent from Paikea, the Whale Rider. Copyright 2003 - 2023 - UKEssays is a trading name of Business Bliss Consultants FZE, a company registered in United Arab Emirates. Paikea is interested, but she cannot join since she is a girl. Kamen Rider Black Sun (BLACK SUN, Kamen Raid Burakku San) is a Japanese tokusatsu web drama reboot of the 1987 television series Kamen Rider Black.A co-production between Ishimori Productions and Toei, the series is directed by Kazuya Shiraishi and was released worldwide through Amazon Prime Video on October 28, 2022. Upon accepting Rawiri undergoes a transformation, immediately feeling at one with his ancient tribal heritage: This artefact of tradition has an almost sacramental character and seems to immediately recall him to himself, to remind him of not only who he is but who is called to be. There's an amusing sequence where they practice looking ferocious to scare their enemies. What is more, Porourangi has returned with his German fianc to finish his waka and celebrate with his people. The boy and the mother die. Sponsored. The book's narrator, Kahu's uncle Rawiri, then explains that the tribe's first chief and ancestor, Kahutia Te Rangi, who is also called Paikea, came to their land on the back of a whale, making him the whale rider. Disclaimer: This is an example of a student written essay.Click here for sample essays written by our professional writers. drug reference momentary along with brief language is Whale Rider Obituaries Death Notices Newspaper Obituaries Online April 30th, 2018 - Legacy com is the leading provider of online obituaries for the . Her koro Apirana believes that this is a role reserved for males only.. The entire village attempts to coax and drag them back into the water, but all efforts prove unsuccessful; even a tractor doesnt help because the rope breaks. Koro attempts to discover their new leader through a cultural reform school solely for the first-born sons of every family. Koro had believed that Porourangis first-born was destined to be the boy who would be chief, responsible for leading the community into a new age of prosperity, and he initially refuses to acknowledge his granddaughter. Paikea, realising what she was destined to do, proceeds to ride the large whale, sparking it into life, followed by the rest of the pod. Copyright 2023 service.graduateway.com. Hemis father also shows sign of beginning internalized.. Many voyages that heroin's encounter are regularly identified with the four mythical functions. Paikea is a small girl that is 13 years old, and is a direct descendant of Paikea, the original whale rider. Those who support this Festivals have been present in people's life for ages. At the same time there is a crew of passionate volunteers making ready their vessels to make the same journey to the Southern Ocean, but they are not going there to whale. He takes the remaining boys out to sea in his speedboat and throws his whale-tooth necklace overboard stating that he needs someone to demonstrate the spirit needed to recover the necklace (which symbolises the tribes connection to their ancestors). The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera 9,745 ratings, 3.84 average rating, 1,109 reviews The Whale Rider Quotes Showing 1-9 of 9 "He loved them deeply, but sometimes love becomes a power game between the ambitions that parents have for their children and the ambitions that children have for themselves." Witi Ihimaera, The Whale Rider 15 likes Like Looking for a flexible role? Koro sees it as a sign of failure and gets upset when Pai is touching the largest whale because he feels she has done enough damage. I recite these facts right at the top of this review because I fear you might make a hasty judgment that you don't want to see a movie about a 12-year-old Maori girl who dreams of becoming the chief of her people. They initially find this strange in comparison to their modern lives but they gradually become more accustomed to Maori customs, especially the taiahi a ritual fighting stick. The book argues that Rider Haggard's She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, Bram Stoker's female vampires and Conrad's destructive Malayan or African women, even Hardy's Tess, are all caught up in a series of late 19th-century contexts: biological determinism, imperialism, race, theories about female sexuality, degeneration and evolutionary theory. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. By continuing, well assume you agree with our Cookies policy. Pai herself is interested in the leadership, learning traditional songs and dances, and Taiaha fighting a traditional stick fighting method used by the Maori men. In the Paikea tribe, only the first-born son should be the leader of the tribe, which proves difficult for Paikea, since she is a female. WHAT ISM DID U SEE ILLUSTRATED SEXISM: stereotypical gender roles Women: makes food: Koro utters Women setup dinner are not to smoke: a child says: Women should not smoke has to sit in the back: Koro tells Pai to move from the front row to the back row when they have a meeting in Marae Men: are fighters: boys are traditionally taught to use the taiaha fix things: Koro is not pleased when Pai can fix the motor for the boat boys do not cry: Pai finds Hemi crying and he gets upset and tells her to go away . On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. Supplemental understanding of the topic including revealing main issues described in the particular theme; Eventually, her birthfather, Porourangi, comes back and describes his current situation in life; how he lives in Germany and has a great life with a new woman, who is pregnant. A contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize. But her Grandfather, Koro Apirana, wanted a male chief for his tradition. To try and combat the cost increase of an e-bike versus an "analog" model, Denver launched a series of rebates for anyone looking to buy an electric bike last year. account. Choose skilled expert on your subject and get original paper with free plagiarism Similar themes are also discovered in Swallow the Air (2006) exploring the course to discovery and the sometimes devastating circumstances that t the quest for an understanding of ones cultural heritage. Years later Koro is determined to find a leader and begins to teach and train the boys, in which Pai is not allowed to join because she is a girl. Only Koro had failed to turn up; distant cries had drawn him to the beach where a pod of whales lay dying. Koro decides to form a cultural school for the village boys, hoping to find a new leader. An error occurred trying to load this video. There is a vast difference between movies for 12-year-old girls, and movies about 12-year-old girls, and "Whale Rider" proves it. How indigenous societies must fight through the legal system to gain title to their land.. Sep 30, 2014. Whale Rider Photo Credit: Everett Collection Character Analysis (Avoiding Spoilers) Growing Up without ever knowing her mother or twin brother. The old whale serves as a comparison to Koro. Pride can be seen in both positive and negative ways. For Brief Language and A Momentary Drug Reference, HBOs Rain Dogs Finds Humor, Despair in the Working-Class Mum at its Center, Berlinale Highlights, Part Three: Hummingbirds, Concrete Valley, Afire, The Oneness of All Things: On Sofia Alaouis Animalia, New York International Childrens Film Festival Opens Window to the World. He explains to Nanny that his son can have another child. Fearing that his granddaughter has drowned Koro finally understands that it was Pai all along who was destined to be the tribes new leader, finally accepting that he must adapt his cultural beliefs. To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on UKEssays.com then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! On the other hand, it is a drama about relationship of a young girl and her grandfather. All People have the same emotions: they upset and cry, they feel happy and laugh. This book is called The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera. She made a loud sound and the whales dove into the water, as if Kahu was warning them. From this point of view, the film establishes a personal form of communication in the family, despite all cultural, racial, and geographical boundaries. Available at www.indiewire.com/article/girl_power_new_zealand_ writerdirector_niki_caro_talks_about_whale_ rider. It's a story about a young Maori girl, Paikea Apirana that's born into the chief line along with a twin brother. The film opens with Porourangi, eldest son of Koro, the current chief, anxiously supporting his wife who is in labour.