According to a local myth, when the ancient ancestor Paikea
was lost at sea and fell from his canoe, he rode on a whale which brought
him to a coastal area of New Zealand where, ever since, each of the first-born
males amongst Paikea's descendants have in turn become tribal leader.
In the present day, the Maori community has lost its way again as the
younger generations flee the old-fashioned authoritarianism of the tribe
and the boredom of the village, while those who stay behind are led astray
by drugs and crime. So the death of the next male descendant of Paikea,
and the departure of his father Parourangi (Cliff Curtis) for Europe,
leaves grandfather Koro (Rawiri Paratene) despairing over the survival
of the old ways. His surviving grandchild Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes) is
bright, tough, charismatic and in touch with the tribe's history and rituals,
but the traditionalist Koro refuses to accept Pai as the next leader of
the people because she happens to be a girl. As a pod of whales arrives
off the coast, it becomes clear that the old myths are about to resurface.
Niki Caro's 'Whale Rider' presents the conflict between the older and
younger generations, man and woman, past and present, localism and foreignness,
tradition and change - in other words, all the very stuff of myth. The
ancient myth of the whale rider is not so much told as retold, so that
the disintegrating community can be brought back together by finding new
ways of reconnecting with its past traditions.
'Whale Rider' is both an effective snapshot of the challenges which modernity
brings to indigenous cultures, and a neat illustration of the power of
myths to adapt. It for the most part avoids excessive sanctimoniousness
through earthy characterisation and timely humour - and the acting, from
an almost exclusively Maori cast, is a revelation.
In other words, 'Whale Rider' manages to convey all the best qualities
of whales - grace, majesty, mystery and community - without ever becoming
too big and blubbery.
Anton Bitel, 7.7.3
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