whale rider analysis

Paikea has an intrinsic connection with right whales, an important symbol for her tribe. 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. 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. When Kahu is nine years old, a group of about 200 whales are stranded in shallow waters. Koro attempts to discover their new leader through a cultural reform school solely for the first-born sons of every family. One of the students, Hemi, is also sympathetic towards her, but Koro is enraged when he finds out, particularly when she wins her taiaha fight against Hemi. A contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize. And he came on the back of a whale, a man to lead a new people, our ancestor, Paikea However, Pai is female and technically cannot inherit the leadership. : hey you why are we walking trough? Kahu's great-grandfather Koro is chief of the tribe, but because of his old age he is worried about who will be his heir. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Whale Rider Year: 2002 Director: Niki Caro Rating: PG-13 Communication Concepts: Self-Concept Communication Climate (Disconfirmation) Assertiveness Whale Rider takes place in present day New Zealand, where a 12-year-old girl named Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes) is growing up in an all-Maori community. MAIN CHARACTERS: Pai: 12 year old girl who is the only living child in the line of the tribes chiefly succession Koro: Pais grandfather and current tribe leader. The bull whale remembers his master, the "golden man. Growing Up without ever knowing her mother or twin brother. Choose your writer among 300 professionals! world is slowly crashing down around her. 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. James K A Smith, Whos Afraid of Postmodernism? As such, the film does not present a simple rejection of modernity, rather it is the recovery of tradition in modernity, and sometimes against identity, that makes possible the renewal of identity of Paikeas people (Smith 2006: 116). If you need this sample, insert an email and we'll deliver it to you. 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. Paikeas grandmother, Nanny Flowers, reveals that Rawiri was once a champion taiahi fighter, and asks him to tutor Pai. At the beginning of the film, we see that Koro genuinely cares for his granddaughter, but his disappointment about her gender is evident. : Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church, MI, Baker Academic, 2006. Koros frustration is plain to see as he proceeds to exclude both Hami and Pai from his final challenge to determine who will become the next chief. the boat is called a waka What was the whales name in. She climbs on the back of the ancient bull whale as it dives deep into the sea. 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. Koro, who is the Chief of the Maori tribe, is the other important character of the film. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny. She uses her gifts of communicating with nature to save a beached pod of whales, and because of that she is finally accepted. Find out how you match to her and 5500+ other characters. to help you write a unique paper. Traveling, in basketball, is a player taking too many steps without dribbling. Free resources to assist you with your university studies! She completes her expected tasks of singing during concerts, escorting the boys into the marae, and leading the other girls in their performance. 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He is certain that through a process of teaching the ancient chants, tribal lore and warrior techniques, the future leader of their tribe will be revealed to him. The main social issue that is brought up by the film is the function of the woman in a world controlled mostly by men. When Pai ties the rope together this shows, how she is a leader shes willing to put the pieces together and fix the culture that has lost hope. characters are most like you. When I finished the story I believe that the theme of The Whale Rider was to overcome the odds to achieve the greatness. Her father refuses leadership, and returns to Germany, but Paikea is interested, even though she is a female and it goes against all tradition. They grew crops such as soybeans, apples, sorghum, and millet. I feel like its a lifeline. Whale Rider 15th Anniversary Edition . Antonio Sison, World Cinema, Theology, and the Human: Humanity in Deep Focus, New York, Routledge, 2012. From this point of view, the film establishes a personal form of communication in the family, despite all cultural, racial, and geographical boundaries. Copyright 2023 service.graduateway.com. This shows how she has leadership, since the rope represents the ancestors and by her grandfather breaking the rope shows how the culture has been broken apart. The old whale serves as a comparison to Koro. Whale Rider is about the current chief, Koro, having to accept that the tradition of the first born males becoming the next chief will have change, and the challenges he has to overcome by letting a female become leader and breaking the tradition and letting a girl be in control. It won the audience awards as the most popular film at both the Toronto and Sundance film festivals, played to standing ovations, left audiences in tears. In The Whale Rider, Kahu is a young Maori girl who wants to be the chief of her tribe, but cannot be because in her culture that role is only for men. Though she is loved by her grandfather named Koro, who is the Chief of the Maori tribe, she is not accepted as a future leader, and as a person as well. The culture has also become unhealthy for example, when Pai comes home and notices that the women playing cards at the dinner table have been smoking. Whale Rider is the story of a girl, Pai, whose twin brother and mother die in child birth. 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 video fits the requirement for the Whale Rider video analysis of Dr. Ann McClellan's Global Literature class at Plymouth State University. Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. The inner journey is one which involves the hurdling of psychological barriers, as well as cultural and social obstacles, rather than just a physical trek. A Maori family, despite their beliefs or rituals, can be just like an American family, or any other one. Sponsored. Irving develops a fable based on truth by setting Rip's story in a village close to the Catskill Mountains and by placing the occasions before and after the American Revolutionary War. account. some symbols in the whale rider are the whale, the whale rider, the waka, and the taiha. Koros adoption of Western/Pakeha clothing and his noticeable reliance on modern technologies (i.e. 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. Whales in the wild tend to live longer and reproduce more often to healthier offspring, which is why we should leave them there., Today the meaning of journey has been lost in many forms of literature. Editor: David Coulson. Koro is heartbroken when he throws his whale bone into the ocean and not one of the boys manages to retrieve it. She leaves with her father, but on their way to the airport, she suddenly decides to turn around and return to her grandparents, for she cannot leave them. They are the Sea Shepherds and they operate under the United Nations World Charter for Nature. The story follows Paikea (Pai), who has disappointed her community by being born a girl. what's in your head right now? Porourangis unfinished te waka (ceremonial canoe) is left abandoned on the beach, acting as a constant reminder to Koro of his unfulfilled mission to anoint another male heir to tribal leadership (Sison 2012: 122). Her journey begins when she does not even know anything about becoming leader; she is living a normal life, doing her school work and living with her grandparents. By Maori tradition, the tribes chief must be a direct descendant of the mythical Paikea, with first-born sons continuing this custom ever since. Pai shows the strengths of a leader through out the whole video but her grandfather does not notice it. The other roles are also strongly cast, especially Rawiri Paratene and Vicky Haughton as the grandparents. Choose skilled expert on your subject and get original paper with free plagiarism Ruined by Lynn Nottage | Play, Characters, and Analysis, Analyzing & Interpreting Literature for Teachers: Professional Development, Teaching Young Adult Books & High School Literature, CAHSEE English Exam: Test Prep & Study Guide, MTLE Communication Arts/Literature: Practice & Study Guide, Literary Analysis: Lesson Plans & Activities, Famous Authors Lesson Plans & Teaching Resources, OAE School Library Media Specialist (041) Prep, Statistics for Teachers: Professional Development, Beginning Spanish for Teachers: Professional Development, Gerontology for Teachers: Professional Development, Sociology for Teachers: Professional Development, Physical Science for Teachers: Professional Development, Natural Sciences for Teachers: Professional Development, World Religions for Teachers: Professional Development, Create an account to start this course today. This raises the question what is family? No plagiarism, guaranteed! These three well-used techniques are camera shots, lighting and sound and dialogue. By categorising different forms of literature into these three options, the meaning of journey can be easily derived and the techniques in which they are constructed can be more fully understood and appreciated. Pai later proves herself to Koro at the near end of the book. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. The Manchurians have a unique way of life. 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. 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. The story takes place in New Zealand where the Maori people of a small village claim descent from the Whale Rider, Paikea. A film adaptation was made in 2002 that would go on to win several awards. Until one person prepares to make the sacrifice to save the peoplethe Whale Rider. It follows the journeys of Pai, a young girl, and Koro, her grandfather, who both seek to uphold and preserve the Maori tradition, which has been negatively influenced by the European culture. Journeys motivate the travellers to overcome their specific obstacles and undergo change. Just talk to our smart assistant Amy and she'll connect you with the best The Maine Lobstermen's Association last September appealed a federal decision on some restrictions, and the case is now being heard in Washington. A close-up camera shot allows the audience to focus on a character's feelings or thoughts. 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 the uncle being lazy he has gained weight and is not slim like before. The Whale Rider tells two stories. The characters and relationships are rather complex and intricate, they are developing through the film, and the audience makes a journey through heroes lives. We`ll do boring work for you. In the film Whale Rider depicts a culture in transition. Summary amp Characters Study com. Explores intrinsically linked ideas of discovery through the lens of cultural identity and heritage. He explains to Nanny that his son can have another child. "Whale Rider" arrives in theaters already proven as one of the great audience-grabbers of recent years. 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. She finished the paper in a timely manner! This story has a strong female leader who never gave up in what she thought her destiny was. They are a replication of the broadly understood human culture (Falassi, 1987). Please note! It won the audience awards as the most popular film at both the Toronto and Sundance film festivals, played to standing ovations, left audiences in tears. The summary of The Whale Rider is about a young girl, named Pai, who wants to be chief. Those who support this Festivals have been present in people's life for ages. 545 Words3 Pages. The book "The Whale Rider" by Witi Ihimaera is about a girl named Kahu and is in line to becoming chief in her tribe but greatly discouraged by her grandfather . Pai believes that she could serve as the chief, but her grandfather, despite his love, fiercely opposes this idea. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Then man arrived from the east, and the relationship between nature and man throve. Indeed, as Ryan Mottesheard (2003) argues, the film should be understood less as anthropological study of the Maori people, than a universal story of female empowerment, thus highlighting the films global appeal. At school, she is the most interested in Paikea culture and origins, unlike the other boys. Hemis father also shows sign of beginning internalized.. Production Company: South Pacific Pictures, ApolloMedia Distribution, Pandora Filmproduktion. Kahu's great-grandmother Nanny Flowers loves Kahu and does not care that she is not a boy, and has tried to convince Koro to accept her. 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. The film under analysis is called Whale Rider and focuses on the story of the Maori girl Pai who is interested in becoming the leader of her tribe. Much to his dismay, none of the boys retrieve the pendant and Koro returns to shore, despondent. The Piano (1993 Movie): Summary, Analysis, Avatar: Story telling in the tradition of the legend, Analysis of cinematography and mise-en-scene of a short sequence from Alfred Hitchcock's Blackmail, Zemlya / Earth (1930 Movie) - Summary - Analysis. So The Whale Rider shows deep levels of character development: as we see Koros great sadness, Nannys love for the family, and how Pais. The Whale Rider: Summary & Analysis 3:26 The Tequila Worm Lesson Plan American Born Chinese Novel Lesson Plan American Born Chinese: Book Summary, Analysis & Themes . 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. In the film Whale Rider depicts a culture in transition. A special attention should be paid to a the concept of shadows in the story, as it has an important meaning. The entire village trys to drag them back into the water but, where unsuccessful. The Routledge Encyclopedia of Films, Edited by Sarah Barrow, Sabine Haenni and John White, first published in 2015. Nanny insists on making him acknowledge his granddaughter and hands Pai to him to carry her. Furthermore, such a portrayal of a Maori tribe in their contemporary setting highlights post-colonial ambivalence in New Zealand, indicating that Maoris are not fully opposed to the hybridisation that has occurred during the colonial process. It does not march obediently to standard plot requirements but develops an unexpected crisis and an unexpected solution. "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". This upsets Paikeas grandfather who out of nger says that he does not need Paikea, and that she is just a hassle. Whale Rider Photo Credit: Everett Collection Character Analysis (Avoiding Spoilers) Growing Up without ever knowing her mother or twin brother. Dont match. 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. The second concerns the ancient leader of a pod of cetaceans who has suffered Another example is how Pais father leaves Pai with Koro while hes in Germany pursuing his career as an artist. It is not just a family film, just an Australian film it is a film that can touch the hearts of millions. 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. Living in Whangara, a small Maori village in New Zealand. Pathetic Fallacy in Literature Overview & Examples | What is the Pathetic Fallacy? Interests whatever the boys are doing. Various types of journeys can be seen clearly in the three texts studied this year: The Happiest Refugee extract, written by Anh Doh in 2010, The Silver Donkey novel by Sonya Hartnett in 2004 and the film Bend It Like Beckham directed by Gurinder Chadha in 2002. Koro decides to form a cultural school for the village boys, hoping to find a new leader. To make matters worse, he names his daughter Paikea, which angers Koro who sees this as a mockery of Ngati Konohi customs and tradition. The film gained much respect from critics, it went on in film festivals such as Sundance and Tribecca, and gained international recognition. Pai is found alive and the film closes with the whole tribe embracing their Maori culture, celebrating through traditional Maori rituals. The texts we have studied in class Yolngu Boy and Whale Rider are excellent examples of how important cultural identity and belief are in communities. Create your account, 4 chapters | I highly recommend you use this site! What Koro does not understand is that Pai is the leader they have been waiting for. Soon after, Rawiri moves to Australia and then Papua New Guinea to see the world.

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whale rider analysis

whale rider analysis