Whale Rider

Whale Rider

In 2002, Whale Rider was shown in Movie Theater, and then earned a nomination in the Academy Awards. Whale Rider is about the native culture in New Zealand, how change can be so hard sometimes.

It was filmed on the east coast of New Zealand, directed by Niki Caro and based on Witi Ihimeara’s novel and produced by South Pacific Picture. Around the world there are different stories that tell how women introduced themselves to the world. Witi Ihimeara wrote about how a little girl could change her native culture. Keisha Castle-Hughes plays as Paikea, the little girl who changes old ideas. This little girl does a great job as this character, I really enjoy how she acted, it was excellent, and I think everybody could feel her character. Rawari Paratene as Koro, Paikea’s Grandfather. His character in some way was grabbed by the old things, giving drama to Paikea’s existent. Paratene did a good job with his character, making Koro really conserve about his culture. And finally, Vicky Houghton as Nanny Flowers, Paikea’s Grandmother, who believe in Paikea and represent support to her granddaughter. Nanny Flowers was a really good character, in my opinion in every movie have to have a supporting character.

All work was really good. I do not know how they could give us a good whale image, seems so real every image. That’s one of the reasons that made me enjoy Whale Rider. Every dialogue was believable; the cast had a good chemistry. Setting was so beautiful. In my opinion, New Zealand has the most amazing and beautiful sets around the world. If you had seen “The lord of the ring”, you could remember the sceneries of this movie that had film on New Zealand, too. The only thing, I think they should have taken more images about the ocean at night and the moon there, because it could be beautiful images for this movie. Costumes and make up was appropriate, because they seem like native and really natural, and natural is one of the things that characterize native character.

Suitable viewer, in my opinion, could be anyone who is interested about culture, family movies and changing movies. It is not a movie for everyone, but anybody could deny that have a good effect, because I think every character could be feeling for viewers. Also every image was perfect, specially the whale’s scenes, because all whale’s scenes are really real, it does not have many effects.

So, Whale Rider was a good movie for me, I could really feel the movie, and I did not get bored in any moment. It has a big message about the change, about we are not in past, and every woman has the same power as men. That is the principal message about this movie and that means so much, because there are many culture that still believe that women are just tools for home, the only way is to have sons; something really stupid being in 21th century where women are so powerful. In some scenes I got frustrated about the idea that someone still believes that women cannot do the same as men. In fact, it could be because I am a woman, and that make me feel more the movie. Like I wrote before this is not a movie for everyone, but if you are interested to watch it, I think you will enjoy it like me.