Backbencher

Whale Rider is about a native Maori family who are celebrated as the decendents of the great “Whale Rider”. The “Whale Rider” is who the natives believe brought their people from Hawaii by riding on the back of a whale. The eldest male of the family is the chief, and his oldest son (Porourangi) doesn’t seem take pride in their heritage and does not want to take over the chief position. But the eldest son’s wife is pregnant with twins, one boy and one girl. During child birth the mother and baby boy die, leaving the girl (Pai) and her father. Poruourangi, after his loss, moves to Germany to pursues art and leave Pai in New Zealand with his parents. Pai’s grandfather, the chief, is troubled because he has no willing male decedents to continue the tradition. Pai recognizes this and tries to show him that she wants this position, but the chief looks in the community for a suitable replacement. The reminder of the movie is about this struggle between Pai and her grandfather. I won’t talk about the end not to ruin it for others who want to watch it.

It was a great movie to watch to see what the Maori culture is like and how it is changing. It is also interesting to see how the natives perceive their existence on New Zealand. It was a good movie, not too long (1:45). The plot was a little slow and there were points where I just wanted them to get on with the point.