Comprehension and discussion activities for the film whale. This novel unfolds the history of the maori tribe that by tradition the new chief would be the first born son directly descended from their ancient ancestor paikea. Although very adventurous and brave, pai, who should have been the first born. When pai is the only remaining family descendent, koro becomes aggravated because she is female and will not be able to carry on the tradition of men as leaders. Character analysis of koro from the film whale rider by. Her twin brother died in childbirth and she is set aside as an outcast. It also represents a myth of the maori people about a man named paikea meaning humpback whale who is and ancestor of a tribe in the south island. Caro uses her character to deliver the message that females have an inherent ability to be able to. It is leading its herd in search of safer waters, but at the same time it struggles to come to terms with its deep love for the ancient whale rider, now long dead, who once had been its dearest companion. Whale rider takes place in present day new zealand, where a 12yearold girl named pai keisha castlehughes is growing up in an allmaori community.
Jun 06, 2003 the stoic mysticism of niki caros coolhanded 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. In a small settlement of whangara located in new zealand, the locals believe their ancestral line come from the whale rider, paikea, the first person to have come to new zealand on the back of a whale. In the 2002 film, whale rider, the director, niki caro created a magnificently empowering movie that serves as an inspirational tool for females. What are the symbols in whale rider and what significance. In the movie, whale rider, there are great examples of joseph campbells article, four functions of myth, which are. Still, care should be taken to compare and contrast the way the movie handles the role of women with that established in scripture. Pai climbs up on the whale and rides it out to sea giving birth to the twins koro and porourangi arguing over the name paikea, the. Take charactours quiz to get recommendations for thousands of characters, movies, tv shows, books, and games that are high matches for your unique personality. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the whale rider by witi ihimaera. When he believes in something, he never changes his mind. Whale rider arrives in theaters already proven as one of the great audiencegrabbers of recent years.
Youve reached the hub for any and all dramatica analysis of whale rider. Viewers are introduced to different characters throughout the movie, who have different opinions. I know, i know, i still need to get the cast names in there and ill be eternally tweaking it, so if you have any corrections, feel free to drop me a. Jun 20, 2003 whale rider arrives in theaters already proven as one of the great audiencegrabbers of recent years. The song of a whale calls through deep water as the huge mammal swims far below the surface of. Finally, the whale rider script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the niki caro movie with keisha castlehughes. She shows her emotions on her sleeve by seeking the future she desperately wants and her love of her community. Other characteristics of the dance including rolling the eyes. In the room when they are both alone, pai is unconscious when koro says to her wise leader this shows that koro has faced the facts that pai is the born leader. Pai s claim to the position of maori chief has less to do with female empowerment than being recognized for who she is by her grandfatherand be subsequently loved. Paikea is said to have arrived from their place of origin, hawaikii, on the back of a whale. So the whale rider shows deep levels of character development. The whale rider essays are academic essays for citation.
Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. For generations, this tribe was always told that a man is to be the leader. 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 koro walks away, pai climbs onto the back of the largest whale at the location and coaxes it to reenter the ocean. Whale rider is an internationally successful new zealand film focusing on indigenous cultural issues. In the film whale rider, what is the significance of the. Analysis of the whale rider essay example graduateway. Paikea or pai a young girl and the central character in the film. The films plot follows the story of paikea apirana pai in the book, her name is kahu, short for kahutia te rangi, a 12yearold girl who is the only living child in the line of the tribes chiefly succession following the death of her twin brother and mother when she was born. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of whale rider by witi ihimaera. Tradition as a tool for oppressing women in witi ihimaeras the whale rider. Ann mcclellans global literature class at plymouth state university.
The fact that pai cannot be leader of the tribe because she is female, despite of her successful attempts to constantly prove that she can be a leader, by first being persistent to achieve the role, as well as learning traditional songs and dances, even though there is no precedent for a woman to do so, is one of the many examples of issues that the whale rider arises. Whale rider mat no 10 storyboarding read the following excerpt from the book the whale rider. Nov 23, 2014 this video fits the requirement for the whale rider video analysis of dr. Niki caros whale rider an analysis in relation to journeys. In the film, whale rider, pai discovers her sense of self as she reinvents the maori tribes creation myth to save the dying culture. Before he realised that pai was the true leader, he was sexist and discriminated pai just because she was a girl, and stopped himself from seeing all the actions. The whale rider is a 1987 novel by new zealander witi ihimaera. The whale rider the films plot follows the story of paikea apirana pai in the book, her name is kahu, short for kahutia te rangi, a 12yearold girl who is the only living child in the line of the tribes chiefly succession following the death of her twin brother and mother when she was born. 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. Despite his love for pai, his passion to restore the tribe through a firstborn male leader is aggravated by her very presence. The whale rider epilogue summary and analysis gradesaver. Our main characters story starts off in a hospital setting and a mother is giving birth to a freshly born, baby girl, named paikea apirana. The movie tells the story of a young girl, pai, and her grandfather karo who must struggle with adapting a patriarchal maori legend with the pai s seeming affinity with sacred traditions.
The whale rider starts a thousand years ago, with a pod of whales. Myth, culture, and family in whale rider essay 1012. 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. Whale rider script transcript from the screenplay andor. Based on the novel of the same name by witi ihimaera, the film stars keisha castlehughes as kahu paikea apirana, a twelveyearold maori girl whose ambition is to become the chief of the tribe. Pai main character and the new whale rider born into a line of chiefs has all the qualities of a leader struggles against gender stereotypes and koro. Pai s mother died during childbirth and her artist father has left new zealand.
The story of whale rider is about pai, a girl descended from paikea, the mythical ancestor of ngati konohi hapu sub tribe who live in whangara on the east coast of new zealand. Whale rider when talking about choosing the location to shoot whale rider, the films producer, john barnett says. Whale rider is a 2002 new zealandgerman family drama film written and directed by niki. The novel was set in whangara and it would almost have been heresy to shoot anywhere else. Whale rider exemplified the ideology of patriarchy perfectly because of how koro ran his tribe. Whale rider is explicit in its depiction of the journey of pai, koro and the community.
The awardwinning film explores the many privileges, obligations and duties of the leaders and potential leaders in protagonist pai s maori. He is firm and forceful in everything that he says and does and he rarely. In addition to the storyform, youll also find any additional analysis or media related to the story in question. The film whale rider tells the fictional story of pai, a twelveyearold girl. Characters drink and smoke, and theres a brief drug reference a bag of marijuana and drug paraphernalia are shown. Pai, is the main character and heroine of the film. Articles with short description use new zealand english from november 2012 all wikipedia articles. Pai s perceptiveness and quiet persistence are always evident, but when she finally speaks from her heart, standing on stage in a school production, wearing traditional garb, she is purely luminous. The films plot follows the story of paikea apirana pai in the book, her name is kahu, short for kahutia te rangi, a 12yearold girl who is the only living child in the line of the tribes chiefly succession following the death of her twin brother and mother when she was. The whale rider 2002 summary and analysis uk essays. The module consists of teachers notes and a handout with background information that you can copy and give to your students. Whale rider essay whale rider directed by nicki caro has won many awards such as critics choice movie award for best young performer and independent spirit award for best international film. The whale rider study guide contains a biography of author witi ihimaera. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly transcribed using the screenplay andor viewings of whale rider.
The chiefs, koro, hopes of finding a new leader disappears as his only grandchild turns out to be a girl, pai. Whale rider essaysthe film whale rider by niki caro, is a popular film highly rated among many critics across the globe. Whale rider this module has been designed to accompany the film whale rider 2003. Nov 17, 2012 she transcended beyond what most females are expected to do in films, she did not dress provocatively or play a secondary role as a passive and weak character that needed to be rescued. Whale rider critical analysis claire choy 100809178. Whale rider mat no 2 character development choose one of the five main characters paikea, koro, nanny flowers, porourangi, rawiri and.
Based on witi ihimaeras novel of the same name, niki caros whale rider is a moving depiction of a young maori girl battling to overturn the patriarchal traditions of her ngati konohi tribal community. By christine jap 9h character analysis of koro is a very stubborn, strict, serious chief of the new zealand coastal village. She is the protagonist in this film and narrates sections too. Overcoming gender roles to unite the whangara the film whale rider tells the fictional story of pai, a twelveyearold girl living with her grandparents in the small community of whangara on the coast of new zealand. Before you start, have a look at the sample frame below. In the film whale rider, what is the significance of the main. Whale rider is the story of a female child who is not allowed to be the leader and whale rider due to her gender.
See our topranked characters and read their profiles. Pai is being raised by her loving grandparents, koro and nanny flowers rawiri paratene and vicky haughton. The movie, whale rider, takes place in new zealand, somewhere of in the mountains in the 2000s. 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. Use the web links provided in week 6 module on the female gaze the rubaiyat hossain article, female directors, female gaze. Comprehension and discussion activities for the film whale rider. Whale ridershows emotional experience of a young maori girl, pai, who is the main character and the most bright personality in the film. The bull whale is an ancient whale, about 65 feet long. Character analysis of koro from the film whale rider. Whale rider tells the story of pai, who faces the subtle resentment of her grandfather koro as he attempts to reestablish the old traditions of their ancestors. Pai is just a young girl in the beginning of the film, and a leader in the end. This universality of whale rider receives crosscultural affiliations. 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.
The stoic mysticism of niki caros coolhanded 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. Parents need to know that whale rider has some tense family confrontations. It follows them in their daily lives and shows how tradition and events culminate in the confrontation of modern versus ancient values. Create your own storyboard using the template on the next page. Theres brief strong language regarding female and male genitalia. Whale rider characterization essays in the movie whale rider, the characterization of pai is an important component of both the movement of the story and an.
During the film, pai transforms from an unwanted child to the new village leader. Whale rider analysis essay example for free 1197 words. The theme of the spiritual journey can be found in religious media. Then, use the book excerpt and translate it into single frames. Whale rider is a 2002 new zealandgerman family drama film written and directed by niki caro. It explores themes of duty, culture and tradition through the eyes of paikea apirana. The story of whale rider is about pai, a girl descended from paikea1, the mythical ancestor of ngati konohi hapu sub tribe who live in whangara on the east coast of new zealand. Her grandfather koro apirana believes that this is a role reserved for males only. The influence of beliefs on individual life in witi ihimaeras. Set on the east coast of new zealand, the whangara people believe their presence there dates back one tho.
Originally her father had planned to name his son after paikea. Finally at the end of the film whale rider koro had realized that pai is the true leader, to face this koro had to travel an inner journey to accept that the tradition had changed. This would have gone to pai s twin brother, but he died at birth. The death of a mother and baby in childbirth is very sad. Use the female gaze theory to describe how the film and the character fit this model of the female perspective and female voice. It has been nominated for many prestigious awards including best actress. In maori legend, the father arrives on the humpback of a whale to give life to the. Each chief in the tribe is supposed to be a direct descendant of the whale rider. Whale rider is not only genuinely lyrical, but, even harder to manage, it is lyrically genuine. There are physical things that are described in the book the sweep of the bay, the island that looks. Paikea has an intrinsic connection with right whales, an important symbol for her tribe. This video fits the requirement for the whale rider video analysis of dr. Whale rider is told in the context of a maori tribe in modern new zealand.