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February 25, 2004
Whale Rider
I really like this movie. No wait, I *loved* this movie. It's got everything a movie should have - a fresh perspective, engaging characters, a wonderful storyline, a sense of history. I think I've waited a long time to see a movie like this. I believe the last movie I saw with a similar theme was Mulan.
The premise of the story is this: Paikea (Pai) is a Maori girl whose twin brother died at birth, taking their mother along with him. Pai's brother was supposed to have been *the one* to save the Maori people and bring them to a better way of life, according to Pai's grandfather - Pai's father had not been willing to take that role. What we have here is the perfect setting for a girl who has to fight against all odds - which include chauvinistic viewpoints - to prove that she is the rightful leader of the Maori people. Alas, sexism dies very hard, as we saw with the grandfather who refuses to see that what he's been searching for was right under his nose from the start. We also learn the lesson that great and wise leaders are not made, they're born. Pai's noble and indomitable spirit is quite stirring.
If you haven't seen this movie, go out and rent it right now. Better yet, buy a copy. In today's world of countless bad, trashy movies, we should all be buying movies like Whale Rider to show the movie industry that what we want to see is more quality movies that speak to both our hearts and minds.
Posted by Kathy at February 25, 2004 11:04 PM