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Whale Rider centres on a Maori family in a small coastal
village where the chief Koro (Rawiri Paratene) is about to
get a grandson. Unfortunately for his needs - the first-born
boy of a generation to become a future chief - his plans are
destroyed when the boy dies at birth although a twin sister
survives.
Distraught the grieving father (Cliff Curtis), Koro's son,
abandons his daughter and the village leaving the chief desperate
to find another new leader.
The surviving twin Pai (Keisha Castle Hughes) grows up learning
all she can about the family's heritage, which goes back 1000
years to the legendary Paikea who rode a whale to save his
people, but despite all her efforts and love, her grandad
thinks she has cursed the village and his family by breaking
the inheritance tradition.
Then just as Koro thinks things can't get worse the tribal
symbols, a whale and its pod, drive themselves up on to the
beach and are waiting to die - a mystical message about the
end of his people.
Whale Rider brilliantly enters the Maori world of tradition
where a man is trying to do the best by his people and stop
them from losing their way, but his own strength and beliefs
don't allow him to see that sometimes the answer is before
his eyes.
Everyone has been talking about Castle Hughes Oscar-nominated
performance - and she is fantastic for one so young - but
my pick of the actors in Whale Rider would be Paratene. He
is just utterly believable and earns your respect and sympathy.
Curtis as the prodigal son adds both life and depth to the
cast.
The images in Whale Rider are excellent and the video transfer
is superb. Sound-wise it is very good and highlights the film's
wonderful score.
Whale Rider is a gentle, warming and uplifting movie that
deserves all the awards it has won.
Conclusion: 90%
Continued: DVD
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