whale rider

Every culture has it’s own traditions and many of the times these traditions are broken when new generations are born. In the film Whale Rider depicts a culture in transition. The Maori, the native Polynesian people of New Zealand, are looking for a male descendant of Paikea the brave leader who escaped death on the back of a whale to lead them and restore the traditions. Koro Pai’s grandfather has been waiting for the first born of the new generation who should be chief. Unfortunately the tradition was broken when Pai’s twin brother passes away. What Koro does not understand is that Pai is the leader everyone has been waiting for.

The people from Maori have been waiting for a long time and many have lost hope and are leaving the village. The culture has also become unhealthy for example, when Pai comes home and notices that the women playing cards at the dinner table have been smoking. Pai states, “ Maori women have got to stop smoking, we have to protect our childbearing’s.” This quote helps to show how the women do not care about their health and just smoke. Another example when Pai goes to her uncle Rawiri’s house to ask if he can teach her taiaha, the uncle is just lying down being lazy with his wife smoking. By the uncle being lazy he has gained weight and is not slim as before.

The families of Maori have also become ruptured for example; when Hemi goes up to present his father only stays for the first part and then leaves with his friends. By Hemi’s father leaving his presentation early, Hemi feels upset he really wanted to show his father what he has learned about his culture. Another example is how Pai’s father leaves Pai with Koro while he’s in Germany pursuing his career as an artist. Pai’s father leaves her because h...

... middle of paper ...

... Pai climbs on the back of the whale and makes it re-enter the ocean. The whale leads the rest of the whales back into the sea, while this is happening Nanny gives Koro the whale tooth, which Pai had gotten. After Pai is hospitalized Koro realizes that Pai is the leader that everyone has been waiting for and asks for her forgiveness. In the end everyone from the village is celebrating her status as a leader, and working together, the waka is finished and is taken into the sea. Pai states, “My name is Paikea Apirana, and I come from a long line of chiefs stretching all the way back to the whale rider. I'm not a prophet, but I know that our people will keep going forward, all together, with all of our strength.” This helps to show that although the tradition was broken when she was born she is willing to be the new change and be the leader Maori has been waiting for.