James Rutherford
Nov 15, 2020
Updated: Apr 3, 2021
"Whale Rider" (2002) is the highly winsome tale of a young Māori girl named Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes) intent on proving her worthiness as the rightful leader of her Iwi village. Residing in the hamlet of Whangara on New Zealand's North Island, Pai challenges the age-old assertion that the role of village leader must maintain male lineage—eager to prove herself as a worthy descendant of Paikea, the titular "Whale Rider" of legend.
With the death of her mother and twin brother in childbirth, Pai is raised by her grandparents after her father Porourangi (Cliff Curtis) rejects his heritage and absconds to Europe. Brought up under the watchful eye of her grandfather Koro (Rawiri Paratene), Pai is often discouraged from participating in male-oriented activities—Koro's cultural program for first-born boys in particular. Determined to supersede Koro's orthodoxy and ascend to the role of tribal chief, Pai enlists her Uncle Rawiri (Grant Roa) to secretly train her in the ways of the taiaha warrior.
Based on the eponymous novel by Witi Ihimaera and directed by Kiwi filmmaker Niki Caro ("North Country", "McFarland USA"), "Whale Rider" is a resounding tale of modern mysticism and personal transcendence. Castle-Hughes is wonderfully self-assured in her feature film debut, while Caro brings an air of unique enchantment to Ihimaera's source material. Set against a backdrop of utterly ravishing New Zealand landscape, it's a downright exhilarating depiction of ancient traditionalism beset by an uplifting new age of female empowerment.