The whale rider by witi ihimaera penguin books australia. All of the film references on the books cover invite us to collapse the novel and. But he is focused on his duties as chief of a maori tribe in whangara, on the east coast of new zealand a tribe that claims descent from the legendary whale rider. The movie begins with the birth of twins, the latest in that line. It saves her from the patriarchal system and shows koro she is the leader.
The whale rider together with yavaraj athur raghuvir i watched the movie called the whale rider which deals with the issue of cultural restrains both as an individual and as a society. Whale rider set in the east coast town of whangara, whale rider tells the tale of a young maori girl, pai keisha castlehughes, who challenges tradition and embraces the past in order to find the strength to lead her people forward. Whale rider mat no 10 storyboarding read the following excerpt from the book the whale rider. The whale, in turn, was saved from death and loss of meaning in the modern world. However, compared to the happy ending of peoples reunion under the. It is easy to name all the recent failings the da vinci code, sahara, and many more. The film is based on the book the whale rider by witi ihimaera.
The taniwha is the mythological whale or sea creature that paikea the ancestor rode on to lead the way to aeoteara new zealand originally. 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. The movie opens with the birth of pai played wonderfully by keisha castlehughes and the resulting death of her mother and twin brother. As i read this book, i think the authors message to us, the readers of the book, is that even though you cant choose your family members and you may not like some of them, they are or will be the most important thing in your life. It feels very naturalistic and i like how the maori language is also integrated into the writing. The whale rider is a novelturned movie about a young girl, kahu, desperately trying to prove her worth to her grandfather, paka, and her people. The bull whale is an ancient whale, about 65 feet long. While pai lives in present day whangara, new zealand with her grandparents, maori tradition maintains that the leadership should only be inherited by males.
Pdf the whale rider book by witi ihimaera free download. Asked in movies how much money did whale rider gross. However there are significant differences between the book and film. The novel was set in whangara and it would almost have been heresy to shoot anywhere else. Shes the first greatgrandchild in her extended family, and her greatgrandfather, koro, is not. Ihimaera had taken his daughters to a number of action movies. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 150 pages and is available in paperback format. Eight year old kahu craves her great grandfathers love and attention. Whale rider is set in the maori community of new zealand. Whale rider 2008, a new zealand film based on the novel by witi ihimaera. Every culture has its own traditions and many of the times these traditions are broken when new generations are born. Create your own storyboard using the template on the next page. In the film whale rider depicts a culture in transition.
There is a movie of the whale rider, which i have yet to watch and from the trailer it looks to be quite different, but really good. Find books like the whale rider from the worlds largest community of readers. I saw the movie based on the film a few years ago but only have a vague memory of it. In the movie, the interloping shots of whales singing every so often does the books whalesingingspeakinghistory passages no justice well, some, but theres no comparison. Whale rider many books have been made into movies, and they are often not at all faithful to the original, other than the and usually the s of the characters.
There are very physical things that are described in the book the sweep of the bay, the island that looks. The setting is a maori village in new zealand where kahu has just been born. Whale rider tells the tale of kahu and her familys struggle to bring balance back to their maori tribe. So, for example, a film that plays in 3,000 theaters in its first week and 2,000 theaters in its second week will have had 5,000 theatrical engagements. According to legend, the maori came to whangara when their great leader paikea led them by riding on a whale. The movie whale rider 2002 follows the book closely enough and is the winner of the 2002 peoples choice award and the toronto film festival. A book that has the same universal theme as the whale rider.
Whale rider can accurately be called an art film, but its also one that will appeal to mainstream audiences. There are physical things that are described in the book the sweep of the bay, the. The only other thing is a scene where an 11 year old is smoking. The whale rider, filmed in new zealand and directed by niki caro, is a film based on the novel of the same name, by witi ihimaera. The main characters of this fiction, young adult story are kahu. Still, care should be taken to compare and contrast the way the movie handles the role of women with that established in scripture. English assessment whale rider comparison with book and movie. I watched it 7 times in the cinema and i am into it still today. What are the symbols in whale rider and what significance. Spoiler alert in the hospital scene after pai rides the whale and is unconscious in the bed, the grandfather speaks maori to her, and in the movie an english translation appears as a subtitle on the screen with words to the effect of wise leader, forgive me for i am just a. 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. Everyone plays their part in an excellent and believable way.
The story takes place in new zealand where the maori people of a small village claim descent from the whale rider, paikea. The whale rider themes what does the director suggest about the themes of culture, leadership and expectations. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. While the book itself is powerful, the changes made to create a movie from the story bring it to life, making it a story.
The girl who plays pai is in my opinion the best though as she is absolutely believable in all her varied situations. Niki caro was so lucky to find and i have never seen one and the same movie more than twice in the theatre before. Thats because it has a strong story that deals with universal themes like family, tradition, childhood and rebellion. The book is lovely and i would be interested in reading others by ihimaera.
The two main characters of each story share one major characteristic in common. Myth, culture, and family in whale rider essay 1012. The maori, the native polynesian people of new zealand, are looking for a male descendant of paikea the brave leader. Expectations and disappointments generational differences page 11. It really inspires me, and makes me really want to make spiritual movies like that. The movie whale rider, directed by niki caro, have many things in common with the book nervous conditions, written in 2002 by tsitsi dangarembga. One relationship specifically that between the whale rider and his monster whale was model. In the movie, pai disobeys koro and learns how to use a taiaha to fight. The movie was made with a huge budget of millions of dollars. In the movie, the interloping shots of whales singing every so often does the books whalesingingspeakinghistory passages no justice well, some, but theres no comparison, and thats coming. Whale rider, an inviting international audiencepleaser written and directed with ardor by new zealand filmmaker niki caro based on the bestselling 1987. Whale rider arrives in theaters already proven as one of the great audiencegrabbers of recent years. An analysis of the culture and traditions of the maori. It really is a magnificent masterpiece and sureley made for the whole family.
The whale rider 16pt large print edition by witi ihimaera book resume. Ihimaera has written quite a long list of books and short stories but the whale rider is probably his most well known due to the 2002 film of the same name. Whale rider can be enjoyed by adults, like myself, or with older children as well. The whale in this context of whangara takes on the mythical origins of the taniwha but also serves as a lineage to paikeas mythological escape story. I just finished reading the book, the whale rider after having seen the movie version twice. At that point man touched base from the east, and the connection amongst nature and man throve. A theatrical engagement is defined as the movie playing in a single theater for one week. Now, so many years after their separation, the nostalgia for their time spent together cuts away at the old bull whale. In the movie, whale rider, there are great examples of joseph campbells article, four functions of myth, which are. The novel describes this whales struggles to deal with the difference.
These two share many common themes such as sexism, discrimination, and loss. Then, use the book excerpt and translate it into single frames. If youve been lucky enough to catch the movie version of whale rider you will notice quite a few differences, but youll still be able to enjoy this very unique tale. Whale rider is a film about the coming of age of a 12 year old new zealand girl and her struggle for acceptance of her father, grandfather and tribe which just happens to be looking for a new leader. Free download or read online the whale rider pdf epub book. There is one drug reference but its so hidden that smaller kids wont notice. Goodreads members who liked the whale rider also liked. Can someone compare the whale rider book and movie to me i. New zealand writerdirector niki caro talks about whale rider by ryan mottesheard cliff curtis and keisha castlehughes in a scene from niki caros. Whale rider is yet another book that has been taken by the screen industry, and morphed into a movie. The whale rider by witi ihimaera wasnt what i was expecting. Whale rider is a 2002 new zealandgerman family drama film written and directed by niki caro. In the film, whale rider, pai discovers her sense of self as she reinvents the maori tribes creation myth to.
But generations ago, paikea left the sea to people the land of whangara on the east coast of new zealand. Paikea called for the whales and the ancient gods answered her. The whale rider, summary essay sample essay basics. The movie of the whale rider was filmed in whangara, north east coast of new zealand. The story starts with an emphasis on the old days, when nature and all untamed life were energetically sitting tight for the happening and coming of man. 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. Ever since, the maori have been led by the descendants of that leader. The book won the new zealand booksellers choice award. Analysis of the whale rider essay example graduateway.
The movie of the whale rider was filmed in whangara, north east coast of new zealand, and won these awards. The whale mothers look over their young while the single leader whale the bull whale reminisces about his own youth so long ago, and the precious time he spent with the whale rider. The whale rider 2003 read online free book by witi. The taniwha serves as the last test for paikea in the film.
There is a vast difference between movies for 12yearold girls, and movies about 12yearold girls, and whale rider proves it. Can you provide an example a scene character quote symbol from the film that shows this theme. The story is unique and unpredictable but also comfortingly familiar. 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. A new edition of witi ihimaeras 1987 novel the whale rider accompanies the 2003 film. Depressed and confused, the whale begins to lead his herd toward the beach where he last saw paikea. Not only will you walk away feeling a little more cultured and inspired after reading whale rider, you wont have to give up a lot of time to do it. What are the symbols in whale rider and what significance do they have.
He grows sick with nostalgia for his master paikea, the whale rider, with whom the old whale shared a special communion. Whale rider is a mystical, gentle movie that goes beyond the boundaries of the usual comingofage film. Its fixation on myths indigenous to new zealand lends a bizarre, ethereal otherworldliness. Before you start, have a look at the sample frame below. The whale rider abstract whale rider is a drama film of the 2002, based on the novel of witi ihimaera, and directed by niki caro. Whale rider is a 2002 new zealandgerman family drama film written and directed by niki. Her people claim descent from kahutia te rangi, the legendary whale rider. Movie analysis the whale rider together with yavaraj athur raghuvir i watched the movie called the whale. Whale rider when talking about choosing the location to shoot whale rider, the films producer, john barnett says. The first edition of the novel was published in january 1st 1987, and was written by witi ihimaera.
Read online the whale rider and download the whale rider book full in pdf formats. The purpose of this comparison is to clarify the major differences and. In every generation since the whale rider, a male has inherited the title of chief. Directed and written by niki caro, the film is based on witi ihimaeras novel the whale rider. This is one of the best movies i have ever seen, but this disc omitted the most crucial part of the movie. There are physical things that are described in the book the sweep of the bay, the island that looks. If youve been lucky enough to catch the movie version.