Whale Rider Characterization
In the movie Whale Rider, the characterization of Pai is an importantcomponent of both the movement of the story and an important insight intodirector Niki Caro's vision for the theme and meaning of the film. Pai'spoised and gentle assurance gives the viewer with an understanding that sheis truly the tribe's chosen leader, and this conflict against hergrandfather's ultimately ill-fated belief that the leader cannot be a girldrives the movement of the story. Ultimately, Pai's characterization asvisionary illustrates the director's view that culture must embrace truthabove tradition, and her respect for her grandfather shows the director's Whale rider is told in the context of a Maori tribe in modern NewZealand. The movie tells the story of a young girl, Pai, and hergrandfather Karo who must struggle with adapting a patriarchal Maori legendwith the Pai's seeming affinity with sacred traditions. In Maori legend,the Father arrives on the humpback of
He respect for her grandfather, despite hisstubbornness, shows the director's theme of the importance of family. Within Whale Rider, the characterization of Pai ultimately reveals acomplex and spiritual force in the shape of a 12-year-old girl. Pai's grandfather refuses to compromise by acknowledging Pai as the"son" of the Father, and screams "You don't mess around with sacredthings". As such, hercharacterization shows the director's vision that culture must embracetruth above tradition. The grandfather Karo is driven by a great weight of hisobligations, and he is convinced that his ancestors and religion demand amale leader. Pai grows up under the wing of herstern but loving grandfather, Karo. She is deeply saddened by the tribe's inability to transcend their beliefsand understand that the son has taken a female form, and cries tears ofregret and sadness at their adherence to tradition that blinds them from apossibility that could transform their tribe and revitalize their verytraditions and beliefs. She is clearly destined to be the leaderof the tribe, as shown by her actions and demeanor. She is graced with anintuitive understanding of marital arts. Pai's quiet and dignified resistance to this authority is oneof the key parts in driving the movement of the story. Her quiet assurancereassures the viewer that she indeed must be the chosen leader, even iftradition argues against this fact. The characterization of Pai has an important impact on the movementof the story. The viewer soon learns that she has many qualities that seem totranscend her young age and situation. Pai is deeply in touch with themigrating whales that pass by.
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Acceptance Essays
