Whale Rider - 15th Anniversary Edition [Blu-ray]

Sorry, but I have to go ahead and spoil this movie for you, because I have to explain what is going on because what is going on is so incredibly beautiful. There is a proud Maori man who is descended from chiefs, who believes his people are in decline and need a new leader to rescue them. He believed his first son to be this person, but he was no leader. His sons wife was pregnant with twins, a boy and girl, and then he firmly believed the grandson would be the leader. Alas, the son’s wife and the baby boy died in childbirth, and the grandfather fixated on blaming the infant girl for all this misfortune. As time went on a very strong bond developed between the grandfather and Pai the girl, although he continued to harbor this strong belief. The gorgeousness of this film lies in the girl’s recognition and sadness that her beloved grandfather rejects her in this way, and at the same time her quiet utter security in knowing that she is in fact the leader he’s actually been waiting for—his traditional misogyny just can’t see it—and her willingness to love him even while he’s breaking her poor little heart. If you are now thinking it would have to take an extraordinary child actor to pull this off, you’d be right. It’s one of the greatest child performances ever committed to film.

This is one of the best movies I have ever seen, but this disc omitted the most crucial part of the movie.*** 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 fledgling and new to flight". Seeing this translation of his Maori words is one of the most powerful parts of the movie, but on this disc, we hear the Maori words, but we do not get to see the English subtitle to know what the Maori words mean. This is a HUGE mistake and takes away one of the most important parts of the film!

I loved everything, main characters, supporting characters, scenery, etc. Probably my favorite part though was the interweaving of the reality of the sexism of a belief structure with the power and joy of the spiritual. One of my favorite movies ever.

I really like this movie it shows that a female can do what a male can do. Koro was the leader of his tribe and was upset when his son twin son died and his grand-daughter survive because he was hoping his new grandson would be the new leader of the tribe. At the hospital he does not wat Pai but her grandmother wanted to keep her. Koro blames Pai for conflicts happening within the tribe and he blames her dad for not becoming the next leader. Soon Koro warmed up to Pai by dropping her off and picking her up every day from school on his bike. When Pai dad came home to visit and made the announcement that he met someone and she was pregnant. Koro was upset and Pai learned her granddad did not want her because she was a girl. She decided to leave until she heard the whales calling her. Pai does not stop trying to become the next leader of the tribe just because she was a female even though her grandfather tried his best to stop her. I did not like how her Koro opened the all boy school to find the next leader and kicked Pai out. You could tell Pai really loved her grandfather and it hurt her when he would be mean to her. Kicking Pai out of the all boy school did not stop her from becoming the next leader. In my opinion Koro knew Pai was capable of being the leader when she was able to beat one of the boys with the fighting stick but he did not want a female to lead the tribe. I knew Pai would find the whale tooth her grandfather threw in the ocean; at this point she is now the new leader of the tribe. Another touching moment of the movie is when Pai won the speech contest at her school and she dedicate her speech to Koro and the traditions of the village and Koro did not show up. Pai bring the whales back to life was one of my favorite scenes in the movie, and her grandfather asked for her forgiveness and declaring her as a leader. The movie left in a happy ending with her dad and new girlfriend all together.

This is one of the better family films and I highly recommend it for preteens and up. Pai is largely ignored by her grandfather, who wanted a boy, and when she attempts to learn the skills of a chief is rejected forcefully (but not psychically) by him. Her persistence to become what "fate" destines for her part of the stubbornness she inherited from him, although it is not recognized.The cast is outstanding, most of whom are actual members of the coastal villiage where the film was made.Young Keisha Castle-Hughes was selected to play Pai and is remarkable. Some of the scenes brought both my wife and I to tears, they were so powerfully portrayed.The extras on this special edition are a treat and include cast interviews along with deleted scenes. I wish a cut was available with the deleted scenes included where they were cut.

This is an interesting drama about Maori traditions and one girl's (Pai) determination to become the next chief despite being against their culture. It explains the Maori beliefs in an interesting way which would be more appreciated by 12 years to adults. There is plenty of drama but it is uplifting in some places, moving in others. However, some scenes may upset young children. Everyone plays their part in an excellent and believable way. The girl who plays Pai is in my opinion the best though as she is absolutely believable in all her varied situations. Whale Rider can be enjoyed by adults, like myself, or with older children as well. Some of it may upset young children. It is a very interesting way to introduce a different culture.

gosh one of the most stunning films I've ever seen.. if you are interested in Maori / Hawaiian culture you will love this film .. I think I cried through a lot of it its just so beautiful in its content and its story telling .... a must-see film for anyone who has a connection with the ocean and their ancestors ... truly beautiful film .

Love this film. Excellent acting by the Maori cast, especially Keisha. A young girl aspires to be a tribal leader but falls foul of her traditionalist grandfather who still believes the position is a male preserve. Whales figure, largely, in their folk-lore and in the film's denouement - ‘nuf said. Altogether, a feel-good film for relaxing, non-taxing viewing.

A classic Antipodean tale (NZ). Hard to find and worth the effort. Beautifilly directed, well acted and worth the watching over and over. I watched this after I had spent some time in NZ (New Zealand) and it brought back some amazing memories .... see and weep!

Love this film. Forgot about the slightly inappropriate language for my 8 year old... she learnt a new word for male genitals I’d rather she hadn’t, but other than that it’s a truly beautiful and meaningful film. Wonderful acting.