Whale Rider: A list in lieu of a review

[firecat]

Here are several personal reasons why I liked the movie Whale Rider:



Has lots of happy attractive fat people being physically active, with only one or two fat-negative comments.

Qualifies under the Bechdel Rule (albeit a bit scantily on the bit "about something other than men").

Has a hauntingly beautiful music soundtrack.

Has lots of underwater shots.

Has whales.

Made me cry without killing any people. (I needed to cry, and I don't cry all that often over movies.)

Includes a somewhat realistic portrayal of depression.

Has some feminist sensibility.

Has some cultural sensitivity.

Has some excellent acting.

Comments

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

:) The soundtrack was done by Lisa Gerrard (of Dead Can Dance)!

[papabearnz.livejournal.com]

That's pretty cool to know!

[nitoda]

Yay! I had to check, but yes, this is the movie I saw some time ago now ... it came to an art cinema in Sheffield before we moved to London I think, what, two years ago? But it is definitely the same film. I loved it!

[pachamama.livejournal.com]

I love this film!

I would add "sensitive interesting portrayal of children which neither infantilises them nor makes them into mini-adults" and "a rare film that is appropriate and relevant to viewers of many different age groups, from children through grandparents"

[firecat]

yes, those too.

I was very annoyed that some of the reviews on Amazon claim it's inappropriate for children.

[kmd.livejournal.com]

Oh, how I love this movie.

Portrayal of a young girl that is neither precious nor bratty.

Portrayal of a lifelong relationship (Koro and Nanny Flowers) that isn't sentimentalized.

And I loved the language and the slang, and the way every character showed beauty at one point or another.

I was grateful for seeing the transition of loafing ne'er-do-wells into Maori ceremonial warriors. I do a lot of liberal yapping about a lot of unemployment and crime being caused by racism and wasted potential and lack of community, but I never seem to get anywhere near what I am trying to communicate. In the character of Uncle Rawiri, the young man who teaches Paikea, this film just went ahead and showed it. And looking at the movie's website, I can see now that this makes sense because a whole lot of the folks involved with this film were also involved with "Once We Were Warriors," about Maori in modern New Zealand.

[firecat]

Thanks for the extra background. I agree.

[carol-kitty.livejournal.com]

I liked this movie a lot. I just watched it for the second time this weekend. The little girl is so talented. I was glad she was nominated for an Oscar. *hugs*

[ona-tangent.livejournal.com]

That's one of my favorite movies. I think I'll have to pull out the DVD and watch it again tonight.

[pure-agnostic.livejournal.com]

I gave this DVD to my littlest sister. I think there is a lot here she can identify with.