MovieChat Forums > Whale Rider (2003) Discussion > Why are there no girls?

Why are there no girls?

posted 16 years ago by sgsilver
7 replies | jump to latest

An excellent film that as a teacher I have shown to my classes many times.

A question that has been raised, however: why, aside from Paikea, are there no girls? Throughout the film we only see very quick glances of girls in the background. The only scenes where I remember seeing girls were in the school concert and the final scene, and both were no longer than a second or two.

My question is this: was this something deliberate by the director? If so, why?

[–] fosthoff 16 years ago

The main problem in the story is Koro finding a new leader. He believes that only a boy can take over as leader. Because of this, there are lots of boys in the scenes in which he teaches. Paikea is featured because she's the lead. The other girls don't really fit into the story to be shown prominently.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] exodus527 15 years ago

Unfortunately this story as some loaded cultural significance dealing with the Maori, and never having seen it I do not know if it was covered up in the story. The Maori culture has one of the highest propensity for forced sex of nearly any culture. Nearly ever bride (in pre-westernized period) of differing tribes was forcibly abducted raped and made to raise the children for the rival tribe. On top of this only the warriors that killed other tribe's warriors gained social status and would then be allowed to gain more wives. So the baggage is that woman's choice meant nothing (they were some of the most subjgated and abused females in history), the CUSTOMARY way to get a wife was to abduct, rape, and enslave one, and mans' status came from how well they could murder people.

When watching this film, it might give insight as to why an older man might be so resistance to female leadership.

If anyone would like to argue please do.

[–] tomasregan 15 years ago

Hmm... Could explain why (apparently) the genetic heritage of the female Maori line is from a different region than the male Maori line. Sea faring people from Taiwan encountering hostile tribes in and around Papua-New Guinea. Original males murdered and sea-faring custom continued with new male and old female lineages. Maybe the custom of abduction and rape continued when these people finally reached New Zealand.

[–] vicky_lc2001-1 12 years ago

That's very strange since Austronesian culture is very matriarchal & matrilineal. Also, Pacific Islanders female line are almost purely Austronesian or East Asian whereas they have some Melanesian ancestry on their male side. Since it was the Austronesians who overpowered & had significance in the Pacific, it seems it was the female line which was used to intermarry with Melanesians in order for their children to be raised as Austronesians. Usually, a patriarchal society would have kept the male line & intermarried with foreigners in order to keep the culture of the males. With Pacific Islanders, it was the other way around.

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[–] Pania8407 12 years ago

I do remember reading somewhere that Maori women were traded to the European men for weapons. But i don't remember hearing about Maori women being abducted by rival tribes to be made brides.

[–] SeisCinemaSeis 15 years ago

Well, after reading the anti-maori diatribe written by Exodus, where he or she explains to us how Maori males used to behave in the past exactly like the males from the rest of the world used to behave. I gotta say that although there is only 1 girl in the movie, she alone counter-balance the rest of the boys and adult males combined (bar Koro).
This movie is (amongst many other things) about women empowerment but it's also about Paikea's journey, so perhaps the director thought that by isolating "Paikea" as the only "visible" girl, then the film's message would be clearer and more powerful.
IMO Niki Caro was right.