|
 The other night the guest on
Inside the Actors Studio was Robert De Niro. One of the writers in
the audience asked him what his advice would be for a writer.
De Niro answered to the
effect, "Some writers are good at writing what they are told and
others aren't. Write from your heart, from within, no matter how
crazy it may seem. That's the only way you can distinguish yourself
and make yourself unique and stand out. At this point in the game,
you have nothing to lose, so write from your heart."
The movie, Whale Rider,
is exactly what De Niro was talking about. This is a must see movie.
It stands out from the usual, summer fare.
This movie works on many
levels. First, there's the spiritual aspect of the movie.
Second, there's the ingrained mentality of a culture where boys are
favored over girls. Third, there is the historical part--of a
culture slowly disappearing in the midst of modern times. However,
the movie ends with a positive view of this culture as shown by the
whales' "spiritual" choice for the young girl.
There is the level of the
"closed eyes" of the grandfather. His eyes become
opened--perfectly acted--as the grandfather stands at the beach when his
wife brings him an item dear to him.
There's the first son versus
second son syndrome, the humor of weight gain of the second son, the
artistic talent of the first son, the native language and songs sang from
the heart. These are only naming a few.
Some great, artistic details
worth noting include the following:
Dialogue: "Who is
to blame?" The grandfather doesn't realize this is meant for
him when he says this. The irony works here.
The repetition of the young
girl in the boat at significant parts of her life--but mostly her
spiritual aspect.
The repetition of the young
girl and her grandfather riding the bike. These divide segments of
the movie.
The opening of the movie
begin and end with "water" and the young girl's narration.
The many scenes where the
grandfather rejects his granddaughter--needed for the impact in the end.
The image of the whale tooth, the wooden carving of the whale
rider, and the whales.
The two, hospital scenes at
the beginning and end. In the first, the grandfather rejects the granddaughter
at birth. In the second, the grandfather sees his faultiness and
accepts his granddaughter.
Lastly, the production
companies should receive credit for recognizing the strong adaptation
writing and obvious directing talent of Niki Caro.
Movies like the Whale
Rider must continue.
Maybe Niki Caro heard Robert
De Niro. Or at least, great artists can communicate at this level
without ever literally talking with each other. This understanding
between artists ultimately connects us all.
|
