Whale Rider (2002)

“In the old days, the land felt a great emptiness.
It was waiting, waiting to be filled up,
waiting for someone to love it, waiting for a leader.
And he came on the back of a whale, a man to lead anew people.
Our ancestor, Paikea.”

The opening lines of the New Zealand film, Whale Rider (2002) describe the true legend of Paikea, and the origin of the Maori people. According to legend, Paikea decided to leave his home at Hawaiki, and set out to sea. However, he started to struggle, and needed help. The help came in the form of whales, which carried him to an island (currently in North New Zealand), where his ancestors lead the people every generation. The film takes this legend, and elaborates a fictional story of modern day upon it. The story takes place on the same island, where the first born son of the oldest son becomes a leader to the people. However, the chain of tradition is broken, when the main character, Paikea (Keisha Castle-Hughes), is born. Paikea's twin brother and mother die together, and cause her father to go into a deep depression. Therefore, Paikea should be the new chief of the Maori. However, she is a girl.

The film continues years later, and Paikea is now a smart and lovely eleven year old girl. Although she shares a wonderful relationship with her grandparents, her grandfather, Koro (Rawiri Paratene), is still greatly disappointed in both her (for not being able to fulfill 'her' destiny to be the new chief), and her father (who is still depressed over the death of his wife, and refuses to go out with other Maori women). Paikea constantly tries to impress her grandfather, she even breaks the sacred law by learning how to use the Taiaha, the sacred fighting stick. The depressing events of rejection and sorrow continue throughout the film, until it reaches the climax of depression when Koro discovers a entire beach filled with many beached whales. Paikea, confused on what to do in her situation, asks her ancestors to send help, as they did for the original Paikea. The help comes in the form of whales, but this time the whales are the ones in trouble. The entire town comes to help the beached whales, and they must all learn to trust each other, especially Koro, in order to save the whales (their past) and themselves (their future).

A wonderful film filled with important, everyday themes, I found Whale Rider an enjoyable family film. Although it lacks some of the more common aspects of this category, such as anvils and talking rabbits, it does have a wonderful feel to the film, and even lacks the parental disapproved, violent villain that is typical in most films. More prominent though, is the cover theme that is taught through the film. It has the moral value of equivalence (a value that is much needed in today's world), as shown by Paikea's constant struggle to gain acceptance by Koro and her people. Even though it is quite obvious that Paikea is overqualified in almost every category, she is still not accepted by her grandfather.

The person in question, Koro, is possibly the most conflicted and confused characters I have ever seen on film. Torn between his family and his tradition, Koro tries to uphold the lifestyles of the Maori without endangering his family. Koro fails horribly. As far as I know (which isn't that much), Maori tradition does not state that a male is required to lead the people (at least that is the way the film portrays it). However, because of his stubbornness to change, Koro sets out to find a different leader, one who might become a 'prophet' and lead the Maori out of a depression. However, it is hard to find things that don't exist (like all my missing socks). Whale Rider and Koro teach that we often find what we are looking for in the most obvious, logical, and least expected places (like my sock in the laundry, for instance). Koro, upset at Paikea for her double X chromosomes, found the leader in her: the most obvious, logical, and unexpected place (for Koro at least). Once Koro (or anyone for that matter) gets over the 'unexpected' phase, the answer is left to be only obvious and logical. For the majority of the film, Koro is shown to be struggling with his life, confused over what to do. He then admits to the Maori ancestors that he is inexperienced, that "I am only a fledgling new to flight". It is only when the whales (helpers of the Maori ancestors) are in trouble does Koro gain the experience to look past the unexpected phase.

*As an interesting side note, actor Rawiri Paratene was asked by the director to stay in character for the entire shooting process. It must have been a shock to the cast when they realized he was a nice guy*

Whale Rider, unlike some other foreign films, does not have what I call a 'cultural barrier'. The film does not contain any aspects in it that might confuse another culture. The film excellently explains anything that an outsider might not understand (These explanations do not feel out of place either). The only cultural problem that an outsider might have with the film is the accent that all of the Maori people have in the film. However, this can easily be overcome early in the film. If you were to have some strange accent learning ability, fear not! An obviously literate person has created the invention of subtitles!

The New Zealand film, Whale Rider, is a wonderful family film. With themes such as acceptance and equality, director Niki Caro has created a beautiful atmosphere (just ask the Lord of the Rings staff, they practically live there), a wonderful cast of characters, and an amazing story that everyone should see. You, along with the characters of the film, will learn that is O.K. to accept people as equals, and that asking for help is not a weakness, but sometimes necessary to gain experience in life.

Le Pacte des Loups (2001)

And the French films continue! This film is an internationally renown masterpiece by director Christophe Gans, and has created many fans that spawn across the world. Although its popularity in the United States is not as great as it is in other countries, (nowhere near the same level of popularity) the film Le Pacte des Loups (2001), also known as The Brotherhood of the Wolf, has ensnared audiences around the world since its release.

It is 18th century France, more specifically 1765 in the province of Gévaudan, and terror is sweeping the land. A terrible 'beast' has emerged, and has already claimed numerous victims, all women and children, in the one year it has spent in the province. As the murders continue, the reputation of the beast exceeds the borders of the land, and eventually reaches Paris and the King. Enraged at this news, the King sends specialists to defeat this monster, Grégoire de Fronsac (Samuel Le Bihan). Along with his brother, Mani (Mark Dacascos), the two trackers arrive at Gévaudan, only to find chaos reining supreme.

After a nice relaxing fight with some cross dressers (since the beast only hunts women and children, hunters try to draw it out by dressing as women), the two trackers continue onward to meet Marquis d'Apcher (Hans Meyer), and the three become quick friends. Also to join the group is Marianne de Morangias (Émilie Dequenne), the 'incredibly hard to get' lover of Fronsac. Together, the group attempts to solve the mystery of the beast (although Marianne does not go on the hunts, for it is improper for a lady to do so), and tries to put an end to this 'evil' once and for all. However, there will be many obstacles on the way, such as rival hunters wanting to claim the bounty on the beast, Marianne's parents (who dislike Fronsac), and even the master who controls the beast.

Strangely enough, this 'fantasy' film is actually based on a true story. With the exception of Mani, all the main characters are real people, and the beast was a real beast that terrorized the people of Gévaudan. The director takes this knowledge and introduces all the characters as history says. When the film starts to stray away from history, and the capture of the beast is recorded by the king, in order to calm the terrified citizens of his country. Although no such beast was captured, this achieves Gan's goal as the history books stop recording the events of the time. By watching the film, it is entirely possible to believe that all this took place.

Once again, a director places the theme of looking into a film. This time, however, the theme is not "judge a book by its cover" or to 'look without your eyes', but that you should never believe what you see. When Fronsac arrives at Gévaudan, he entertains his hosts by presenting them with a fish he found in New France. The fish, as said by Indian legend, had jet black fur to keep it warm in the ice cold waters. Fronsac reveals that the fish is a farce, and that one should not always believe what you see. The moral of the story? Fronsac believes that the beast is all smoke and mirrors, even though countless witnesses have seen it. No wolf, as it has been described as, could grow to almost twice its size and mysteriously disappear at will. This theme is further exemplified when the beast is supposedly caught (when the film starts to stray away from history). Fronsac was approached with an order by the King, that he must create a fake beast. Although he is angry at doing so, he dare not oppose the King. Fronsac creates a believable beast that fools everyone in the King's court. If Fronsac was able to easily create a beast that fools everyone, couldn't anyone else do it?

Director Gans also creates a believable beast, and not some out of this world monster. Without giving away too much information, the beast is simply a 'wolf in sheep's clothing', although it is not a wolf, and the sheep's clothing is very deadly. If one was to listen and pay attention during the film, you could find various hints and clues given by the director to predict what the creature is. With this technique, the director not only challenges history with making a believable creature, but challenges the audience as well, by seeing if anyone can decode the theme in time to understand the creature is only 'smoke and mirrors'.

The character of Mani is one of the most awesomely created characters I have ever seen (he is evenly matched with the incredibly cool Magua from The Last of the Mohicans (1992)). While in New France, Fronsac was studying the fauna, war breaks out, and Fronsac is unexpectedly thrown into the mess of it. Since the new world was confusing (and it still is), an interpreter was needed to translate for the French. However, the war was cold and hard, as Mani is the last of his people (the French gave the Indians blankets infected with disease, killing them all). As a result, Mani retains much of his people's knowledge, which provides to be useful when hunting the beast. For example, Mani often goes to listen to the trees, which you can hear, 'only if you listen'. Although he doesn't eat the heart of the beast as Magua would, both characters are the last of their people, both are Mohawks (kind of), and both become allies to the French! Wow, isn't it a small world after all . . . Mani, being the only character that was not a real person, had to receive inspiration from somewhere. My opinion states that Magua would be the best inspiration for an Indian hero, since he has many wonderful qualities such as revenge, quietness, and awesomeness (of which, only one is a real word) that make him the best brother to Fronsac. My opinion also states that this film is awesome, and you should see it (in French of course, the English dub feels more 'foreign'.)

Mani, at one point in the film, entertains guests by revealing to them their totem; their animal guide that best represents their characteristics. When it is time for Mani to reveal the totem of Marquis d'Apcher, he reveals that it is none other then a snake. It is not because he controls the beast, but because that the Mohawks believed that snakes were wise. It is interesting that this is, because snakes in most of the world are considered 'evil' (such as the snake in the story of Adam and Eve). For Mani, I believe his totem is that of the wolf, because of the constant appearances of wolves in the film. They are constantly speaking to him (remember, one only needs to listen to hear), and Mani feels their pain when they are senselessly slaughtered because of fear that they are the beast. The totem motif becomes a fun theme to play with, and is sometimes shocking (one character even has the totem of a lion).

Towards the end of the film, the ambiguity of the story skyrockets, and causes the fate of many of the characters is left up to the audience. For instance, Marianne is brutally attacked, and left in critical condition. The Narrator admits that he does not know what happened to Fronsac and Marianne, but has suggestions of what they might of done if they lived the typical 'happily ever after' ending of a fairy tale. Fronsac is shown to be at Marianne's bedside for quite some time, and even administers Mani's 'miracle medicine' to Marianne. The Narrator is shown to be driven out of his castle, finally finishing his long tale of adventure, and most likely to his death. Although this is not shown, it can be assumed (there is no way for him to survive, believe me), as his character is a REAL PERSON. (Who died at this time, at this place.)

Le Pacte des Loups is an amazing film that is up to par with classic films such as M (1931). Its interesting blend of history, action, mystery, and the awesomely cool Mani create an amazing film that contains many themes that should be used everyday. The theme of looking is expanded upon (as seen in King Kong (2005) and Les Triplettes de Belleville (2003), I promise that this is the last one) as you should not always believe what you see. Things can be manipulated so that all you see is smoke and mirrors. Once you realize this, the smoke clears and it is easier to see the true answer. Whenever you feel like viewing a good film (or a bad one, but then a good one accidentally pops up), watch this one. With the beast, wonderfully dull 18th century humor, and Mani, Le Pacte des Loups is an awesome film that will eat your heart out (Mani won't but Magua and the beast will). Of course, you can never fit all of a film into one review, so perhaps this review may be deceiving you too. The only way to find out is to truly listen to the film. (Wow, was that corny)

Les Triplettes de Belleville (2003)

In an interesting follow-up to the previous post (King Kong (2005)), this film completely contradicts the main theme of 'look without your eyes' that is discussed in King Kong (2005). The French film, Les Triplettes de Belleville (2003) (also known as The Triplets of Belleville), contains no spoken words, except for the French television announcers or random phrases said by extremely minor characters (of which, there are no subtitles, so I have no idea what they are saying). Of course, this doesn't matter, for director Sylvain Chomet has animated this film in a way that every character can be characterized on their visual appearance. One of the most interesting aspects of Les Triplettes de Belleville is the unusual caricature that each person has. This technique becomes very important to the director through the film, because it helps the characters vocalize what they might say.

Young Champion has had a miserable life. After the death of his parents, he is sent to live with his Grandmother, Madame Souza. Although she tries her best to cheer up her grandson, with everything from a dog named Bruno to a Piano, Champion still remains depressed. One day, however, Madame Souza brings home a tricycle, and life begins to change. Years later, Champion has matured into the typical caricature of a cyclist: a person that resembles a racing horse. Cycling has now become a major part of this small family's life. Madame Souza is now the trainer of Champion, and does everything from maintain the diet of her grandson, to the literal fine tuning of the bicycle wheels. Champion, now an excellent cyclist, signs up for the Tour de France. However, the trouble begins when the French Mafia kidnaps him halfway through the race.

Madame Souza, determined to rescue her grandson, rents a paddle boat and follows him across the Atlantic Ocean (that's determination) to the city of Belleville. There, Souza meets up with the Triplets, a once famous singing group. The four become quick friends, and set out to try and rescue the kidnapped cyclists, using their keen minds, their great determination, and Bruno's nose. (Watch out French Mafia, you have four old ladies and a dog after you, and their armed with iron cooking pans)

As said earlier, the most interesting part of the film was how the director displayed the different people in the film. The mechanic, who is always sneaking in and out of small, tiny spaces, is depicted as a mouse. The grandmother has the stereotypical qualities that you would expect a grandmother to have (short, old, glasses, etc.). The cyclists are the most interesting of all, as they are depicted as racing horses, who look, sound, and even act like an animal (one cyclist is 'put out of his misery). Even caricatures of famous people, such as Charlie Chaplin and Jacques Anquetil appear in the film. Using these caricatures, the director conveys the qualities, emotion, and characteristics of each person without using any vocals to assist him. This, of course, gives the film a very 'cartoonish' feel to the film, because no one is shaped like a cereal box in real life. Another task that is fulfilled with this process is that the director can display his own views on society with the caricatures. For example, since all the city folk are displayed as really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really fat people, it is possible that the director was trying to imply that food commercialization is 'important' in large cities; hence the constant advertisement of food, and large proportions of food shown in the film (Although the director has stated that Belleville is a combination of many different cities, and is a fictional place that is not supposed to represent any city particularly, I believe that it represents America. When first entering Belleville, a really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really fat statue of liberty is shown, the little language that is used quickly switches to English, everyone has the typical American attitude, and even the Flatiron Building is shown). Of course these caricatures are not limited to people, but are used on objects. The buildings and ships of the film are overly dramatized to almost dangerous proportions. Impossibly tall buildings that almost literally scrape the sky are built in Belleville, and ships that seem to be thinner then toothpicks are built (although it does make up in height what is lost in length). Since these proportions are obviously incorrect, this animated film once again seems to be targeting children with the 'cartoonish' feel it creates, or possibly that the animators had no idea what the correct proportions were.

In one of the most emotional scenes of the film, the grandmother is shown paddling across the Atlantic Ocean is a tremendous storm. Part of this emotion comes from the choice of music that Chomet decides to insert in the scene; Kyrie, the opening of Mozart's Mass in C minor. The song has a feel of determination to it, almost like a march. This gives the viewer a spark of hope, and creates happiness in knowing that there is an 80 year old grandmother paddling to save her grandson. However, at the same time, the colors of the ocean and the storm create a depressingly sad feel to the film, reminding the viewer that there is no hope that an 80 year old grandmother paddling to save her grandson will make it. This confusion that Chomet places in the scene also enhances the emotion, as the 80 year old grandmother paddling to save her grandson is tossed and turned until she has no idea where she is heading. (Needless to say that the 80 year old grandmother paddling to save her grandson is very energetic)

The way that the director Chomet shows the cities at different times is interesting too. France, shown as when Champion was young, is shown in bright, almost sepia toned colors. These colors give the feel of a home, and make this place almost desirable to live in (even though its proportions make it look like a toothpick). However, bright colors aren't always a signal for home, as shown in the Tour de France. The bright colors shown here display the feeling of a hot, dry desert that the cyclists have to go through. The sepia tone that is given in the opening scenes tell the audience that this is 'old', and that it happened a long time ago (as does the sepia tone in old photographs do). Years later, however, industrialization has built a train that literally stops in front of the house, along with streets, lamps, and houses to cover all the hills and pastures shown in Champion's childhood. Whenever here, it is always dark and raining, giving the viewer a depressed feeling similar to the feeling of the 80 year old grandmother paddling to save her grandson. The colors of the house are now darker, but seem a bit sharper. The feeling generated by this change of animation tells the viewer that this takes place now, instead of the flashbacks shown in the beginning of the film. Color shows up throughout the film, and takes a pivotal role in describing the atmosphere of the place.

The techniques described above, such as color, caricatures, and music, help characterize the characters without the use of the spoken word. It becomes the spoken word for the characters, enabling them to act out through the story without audible language. This demonstrates the theme of 'look with your eyes' that is presented in the film (the complete opposite of King Kong). It is important to look without your eyes, as you should never "judge a book by its cover", but is important, at the same time, to "judge a book by its cover". If you were walking down a dark ally late at night, and found a book that had a gun and a cover that was threatening, you would most likely judge that this book is a bad book. In situations like these (which I hope you never find yourself in), it is important to use your eyes, especially since it is so blatantly obvious (like in the film, where everyone has caricatures).

Although the film Les Triplettes de Belleville contains many 'cartoonish' elements to it, the film is far from a cartoon. Containing almost no spoken words, the characters find other ways to express themselves. Caricatures, colors, and even music help the director to show the audience what he wants. This also conveys the theme of 'look with your eyes'; that you should sometimes "judge a book by its cover". After sorting through all the humorous events in the film, and the horribly out of proportion objects, the film is still a heart warming tale about an 80 year old grandmother paddling to save her grandson.