蓓蓓-
今天我看了一部让人震撼的片子【鲸骑士】。故事讲的是在美丽的纽西兰海岸，生活着一群华
格拉人，这些为数不多的土著居民一向过着简单淳朴的日子，也延续着许多古老的传统。族人中流传着一个关于它们起源的古老传说：1000多年前，他们的祖先
派克带着他的人民前来纽西兰，因为他骑着鲸鱼，所以避开了海难，在这个美丽的海岸定居下来。根据这个传说，华格拉人定下了一些族规：只有男人才可以继承族
中的领袖酋长的职位。同时，因为是鲸鱼帮他们渡过大海，所以他们对鲸鱼有着虔诚的敬畏，奉若神明。
华格拉人的现任酋长寇罗已经老
了，但却在为找不到继承人而苦恼。本来酋长寇罗有一个儿子波鲁朗伊，而且他的妻子生下了龙凤胎，可惜男婴夭折，妻子也因为难产而不幸死亡，只留下了女婴，
波鲁朗伊在双重打击之下万念俱灰，于是把交小派给父母抚养，一个人离开了家，也离开了纽西兰。留下来的女孩，就是现在已经11岁了的佩。佩的祖父，酋长柯
洛拒绝接受小派继承自己的衣钵，甚至觉得她的诞生为部落带来不幸.不过祖母芙拉尔倒不认为这是血脉的中断，只觉得孩子迫切需要亲人的关爱。
小女孩佩和其他同龄女孩一样天真烂漫，但海边的土著生活，也培养了她倔强坚强的个性。家族的遗传也使她非常好强，梦想自己有一天能接过祖父的担子，领导整个华格拉人民。但祖父寇罗受沿袭千年的传统思想限制，坚持要挑选男性为自己的接班人，无论如何不会答应孙女的请求。
随着时间的推移，柯洛学会了如何爱小派。当波鲁朗伊成为国际知名艺术家，阔别十二年再度返回家中。柯洛希望每件事都可以迎刃而解，儿子会欣然接受宿命，
继承他的衣钵。可是波鲁朗伊根本没有当酋长的意愿，他在气质和精神上，都已经远离族人。在和父亲大吵一架后，他再度决定离家出走，甚至要求女儿也跟他一道
去。但小派认为自己应该留在祖父身边。
好强的佩深爱着自己的祖父，她只能等待一个机会，向祖父和族人证明自己有能力领导人民，胜
任酋长。机会终于来了：一只被华格拉人奉为神灵的鲸鱼，在他们居住附近的海滩搁浅了，在水边挣扎的鲸鱼非常痛苦。华格拉人聚集在一起，准备把鲸鱼送回大
海，但大家却束手无策。这时，佩站了出来，用自己的智慧想出了一个办法，而鲸鱼也奇迹般地懂得了她的意思，终于重返大海。最后，佩骑在鲸鱼的背上，像当年
华格拉人的祖先一样纵情驰骋在海上，她也因此成为了下一位华格拉人的酋长……
这片子不仅让我们欣赏了新西兰深蓝的大海，感受了他们柔软
的海滩，而且让我们足不出户就能看见异域风情，更重要的是它展示了一种文化。传统文化的延续和创新，一个伟大民族的生生不息。这就是一种震撼的力量，也就
是这部影片的价值所在。的确，经典的东西的美是永恒的，这就是艺术的魅力。
苏州马小云-
摘自IMDB：
Truly a film for the entire family to enjoy together.
21 March 2004 | by allisonmckinley (allison82mckinley@yahoo.co.uk) (Yorkshire, England) – See all my reviews
正文：
If you have lost your belief in magic, perhaps this is a tale you need to hear about a film you need to see. It is the story of a thirteen-year-old girl, a class clown, a show-off. When strangers invaded her classroom one day, she continued to do what she was used to doing, playing the fool, thus attracting the strangers" attention.
The strangers cast her as the lead in a film. Though it looked like a small film to begin with, it turned out to be an international blockbuster. Then one day, she read in the newspaper that she had been nominated for the most prestigious acting award in the entire world. Her first acting performance had catapulted her from obscurity to the winner"s circle, in competition with Diane Keaton, Samantha Morton, Charlize Theron and Naomi Watts for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Keisha Castle-Hughes is the youngest person ever to be nominated for best actress by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Anna Paquin, discovered by the same casting agent, won an Oscar in 1993 for The Piano, but that was for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Yet she was not the youngest. In 1973, Tatem O"Neal won for Paper Moon at the ripe old age of ten.
So, we have established that fairy tales can still come true, but not without the proper vehicle, and I do not mean a pumpkin drawn by white mice. The vehicle in this instance is a very carefully designed and orchestrated film. And where do great films start? With the writer(s), of course.
Another fairy tale? Witi Ihimaera is the first Maori writer ever to have published both a book of short stories and a novel. He says he was sitting in his New York home one day overlooking the Hudson River when he saw a whale breach the waterline. A whale in the Hudson River? Mr. Ihimaera took it as a sign.
Inspired by stories of ancient tradition that streamed into his mind, over the next three weeks, Mr. Ihimaera wrote The Whale Rider. It is this one work of his that the Maori community accepts as being most representative of their culture, and the novel that became the backbone for the screenplay for the film Whale Rider (co-written by Witi Ihimaera and director Niki Caro).
Maori legend tells of a great man, Paikea, who came many ages ago riding o n the back of a whale and landed on the shores of a new world. He left word that someday another great whale rider would be born to lead the Maori people.
The film begins with a scene in a hospital of a young woman giving birth to twins. The boy is stillborn. With her last breath, she whispers to her husband, `Paikea, Paikea." The remaining girl child is blessed with that name as the mother dies.
Paikea"s father, Porourangi (Cliff Curtis), crushed by the loss of his wife, departs his homeland, leaving Paikea in the caring hands of his parents, Koro and Nanny Flowers. `Pai" grows and becomes strong in the teachings of her people, yet she hears an inner voice as well.
Koro, her grandfather, is the chief of his people. When he sees that his son will not return, he begins to train the local boys in the ways of leadership. Pai believes that she could become the leader of her people, but her grandfather, though he loves her, rejects her.
Pai cannot be daunted; she is tougher than any of the boys. She hides around corners and eavesdrops as the boys are trained, learning the lessons, dance, movements and traditional ceremonies of her people.
Once he feels they are ready, Koro takes the boys out in a boat on the ocean and here he removes the carved whale"s tooth, symbol of the chief, from around his neck, tossing it into the water. Though they try, none of the boys is able to retrieve it.
Here, the film takes a turn, one that is somewhat unexpected, and one that sets this film apart from the run of the mill. As part of a school pageant, Pai has written a work in honor of her people and has asked her grandfather to attend. It is this performance of the young woman that tests her skills as an actress, and is certainly one of the most touching moments in the film.
The rest of the film does not hinge so much on whether Pai"s grandfather attends her performance or not. Something else occurs. Seven whales have beached themselves on the shore. Paikea has called the whales and they have responded to her call. As the people of the village struggle to help the whales return to the ocean before they die, Koro"s other son shows him the carved whale"s tooth.
`Which of the boys got it?" Koro asks. His son tells him it wasn"t one of the boys. `It was she," he says, pointing to Paikea, now sitting on the back of the biggest of the whales.
There is a very big difference in a film made for twelve-year-old girls and a film about a twelve-year-old girl, especially one on the threshold of womanhood. This is a film about traditions, about beliefs, about growing up, about magic, and about love.
Director Niki Caro transcends ordinary film making with Whale Rider. The film played to standing ovations at both the Toronto and Sundance film festivals, and with good reason. It is not a film that tells us anything is possible. It shows us. It does not sink into despair over the disappearing way of life of the Maori people. It shows us that any group of people, any tribe or village, any nation, can survive and even prosper if we rely on what we feel in our hearts.
CarieVinne-
你自己想。