White Lies

Film Essay

In a visual or oral text we learn more from the characters journey than from their destination.

It is the experiences, lessons and struggles that characters venture through that makes for an interesting text. Dana Rotberg’s White Lies is a film which follows the journey of three women in their struggle in a eurocentric Pakeha society. All three are Maori and right from the first scene the film sets up a traditional Maori vs Pakeha conflict. Instead of following the traditional Maori vs Pakeha conflict like many films about natives populations such as Rabbit Proof Fence, Rotberg alternatively explores on the women’s struggle for power as those living on the margins of society. This idea far transcends the issues over race and natives and relates to a wider audience on a more personal level. By removing race from the film through all characters being of Maori blood, we are allowed to focus on the journey of the women as their either ignore power or are defined by it. From the start of the film, a looming power conflict between the three women seems inevitable but the film is anti-climatic for the reason that Paraiti refuses to engage in it. Throught the analysis of characters such as Paraiti, Marea and Miss Rebecca Vickers were see the idea that power is only wielded and respected to those that define it. For the three women, the films shows a young woman's search for power and an old womans indifference to it.

Paraiti is one of the most powerful characters in the film due to her refusal to acknowledge the European power constructs characters that Maraea and Rebecca Vickers live by. In the first scene with Paraiti we see the setup for a Maori-Pakeha conflict when she is burned on the face and her village is murdered. Rotberg then transitions the film away from this conflict to show a conflict between Paraiti and Marea along with her daughter Miss Vickers. We see Paraiti’s power from the beginning as she is never subjugated or compromised, rather is left alone, unlike Maraea and Vickers who are controlled by Europeans.This is interesting because Rebecca’s role as a European is traditionally seen as having more power in society, but her influence has no meaningful effect over Paraiti. Furthermore it is interesting that Paraiti’s lack of interest in power structures has resulted in her having influence and control in situations she is put upon. She moves seamlessly between Maori and Pakeha communities whereas Vickers seems more confined to the residence of her husband. Paraiti exhibits the idea that power only exists to those that acknowledge it in the hospital scene. In this scene between the nurse and Paraiti, the nurse is characterised as an imposing figure who enters the from from an elevated position and is dressed in formal uniform to show her as someone who demands power and respect. While she initially appears more powerful, when she tries to grab Paraiti’s herbs from her hand, Paraiti does not let go. She instead responds with a lack of emotion in her face while staring directly at the nurse. She does not let go but does not go any further to become physically aggressive as she does not need to to hold the power in this situation. Despite Paraiti’s strength, she does release the herbal remedy suggesting the Paraiti is also someone with control and with respect for Pakeha. It is interesting to consider Paraiti as the most powerful figure when you consider other aspects from this scene. The Maori natural herbs she is delivering are forbidden, she speaks mainly in Maori despite being fluent in English and she cannot sign the death certificate when the young woman passes away. This lack of residing in Pakeha culture would usually mean that she is weak and powerless in a predominantly european society. The fact she remains in control of situations she encounters suggests that her lack of acknowledgement of power structures is what gives her power over Europeans. It is human nature to adknowledge power for power can be a threat to survival. This suggests that Paraiti does not value the idea of power in her world, and later in the film we begin to see it is life that Paraiti values more than power.