This thesis adds an extended approach to the aspect of ‘Other’ Shakespeares with the Māori film adaptation of Te Tangata Whai Rawa o Weniti – The Maori Merchant of Venice as a new form of a local as well as global Shakespearean appropriation. It examines how Māori culture and identity is shown in the film, by using Shakespeare as an international trademark for their own means of fostering Māori identity and to make this language and culture internationally known to a worldwide Shakespeare audience. At the same time, the thesis scrutinises how other global cultural elements are interwoven into the screen adaptation, which effects a hybridisation of Shakespeare and transcends the film into a transcultural space. Through this transculturality it is argued that the screen version overcomes the binary notion of Self/Other as ‘Western’ and ‘Indigenous’ culture are interwoven into one equal network.
The thesis draws on a variety of theories and methodologies. It is embedded in the concepts of postcolonial theory developed by Edward Said and Homi Bhabha and the central theme of hybrid productions in postcolonialism, but it also consults new historicism, cultural studies and film theory. These theories and concepts are not only viewed from a Western perspective but are combined with Pacific and Māori cultural and film theory. The blend is vital to this research, as this Shakespeare adaptation has its origins in the Pacific and is made by Māori people utilising Māori cultural elements. Therefore, it is essential to connect Western with ‘Indigenous’ perspectives to acquire a balanced outcome...
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1. General Assumptions
1.2. Objectives
1.3. Outline
1.4. Definitions
2. Shakespeare in New Zealand
2.1. Shakespeare as Colonial ‘Mimicry’
2.2. Towards a National Theatre
2.3. Shakespeare Becoming a ‘Kiwi’
2.4. Shakespeare and Māori Theatre
3. Māori Cultural Identity – A Transcultural Identity?
3.1. ‘Being a Maori is…’
3.2. Transculturality
3.3. Transcultural Māori Identity
4. Te Tangata Whai Rawa o Weniti – A Far-Reaching Film Project
4.1. The ‘Man who colonised Shakespeare’
4.2. A Maori Film with Concrete Purpose
4.3. National and International Reviews
5. Detailed Film Analysis
5.1. From Playscript to Screenplay
5.2. Exposition/ Sequence 0
5.3. Act I/ Sequence 1
5.4. Act II/ Sequence 2
5.5. Act III/ Sequence 3
5.6. Act IV/ Sequence 4
5.7. Act V/ Sequence 5
5.8. Tradition of Shakespearean Merchant Screen Adaptations
6. Transcultural Elements in Te Tangata Whai Rawa o Weniti
6.1. ‘Transcultural Languages’
6.2. ‘Transcultural Bodies’
6.3. ‘Transcultural Sites’
7. Conclusion
8. Appendices
8.1. Appendix One: Filmography
8.2. Appendix Two: ‘Being a Maori is’
8.3. Appendix Three: Chronological List of Reviews
8.4. Appendix Four: Sequence Record
8.5. Appendix Five: Lines Excluded
8.6. Appendix Six: Subtitles
8.7. Appendix Seven: Comparison of Merchant Adaptations
9. Glossary
10. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis examines the Māori film adaptation Te Tangata Whai Rawa o Weniti (The Maori Merchant of Venice) to understand how it functions as a transcultural narrative that fosters Māori identity while engaging a global Shakespearean audience through a hybrid appropriation of cultural elements.
- Post-colonial appropriation of Shakespeare in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
- The construction of Māori cultural identity in cinematic adaptations.
- Theoretical concepts of hybridity and transculturality in film.
- The role of language (te reo Māori) and music in transcultural film.
- Comparison of the film with traditional "Western" Shakespearean film adaptations.
Excerpt from the Book
1 Introduction
‘Kaore koia he ringaringa o te Hurai, he manawa, he tinana, he whakaaro, he aroha, he hiahia?’ are the first words the audience hears in a voiceover of the opening shot of the Māori film Te Tangata Whai Rawa o Weniti. The subtitles reveal bit by bit the English translation ‘Hath not a Jew hands, / organs, / dimensions, / senses, / affections, / passions?’ while the camera focuses on a step covered with autumn leaves, then tracks back, tilts from low towards the top showing a person slowly walking up the stairway and looking up into the sky before it cuts to dark bluish clouds and lightning. A ship swaying heavily on the ocean with the gloomy orchestral sound of the film’s musical score ‘The Storm’ fortifies the dramatic tension of this scene. The person’s garment and the yarmulke clearly distinguish him as the Jewish moneylender of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Yet, in the following shot the audience find themselves in an enchanted forest, the moon shining on a mysterious torchlight procession of a group of turbaned people lead through the darkness by a singing woman and disguised fairylike creatures. When seeing this one-minute scene, the viewer would likely be distracted as how to associate this kind of exotic ‘green world’, that is more reminiscent of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with the film adaptation of his Merchant play. It is obvious that these two scenes already establish and highlight the film’s focus that will emphasise the play’s theme of mercy overcoming revenge packaged in indigenous Māori cultural elements.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Introduces the film as a transcultural Shakespearean appropriation and outlines the thesis structure and theoretical framework.
2. Shakespeare in New Zealand: Examines the colonial history of Shakespeare in New Zealand and the eventual shift toward indigenous-led, post-colonial theatrical productions.
3. Māori Cultural Identity – A Transcultural Identity?: Explores how Māori cultural identity is fluid, heterogeneous, and increasingly defined by transcultural negotiation rather than essentialist markers.
4. Te Tangata Whai Rawa o Weniti – A Far-Reaching Film Project: Details the production history, director Don Selwyn’s motivations, and the film’s reception by national and international critics.
5. Detailed Film Analysis: Provides a scene-by-scene analysis of the film’s narrative structure, editing choices, and interpretation of Shakespeare’s play within the Māori context.
6. Transcultural Elements in Te Tangata Whai Rawa o Weniti: Investigates specific transcultural components, categorized into "languages," "bodies," and "sites," that define the film’s hybrid identity.
7. Conclusion: Summarizes how the film successfully functions as a hybrid, transcultural artefact that elevates Māori culture while fostering a global understanding of Shakespeare.
Keywords
Shakespeare, Te Tangata Whai Rawa o Weniti, The Maori Merchant of Venice, Māori theatre, Don Selwyn, transculturality, hybridity, post-colonialism, Māori identity, te reo Māori, film adaptation, indigenous cinema, cultural appropriation, Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on Don Selwyn’s film Te Tangata Whai Rawa o Weniti (The Maori Merchant of Venice) as a groundbreaking, transcultural adaptation that reconciles local Māori cultural identity with the universal themes of Shakespeare.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
Key themes include the impact of colonialism on indigenous identity, the role of language and cultural revitalization, the intersection of local/global cultural elements, and the transformation of the "Other" within post-colonial narratives.
What is the primary research objective?
The objective is to analyze how the film constructs a transcultural space that transcends binary notions of Self and Other by mixing indigenous Māori elements with the classic Shakespearean text.
Which theoretical methodologies are employed?
The research relies heavily on post-colonial theory, particularly the work of Edward Said and Homi Bhabha, as well as Wolfgang Welsch’s concept of transculturality and Pacific/Māori cultural theory.
What does the analytical part of the thesis cover?
It provides a detailed breakdown of the film’s narrative sequences, analyzing director choices, cinematic techniques, the use of music, and specific cultural adaptations compared to the original play and previous film versions.
What are the defining keywords of this research?
The essential keywords are Shakespeare, Māori theatre, transculturality, hybridity, te reo Māori, and film adaptation.
How does the film depict the character of Shylock?
Selwyn presents Shylock not as a villain, but as a victimized, sympathetic, and tragic figure. The director utilizes specific cinematic framing and voiceovers to emphasize Shylock’s humanity and the shared experience of oppression between Jews and the Māori.
What is the significance of the trial scene location?
The trial scene is filmed in the Anglican Holy Sepulchre Church in Auckland, which is a symbolic space of hybridity—merging European Christian structures with traditional Māori wood carvings and serving as a historical site for the training of Māori priests.
- Quote paper
- Magistra Artium Claudia Stehr (Author), 2006, Shakespeare as Transcultural Narrative: Te Tangata Whai Rawa o Weniti - The Maori Merchant of Venice, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/73758
