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Product Description Q'orianka Kilcher (The New World) stars as Princess Ka'iulani, the bright and beautiful heir to the Hawaiian throne in this epic true story. .com Princess Kaiulani is a moving film that's part romantic epic, part historical period piece. But mostly it's a portrait of how a frightened young girl grew into an extraordinary woman. The film begins in 1889, when civil unrest unseated Hawaii's royal family and the Hawaiian people began a struggle to maintain their independence and right of self-governance, and when the 13-year-old princess Ka'iulani (Q'orianka Kilcher), who was next in line for the Hawaiian throne, was exiled to England to ensure her safety. Shot on location in both England and Hawaii by indie director Marc Forby, this breathtakingly beautiful film follows Ka'iulani as she is plopped down in a foreign world that looks upon Hawaiians as barbarians and where her royal heritage counts for virtually nothing. Princess Ka'iulani, or "Victoria," as the English often call her, endures harsh treatment at the hands of both teachers and students at boarding school, but she refuses to crumble, carrying on with a strength and quiet resolve that's powerfully portrayed by Kilcher. As Ka'iulani matures, she falls in love with Englishman Clive Davies (Shaun Evans) and becomes engaged. Just as Ka'iulani's happiness seems assured, her father visits her in England, bringing with him serious news: her uncle, King Kalakaua (Ocean Kaowili), has died unexpectedly after having been forced to adopt a constitution in conflict with the best interests of the Hawaiian people, and Ka'iulani's aunt Liliu'okalani (Leo Anderson Akana), who ascended to the throne, has subsequently been put under house arrest and removed from power. Incensed by the grave injustices inflicted upon her people, Princess Ka'iulani is propelled by her inherent sense of duty to sacrifice her own potential happiness. She journeys first to America, where she eloquently pleads with outgoing president Grover Cleveland for his help, and later to Hawaii, where she fights for her people's rights in person. Princess Kaiulani is a powerful film, and what comes across so strongly is not just the often-overlooked perspective of the native Hawaiian people regarding America's annexation of Hawaii and the cultural consequences of that annexation, but the truly heroic acts of Hawaii's extraordinary Princess Ka'iulani. --Tami Horiuchi
P**M
A must see
This was an amazing movie..never knew some things like this happened in Hawaii..a great movie
M**I
Kid enjoyed it
Good for the price
T**1
Perfect sale
Love this product
F**E
An insight on Hawaii History
I loved this movie and its story. Sad how the annexation of this beautiful island to the US came to be, greed! President McKinley should never have gone ahead and voted to end the monarchy. Hawaii had its own culture. Their people were gentle and educated; therefore, American companies, Dole being the largest back then, and others could have worked along with their government had they not want to take over all their land for money!I am sure this sad young woman was heartbroken that despite trying, she could not convince the US government to let her be the queen of her country in the similar way the English kept their Queen. She has no real power but is the figurehead of her government and a constitutional monarch. This should have been the same for Princess Kaiulani.The acting was excellent, the scenery beautiful both in Hawaii and England. Having to both countries years ago brought back lovely memories!
A**R
Excellent Movie
I always love the movies that are based on a true story. This one was excellent.
M**Z
Princess Kaiulani is a great movie!
I really enjoyed Princess Ka`iulani. I was lucky enough to see it at the premiere in Honolulu.This movie is based on a true story of a real person. It is not a documentary, so not perfectly true to history, but tells the story in an interesting, compelling way. The images - both Hawaii and England - are beautiful, the scenery lush.The acting is superb - Q'orianka Kilcher put in a stunning performance as the princess. She is so real, so believable, she made the role come to life for me. Barry Pepper as Thurston comes off as a villain and Will Patton as Dole is a peacemaker between both factions, the Queen and the landowners. Jimmy Yuill as the father of the Princess is so believable. He seems to truly want what is best for his daughter.The banquet scene, where the Princess asks for the vote for the Hawaiian people, I found to be very powerful. Women didn't even have the vote in the late 1800's, yet this young woman was able to get the vote for her people. Amazing!Princess Ka`iulani was a truly amazing person. This film gives us a glimpse of her life - and entertains us as well.This film had only a limited run in theaters. It should be seen by more people and viewing it on DVD it could get a wider audience - it deserves a bigger audience!I've ordered several copies, for myself and as gifts for family and friends.
D**Z
while lovingly produced chose to spend an excessive amount of time on the love story, which is the least interesting aspect of ...
The historical aspects of this movie are fascinating. While I was watching I dove into Wikipedia to find out more about the end of the Hawaiian monarchy because the story is so compelling. Sadly, I found the Wikipedia page to be more interesting than the movie itself. The film, while lovingly produced chose to spend an excessive amount of time on the love story, which is the least interesting aspect of Kaiulani's life (in fact the romance featured in the film never even happened), instead of really focusing on what made her such a memorable character to begin with. The pacing of the movie is all over the place, and they set up a series of "speeches" for Kaiulani to deliver but I never felt the emotion or the passion behind them. The story itself is a powerful lesson in what happens when you interfere in other cultures and take something that doesn't belong to you, and overall the performances are fine but not especially memorable. I think the filmmakers also squandered an opportunity to showcase what actually happened to Kaiulani at the end of her short lived life, and the physical stress and sickness she endured trying to save the monarchy. It was a lost opportunity to really showcase a woman who drove herself to an early grave fighting for what she believed in. All in all, by no means a terrible movie, but really a lost opportunity to showcase a side of Hawaiian history that most people aren't familiar with.
S**Q
A true love story not to be missed
The focus of this movie is the life of Princess Kaiulani during the time when amoral and greedy American businessmen stole the nation of Hawaii from its people. The story is well told, finely crafted and shows off the beauty of Hawaii and her people. I am very pleased with my purchase, and plan to show it to others who love Hawaii. It really is a dual love story: that of a young, vibrant woman in love with a gentle, kind Englishman, and also in love with her country and people. I think that anyone would enjoy watching it. My only issue is with the choice of actress for the roll of the Princess. Q'orianka Kilcher looks like she could be half Hawaiian and half White, but she is not. I find it hard to believe that the producers could not find a skilled Hawaiian actress to play the part. Perhaps there are few Hawaiian women actresses that appear to be a teenager for the part, but I certainly hope the filmmakers tried to find a actress with Hawaiian blood to play the part. Nonetheless, Q'orianka Kilcher did an excellent job in the role of Princess Kaiulani.
P**R
Wonderful & powerful film.
Be aware that it's made for USA region DVD players or IT programmes. Great film though. Amazing true story of a young woman of personal power, who sacrificed herself for the sake of her extraordinary culture. (A culture that the USA Govt of the time tried to obliterate sadly!).
M**N
Very interesting and enjoyable
A very interesting film, with historical detail I was unaware of previously.
J**N
Three Stars
nice story
C**S
region 1 dvd does not play in uk
Does not play on uk players region 2 required .No compensation /exchange offered on basis played outside 90 day complaint period.
T**S
Five Stars
Great
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