Princess Ka'iulani stays strong while fighting to prove that her people are not barbarians.

"Barbarian Princess" is true role model

By: Remington Taum

Posted: 10/26/09

The long-awaited historical drama "Barbarian Princess" debuted on Oct. 16 - Princess Ka'iulani's birthday - at the Hawai'i Theater to a sold-out crowd.

Despite the controversy that began over the movie's title, Princess Ka'iulani is portrayed as anything but a barbarian.

If you don't know the history of Princess Ka'iulani or the overthrow of the monarchy, then this movie will open up your eyes to a part of the rich history of Hawai'i and its people.

It was definitely nice to see a movie about an important woman in history and her impact on a unique group of people. Ka'iulani is seen in a positive light and as a proper role model for the Hawaiian people.

Even though there isn't much documented history of Ka'iulani having a love affair in England, that part of her life was included in the movie seemingly to add some romance, as in most Hollywood movies.

The history, of course, had to be compressed and put into a 130-minute movie, and there were things that were left out. But overall, the facts were accurate, experts said.

"Short of a documentary, this film was accurate enough to give the general public a overview of the tragic events that occurred at the end of the 19th century in Hawai'i," said Kealalokahi Losch, assistant professor of Hawaiian and Pacific Island studies at KCC.

I had to make sure I didn't walk in there with a biased opinion from listening to the news an all the hype about the title - and even some claims that not all the history was accurate.

Of course, the title was meant to have irony in it because the princess and her people were simply not barbarians.

Losch also mentioned that the critical point relating to the irony of the title in the movie was when Ka'iulani addressed the American press, which labeled her and her people as barbarians.

It's the part in the movie where the Americans see that Ka'iulani appears with a high-brow English accent. She's beautiful, cultured and shows her knowledge of politics, world events and world views.

It's interesting that since the American press labeled her as barbarian, they now have to retract previous things they had printed because she was obviously not one.

Losch said that it's important that the film really expresses these points and that the audience can connect the irony of the title to the movie.

I had to open up my mind and let the movie speak for itself when I went to the premiere. It was hard to do because so many people had spoken up, and I had to admit that the title isn't that appealing. It even felt weird saying it out loud.

The movie definitely spoke for itself and distinctly represented the title in irony.

Losch's mother was one of the three Hawaiian language consultants involved in the filming.

As a student of the Hawaiian language, I like hearing the use of our native language in a movie and it did show that the producers put their heads together with some language experts.

Having people hear the language spoken is somewhat of a feeling that could give me chicken skin because it shows people how beautiful Hawaiian is.

"Finally an acknowledgement of our language," Losch said.

Having the opportunity to view the film not only on the world premiere but on Ka'iulani's birthday was something I'll never forget.

Several members of the cast, including Q'orianka Kilcher, who played Princess Ka'iulani, showed up after the film and answered questions from the audience and shared about their experiences filming.

Kilcher added that she wasn't Hawaiian, but she did live in Hawai'i.

Though she isn't Hawaiian, I think she showed some amazing acting, and pulled off the role great.

"This one is far better than many I've seen," Losch said.