Princess Ka’iulani

Hawaii has such a fascinating history and a sad one too. Princess Ka’iulani tells the story of one of Hawaii’s last Royals and how this young girl worked diligently to restore the rights of her people. Q’orianka Kilcher (The New World) portrays the young princess who was swept off the islands by her Scottish father to protect her from the violence of insurrection. Given an English education she later returns to her island to fight the current government who has stripped her people of their rights including the right to vote.

Growing up in England, Princess Ka’iulani knew what it was to face prejudice, racism, and gross misconceptions. Her brown skin separated her easily from her classmates. But she was also exposed to many of the great thinkers of the day including Robert Louis Stevenson and painters such as Joseph Dwight Strong. Her education was extensive and she excelled in math, history and languages. She was quite the athlete as well.

Before returning home to her beloved islands she visited the United States and started a public relations tour. Charming politicians and citizens alike, her goal was to open American eyes to the injustices going on across the ocean. Her political opponent, Lorrin Thurston, a Hawaiian Cabinet Minister was campaigning for the annexation of Hawaii by the United States. Her mission was to expose the overthrow of her people and to protect their rights.

As much as I enjoyed the historical aspect of this movie I was frustrated by its lack of momentum. Every time it started to get exciting, the movie would shift to walks on the beach, pensive reflections, or melancholy flashbacks. The film also chose to focus a great deal of its time on the romance between the princess and a young man who was the son of her benefactor, Shaun Evan (Being Julia). I would have preferred to have seen more of her development as a young woman, how her mother’s early death impacted her, and how hobnobbing with the intellectuals of her day shaped her character. She was a very intelligent young women who made an impression on two sitting presidents and who wrapped the media around her finger. This is much more interesting than a boy who was more concerned with what he was giving up than what he was getting.

I found the story of Princess Ka’iulani fascinating, but the film left me wanting. Barry Pepper (The Green Mile) did an excellent job portraying Thurston, a driven man who felt that he was building a new Hawaii. And Will Patton (The Forth Kind) was heartfelt as Sanford B. Dole who was sympathetic to the native’s plight. Unfortunately they were pushed into the background in favor of a love story that wasn’t as compelling. I hope that one day someone will tell her story again. This beautiful young heroine deserves a closer look.

Rating: Second Run The beautiful princess deserves a closer look