Rapa Nui (1994)

Director:

Kevin Reynolds

Writers (WGA):

Kevin Reynolds (story)
Tim Rose Price (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

9 September 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History | Romance

Plot:

Tenuously based on the legends of Easter Island, Chile, this story details a civil war between the two...

Plot Keywords:

Statue | Easter Island | Canoe | Kissing | Child Nudity

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Jason Scott Lee	...	Noro
Esai Morales	...	Make
Sandrine Holt	...	Ramana
Eru Potaka-Dewes	...	Ariki-mau
Emilio Tuki Hito	...	Messenger
Gordon Hatfield	...	Riro
Frenxa Reuben	...	Heke
Hori Ahipene	...	Overseer
Chiefy Elkington	...	Fisherman
Ruihana Rewa	...	Old Woman
George Henare	...	Tupa
Rawiri Paratene	...	Priest
Pete Smith	...	Priest
Mario Gaia	...	Short Ears
Cliff Curtis	...	Short Ears

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Germany:12 | Spain:13 | UK:12 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Easter Island, Chile

Company:

Majestic Films International

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The Rapa Nui had long abandoned carving moai by the time of the Cult of the Birdman.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Rapa Nui: Legends in Stone" (1994)

Involving storytelling that forces you to care.

I have no wish to comment on the historical accuracy or otherwise of this film, as it is the story that held me enthralled, not the attention to fact.

The first time I saw this film, I nearly had to pick my jaw up from the floor. A hollywood movie.....that doesn't spoonfeed me the plot like some overbearing nanny? An original (for a big studio) plot device? Whew, let me just sit down for a minute. Here's how it normally goes: Hero (young, handsome and likeable) must compete with rival (villanous, evil rogue) in contest of high stakes. Guess the outcome. But in this underrated gem of a story, we find two equally heroic protagonists, all thoughts of friendship lost as they are forced into a dangerous competition of courage and strength. One, fighting for the woman he loves, the other for his life. This forces the viewer to watch in an agonized state of uncertainty. Who do I want to win? Who deserves it more? What will happen to the loser? This was the first film in a long time that truly forced me to get involved with the characters, not in a cliched good versus evil kind of way, but a good versus good "how the hell are they going to get out of this one?" kind of way. Okay, so some aspects of the film do not deliver with the same power, and some of the accents do tend to waver a little, but the beautifully constructed central storyline held me until the end.