Rapa Nui (1994)

Tenuously based on the legends of Easter Island, Chile, this story details a civil war between the two tribes on the island: the Long Ears and the Short Ears. A warrior from the ruling ... See full summary »

Director:

Kevin Reynolds

Writers:

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

Stars:

Jason Scott Lee, Esai Morales, Sandrine Holt

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 Gaoa	...	Short Ears
Cliff Curtis	...	Short Ears

Storyline

Tenuously based on the legends of Easter Island, Chile, this story details a civil war between the two tribes on the island: the Long Ears and the Short Ears. A warrior from the ruling class falls in love with a girl from the lower class, and must decide on his position in a time of great civil unrest. The ruling class are demanding larger and larger Moai (stone statues), a task which the lower class and the island ecology are more and more reluctant to provide.

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Plot Keywords:

easter island | statue | kiss | epic | two word title | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some tribal violence and sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 September 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Elveda cennet

Filming Locations:

Killalea, Shellharbour, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$305,070

Company Credits

Production Co:

Majestic Films International,Newcomm,RCS

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While film critic Gene Siskel thought that the egg hunt was ridiculous, the ritual did indeed exist as part of the Birdman Cult.

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Goofs

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

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Connections

Followed by Rapa Nui: Legends in Stone (1994)

User Reviews

I have visited Rapa Nui

... and I am very glad I did.

I had not seen the movie prior to going there 6 months ago, for two reasons: people told me it was boring, and when I started watching it, I was bothered by the orangey hue of the movie.

I'm glad that this time I persisted. By no means a classic, it certainly is entertaining, and the actions scenes are genuinely GOOD.

I went to Rapa Nui because I was mesmerized with the idea of an ultra-isolated island where an ecological tragedy happened because of huge stone heads. In fact, I read extensively about the island before visiting it. The reading I recommend the most is Jared Diamond's book "Collapse", which draws from reputable scientific sources and Mr. Diamond's encyclopedic knowledge of geography and biology.

I was hoping to find an island of archaeological interest. What I found was an open-air museum that exceeded all my expectations about archeology, and also a very pleasant and delightful place to visit.

There is no crime. There is no pollution. The only (tiny) beach has white sand and blue water in a perfect temperature. The natives are incredibly nice and even the tourists were interesting (because, really, who goes there?). Now I have a toddler-sized moai in my living room and many wonderful pictures with stones, moai, sunsets, stones, blue sea, volcanoes, moai, and lots of more stones.

And the trees? Around the only town, Hanga Roa, there are many of them! Traumatized with the haunting tale of environment destruction, people are starting to plant crops, and the hotels have beautiful gardens, and the whole town is shady and breezy because of all the trees. It's not all dryness and destruction.

I also believe this movie is underrated. Don't go by the negative interviews! The orangey colors of the movie, though lamentable, don't detract from the overall experience, but if you can find a better copy, by all means do so.