RAPA NUI

US, 1994, 107 minutes, Colour.
Jason Scott Lee, Esai Morales, Sandrine Holt, George Henare.
Directed by Kevin Reynolds.

Rapa Nui comes from the production team of Kevin Reynolds, Jim Wilson and Kevin Costner, responsible for such films as Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves and Waterworld. However, while it shows an exotic place and an exotic story, the film is a mixture of the exciting and the absurd.

Part of the problem is with the screenplay, especially with an anachronistic use of modern language and idiom, "I'm fine, he's dumb..."

The film was made on Easter Island and shows the terrain and the seascapes to great advantage. However, the story of the clash between two clans on the island, a race of physical ability and rivalry for the one woman are commonplace.

Another disadvantage of the film is that the leads are American and many of the supporting cast are from New Zealand and Australia, so there is a mixture of strange accents on Easter Island.

1. A popular action entertainment show? With exotic settings? History?

2. The Easter Island settings, the rocks, the sea, the cliffs? The statues of Easter Island and the speculations on their being raised? The musical score?

3. The title and the focus on Easter Island? Its isolation? Its being the navel of the earth? The myths? Its being discovered by the Dutch?

4. Life on the Easter Islands? The clans, the lifestyle, the poverty, the hunger? The building of the statues and the oppression? Inter-clan rivalry? Ceremonies? Religious traditions? Moral traditions?

5. The focus on the egg race? Prestige? Ruling the islands? Life and death? The winning of Ramana?

6. Noro as the hero? His clan? The story of his father and his wanting to live up to his reputation? The chief, the high priest? The friendship with Make? The love for Ramana? The growing rivalry with Make? His being a candidate for the race? His going to Ramana's father, the training, listening to stories about his father? The clash with Make? The race, the dangers? The brutality of some of the competitors? His getting to the egg, climbing the cliff, Make not helping him? His winning? His visits to Ramana in the cave, his winning her? The marriage? The uprising and the massacre? His getting on the boat and sailing away?

7. Make, his clan, the oppression, the building of the statues? His friendship with Noro? Noro giving him food? Love for Ramana? Visiting her? His status within his clan, their mutinies? His control? His promising to build the statues, going in the race? His ability, training? His getting the egg first, climbing the cliff, breaking the egg? His not being killed? The uprising? The cannibalism? His disillusionment?

8. Ramana, the heroine, her love for Noro? Pregnancy? Going into the cave? The oppression? Her coming out, suffering? Winning Noro?

9. The chief, his senility, lack of decision, bewilderment? Capriciousness about the statues? Superstition and myths? Being advised by the high priest? Promising to give up power? The promise of the canoe, the iceberg, he and his followers going on the iceberg?

10. The high priest, machinations, control? Cruelty? The statues, the hard labour, the statues falling? The uprising and the toppling of them all?

11. An imaginative look at Pacific island history and mythology - done up for 20th century audiences?