Rapa Nui - Rebellion im Paradies

To judge from the derision heaped on this film, one could be forgiven for thinking it must be totally unwatchable, however, that definitely is not the case. The film was shot on location and despite liberties taken with history, it is an absorbing look at a mysterious culture that has virtually disappeared.

1400 years ago, Polynesian seafarers settled on the most remote island on earth, Easter Island or Rapa Nui as they called it. Although most of what is known about their history is speculation based on archaeological evidence, it seems the island went through an intense period of statue (moai) building, followed by an equally intense period of tearing them down. In the course of which, Rapa Nui was denuded of trees and its society decimated by warfare and famine. To regulate their dwindling resources, the islanders conducted an annual ocean race with the winner's tribe ruling the island for a year under their leader, the Birdman.

Kevin Reynolds' movie is about these events. In fact, every event in the island's history is in the film. What took over 1000 years to unfold takes place in what seems like a single season. Time compression is one of the major criticisms of the film.

The writers constructed a Romeo and Juliet love story around the characters played by Jason Scott Lee, Sandrine Holt, and Esai Morales. This aspect of the story is quite effective due to their convincing performances. Less convincing are passages of silly dialogue between Eru Potaka-Dewes, and George Henare playing the reigning Birdman and the High Priest respectively. However, these are exceptions; the rest of the script effectively moves the story along and explains why things are happening to this doomed culture.

The making and moving of the moai are highlights of the film as is the birdman competition; an event so gruelling that by comparison, a modern triathlon seems about as difficult as an egg-and-spoon race. The film recreates the event at the actual location: the cliffs at Orongo. Today it is forbidden to scale these cliffs but it seems the film was shot before the restriction existed.

The score by Stewart Copeland, the former drummer of the band Police, features a blend of choral, orchestral and new age elements. A traditional score may have worked but this one is inspired, delivering a sense that time is running out for Rapa Nui.

Much bare skin is exposed in the movie and nearly all the women appear topless. Gratuitousness is another charge levelled at the film, however the alternative would have been Dorothy Lamour sarongs. Historical evidence suggests the costume designers got it right, which probably pleased the marketing people who no doubt had an eye on the box office.

Rapa Nui offers a very different cinema experience. It is not without the odd gaffe, but it is also totally unique and utterly compelling as well.

... 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.

I am saddened that so few people seem to have seen this film; It is worth watching for the lush photography alone.. It takes some getting used to the accents of the actors, and many lines may not be clear on first viewing.

I have read many books about Easter Island and the mystery surrounding its statues.. This film attempts to answer some of these mysteries (how the statues were moved, why work stopped so abruptly on then, what happened to all the trees on the Island, etc.) First read up in an encyclopedia on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and then watch history (or at least a good guess at it) come to life. Film making and story telling at it's best, along with an athletic competition at the end unlike any you have ever seen.

The island itself is stunningly beautiful and the film makes good use of this, especially the race at the end which is compelling in its apparent difficulty for the actors. As for the accuracy of the film it is mainly based on guesswork, so the whole racial element is for the benefit of drama. What surprises me is that some of the other reviewers wonder how an advanced civilisation can be so racist! Take a look at your own society and wonder! As well as a love story there is a competitive element, and an explanation about what happened to the island. If Easter Island interests you this film will entertain. As for the nudity, don't be so prudish!

Rapa Nui is more than just a bunch of Polynesian (and Hispanic!) actors running around half-nekkid. It's an allegory about the dangers of theocratic government, and a tale of class struggle. Rapa Nui is the Polynesian name for Easter Island, that famous dot in the Pacific Ocean with the mysterious statues. We get to see how these things were carved - and why. The Long Ear tribe has effectively subjugated the Short Ear tribe, forcing them to carve Moai (statues) in order to placate the gods. Director Kevin Reynolds uses the island and the carving of statues as an effective backdrop to illustrate the enmity between the tribes, as well as a power struggle for eventual spremacy of the island. The film is driven by visuals and ideas. The writing hardly ever rises above so-so, and it's jarring to hear Polynesian-looking people with British, American and Latino accents. But the film has a certain power to fascinate, and for that alone I recommend it highly.