Island civilization. The struggle between the Long Ears and Short Ears is derived from the legend of the hanau epe (long ears), who are supposed to have been almost all killed by the hanau momoko (short ears), leaving a sole survivor, as in the film. Interpretations of this story have been made, ranging from a class struggle, similar to that depicted in the film, to a clash between migrant people, with incomers fighting natives. There is no single accepted interpretation, and many scholars consider the story to be either pure myth, or such a garbled version of real events as to be ultimately indecipherable. It has been argued that the names mean "stocky" and "slim" peoples, not long- and short-eared ones. The deforestation is a fact of the island's history, which may have caused widespread famine due to ecological collapse and a catastrophic drop in population, accompanied by wars between clans for control of dwindling resources. However, it has also been proposed that the deforestation was primarily due to Polynesian rats (Rattus exulans) and that the islanders adapted to this change gradually. The plot mixes elements of two periods: the era of the moai and the later Birdman Cult. If the conflict between the Long Ears and the Short Ears was real, it was over long before the Birdman Cult began. The name Rapa Nui, commonly used, may not have been the original native name; that may have been Te Pito te Henua ("the Navel of the World"), a phrase used in the film, though there are other possibilities. Year-end lists Top 12 worst (Alphabetically ordered, not ranked) – David Elliott, The San Diego Union-Tribune Siskel & Ebert Worst of 1994 See also Collapse by Jared Diamond, which details the historic deforestation of Easter Island along with other accounts of how societies collapse or succeed References External links 1994 films American historical drama films Films set in Easter Island Films shot in Chile Films shot in New South Wales Films directed by Kevin Reynolds Warner Bros. films 1990s historical drama films Films scored by Stewart Copeland Films about cannibalism 1990s English-language films 1990s American films