Tabu, a Story of the South Seas (1931)
Genre: Drama / Romance
Duration: 84 minuten
Alternative title: Tabu
Country:
United States
Directed by: F.W. Murnau
Stars: Anne Chevalier and Matahi
IMDb score:
7,3 (7.031)
Releasedate: 1 August 1931
Tabu, a Story of the South Seas plot
On the island of Bora-Bora, the pearl diver Matahi is in love with Reri. They lead an idyllic life together, until an emissary from a neighboring island declares Reri a holy virgin and no man is allowed to touch her anymore. Anyone who does so will be sentenced to death. Reri and Matahi decide to escape to the mainland together.
Actors and actresses
The Boy
The Girl (as Reri)
The Policeman (as Jean)
The Old Warrior
The Captain (uncredited)
Reviews & comments
BBarbie
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- 12893 messages
- 7675 votes
Compared to Murnau's Sunrise and especially his sublime City Girl, his latest film disappoints me just a little bit. The story is less memorable than in the previous films, although the ending is one to frame. It is impressive to achieve this solid result with a cast consisting of inexperienced islanders. I read that the film was shot on location. That must have been a complicated adventure in those days, but the end result shows no signs of it. All the more reason why it is a shame for us as film lovers that Murnau lost his life in a car accident at a far too young age.
Translated from Dutch · View original
starbright boy (moderator films)
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- 22746 messages
- 5353 votes
The form is primarily different here. In this film, the boundaries between documentary and film blur for Murnau, and he shoots on location and with an exotic people. Unprecedented within a fictional film in 1931. Murnau's humanity is also taken even further here. Beautiful.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Roger Thornhill
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- 6280 messages
- 2591 votes
It is impressive how such a beautiful and technically accomplished film could be made despite the limited local infrastructure and equally limited energy supply, and it will come as no surprise that cinematographer Floyd Crosby received an Oscar for his work (though one still wonders what this film would have looked like in color). That being said, I was originally inclined to classify the film as a sort of fairy tale for adults, but the grimness of the second part, with the relentless strangulation by both the priest and the bar owner, gives it a more realistic and, above all, somber twist. The exotic touch is one of the film's great charms, but at the same time creates a cultural distance that leaves me unsure whether I would want to watch this film again, despite the visual splendor and powerful imagery.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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