Tabu: A Story of the South Seas (1931)

In one island of Bora Bora lagoon, a young fisherman, Matahi, is in love with Reri. But she is chosen to be the holy maid and therefore becomes "tabu". They ran away from that tradition. ... See full summary »

Director:

F.W. Murnau

Writers:

F.W. Murnau (told by), Robert J. Flaherty (told by),

Stars:

Matahi, Anne Chevalier, Bill Bambridge

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Matahi	...	The Boy
Anne Chevalier	...	The Girl (as Reri)
Bill Bambridge	...	The Policeman (as Jean)
Hitu	...	The Old Warrior

Storyline

In one island of Bora Bora lagoon, a young fisherman, Matahi, is in love with Reri. But she is chosen to be the holy maid and therefore becomes "tabu". They ran away from that tradition. Will they be happier and luckier in the more "civilized" society ?

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Plot Keywords:

island | pearl | love | lovers | debt | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Adventure

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 March 1931 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tabu

Filming Locations:

Bora Bora, Leeward Islands, French Polynesia

Box Office

Budget:

$150,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Murnau-Flaherty Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (R.C.A. Photophone System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was censored upon release to remove nudity involving natives on the island.

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Connections

Featured in Die Sonnengöttin (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Symphony 'Má vlast'"
(1874-79) (uncredited)
Written by Bedrich Smetana

User Reviews

Beautiful...

People with prejudice against silent films should see "Tabu"; it´s a masterpiece of cinema. The storyline is superb, a struggle not between good and evil, but between human will and fate; there´s a beautiful love story of natives of the South Seas, mystery and suspense; and, to boot, some of the most wonderful sights you´ve ever seen in a b&w flick. The anthropological genius of Robert O´Flaherty, and the creativeness of F.W. Murnau cannot be denied; this is the meeting of two movie titans.