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11 out of 12 people found the following review useful: Beautiful..., 3 November 2000 Author: diogoal-2 from Recife, Brazil
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.
8 out of 8 people found the following review useful: Murnau's final film is a fitting reminder of his genius, 9 April 2003 Author: Robert Kinsler (rkinsler@dvdcaravan.com) from Southern California
For discerning fans of classic filmmaking, the surviving work of director F.W. Murnau remains some of the most significant and stunning of the silent era. Filmed entirely in Tahiti, `Tabu' would prove to be Murnau's last film (he died in a tragic car accident on March 11, 1931, just weeks before the film's premiere) and most unusual - he actually collaborated with director Robert Flaherty (`Nanook of the North') in this tale of two doomed lovers that unintentionally transports `Romeo and Juliet' into the South Pacific. Unlike his landmark expressionist titles such as `Nosferatu' and `Faust,' Murnau's `Tabu' is set mostly outdoors and features dazzling images of beautiful young native men and women at home in their Polynesian paradise in the first part of the film, with haunting images used to chronicle tragedy and paradise lost in the second half of the 81 minute classic.Although no members of the cast were professional actors, the performances by Matahi (as a young pearl fisherman) and Reri (as the `tabu' island girl) are moving. More than 70 years after its release, `Tabu' remains essential viewing, and UCLA's restoration of this classic has been a highlight of the schedule of new DVD releases in 2002. In fact, the film's luxurious black-and-white cinematography garnered cameraman Floyd Crosby an Oscar. DVD extras include audio commentary by UCLA Film Professor Janet Bergstrom; outtake footage; theatrical trailer; still gallery; short film titled `Reri in New York.'
9 out of 10 people found the following review useful: Unique and beautiful., 3 June 1999 Author: David Atfield (bits@alphalink.com.au) from Canberra, Australia
There has never been another film like "Tabu". This is a unique blending of ethnographic documentary and expressionist drama, from two directors who were masters of these forms.The actors are real Polynesians and their ceremonies and rituals are faithfully captured, and interwoven with a tragic love story. The cinematography deservedly won an Oscar - it is truly beautiful. Murnau, away from his usual studio sets, manages to create the same sense of danger using natural light - especially moonlight - and real locations.The performances are very strong - especially Chevalier as the girl, and the old man is as scary as Nosferatu as he haunts her dreams at night.Sadly this was Murnau's last film - he died in a car crash just before the premiere. It is a little dramatically uneven, and certainly not the masterpiece that "Sunrise" is, but it is still very worthwhile.
7 out of 9 people found the following review useful: An Innocent and Tragic Love Story in the South Seas, 27 December 2006 Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Chapter 1 - Paradise: The youngsters Matahi and Reri are in love for each other. When Reri is chosen by the old warrior Hitu to be the god's maid, she must stay virgin and untouched, otherwise her lover and she should die. But Matahi abducts and escapes with her to an island ruled by the white man, were their gods would be harmless and powerless.Chapter 2 - Lost Paradise: Matahi is an excellent diver, getting many pearls from the bottom of the ocean, but he does not know the meaning of money, promoting a feast to the villagers and signing the bills the smart Chinese businessman presents to him. Meanwhile Hitu chases them, and Matahi and Reri decide to buy a ticket to travel by ship to another place. However, the Chinese charges the bill and Matahi, without any money, goes to a forbidden sea with sharks trying to get a huge pearl to pay for his debts and escape with Reri. But she decides to leave the island with Hitu and spare Matahi's live. But Matahi swims after their boat, dying of exhaustion in the sea."Tabu: a Story of the South Seas" is an innocent and tragic love story. The movie practically does not have any professional actor or actress, and the cinematography is very impressive, considering the type of equipment available in 1931. The landscapes are wonderful, the underwater sequence is amazing and the love story ahead of time. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Tabu"
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Surprisingly affecting, 5 December 2004 Author: heckles from St. Albans, VT
South Seas dramas down through the decades have involved a lovely woman with one layer of scanty clothing, and a man who is chiefly attired in bronzed muscles. Both are Rousseauian children, taking rapturous joy in carnality and in their sun-light surroundings. Invariably they run afoul of the hungry island gods, rapacious white man, or combination of both. It's a genre done in John Ford's "Hurricane" and other movies with Dorothy Lamour; "Bird of Paradise" with Debra Paget; the various "Blue Lagoon" movies; up to the 1980's little seen "Beyond the Reef." This one has one thing distinguishing itself from the others - the cast is all actually Polynesian, or partly so (sorry Dorothy). It does bring in the common troubles of indigenous peoples: wanting to escape their stifling tribal atmosphere, they have a hard time coping with the outside world's currency economy and alcoholic drink. The movie eschews the Hollywood ending. Anne Chevalier is a treat, and a climatic moment late in the movie is directed for maximum shock.
3 out of 4 people found the following review useful: He who confronts the Gods..., 2 January 2004 Author: eva25at from Vienna, Austria
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
(Contains spoilers)PARADISE: Life on the south sea island Bora-Bora is carefree and unaffected by the covetousness of western civilizationThe natives fish, frolic about and adorn themselves with flowers and pearls. They treat the passengers of a sailing ship with friendly advance. Hitu, a messenger from a neighboring island comes on a special mission: take home a virgin for the gods: Reri is the chosen - Men must not touch her, she is tabu. To break this tabu means death. The natives celebrate this occasion, but Reri and her lover Matahi are desperate. They elope this same night. The entire island is in an uproar.PARADISE LOST: The lovers reach an island of the pearl trade.Matahi is a born diver and works for the white man. The lovers enjoy their life to the full. They meet natives who adjust themselves to wheeler-dealers and mixed racial relations. Matahi treats his buddies to champagne: he does not know the value of money. He signs many promissory notes...The government tries to avoid a conflict between the islands. They set 500 francs on Reri's head, but Matahi bribes the head-hunter with a pearl. Hitu sends Reri a note written on a banana leaf: if she does not return with him within 3 days, Matahi will die. They plan to escape to Tapeete, but when Matahi tries to buy the tickets the man with the promissory notes calls in his "debt". Hitu comes for Reri, he knows no mercy. She writes Matahi a farewell letter. With the courage of despair, Matahi dives in a lagoon marked: "tabu": Every diver dies there, because a man-eating shark guards the pearls...Murnau's last work, a poetic mix between feature film and ethnographic study, was filmed entirely in the south seas. Only native-born south sea islanders appear in this film. The famous nature film maker R. J. Flaherty contributed largely to the film's qualities. It conveys the feeling of purity and innocence threatened by a "law" that goes beyond human comprehension. The menacing atmosphere is underscored by Violeta Dinescu's new soundtrack (if atonal music causes you migraine, you can always turn the volume down). Murnau took one of the young native actors back with him, to Hollywood. They died together in a car accident.
3 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Visually stunning..., 27 July 2006 Author: moonspinner55 from redlands, ca
"Tabu" is a visually arresting black-and-white silent...and that's a good thing because there's not much else going on here to occupy your mind. Heavy-handed "plot" about a doomed beauty on primitive Bora Bora who flees her island home and family with her lover, unable to escape her unlucky fate, is cast with real islanders so you cannot fault the authenticity; however, there's nobody in the film who leaves an impression. The movie began life as a documentary, but director F.W. Murnau pushed for a fictional storyline to propel the visuals, and this may have been a mistake. As it unfolds, one can see shot after shot of beautiful images that would look wonderful in a coffee-table book for the tiki lounge set, but the dated dramatics muddy things up. Floyd Crosby won a well-deserved Oscar for his cinematography. **1/2 from ****
5 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Not as good as Nosferatu or Sunrise, but still really good, 28 March 2004 Author: Rosebudsthesled from Los Angeles, CA
I saw this film just last night on a double bill with "Nosferatu." Considering that Nosferatu is a !*&@#%$ masterpiece, it was hard to compare this with the movie I just saw, plus my friend who was watching it with me was only thinking of "Mystery Science Theater" comments the whole time, but I had the mature response and I really liked this movie. The cinematography is beautiful, and the story is incredibly convincing. The ending also made me cry. It may not be as good as "Sunrise," but it's one of the last great silent films, and also great as a semi-documentary of Polynesian life. Considering Paramount's silent films barely survive, this should be seen as a treasure.
5 out of 9 people found the following review useful: The Silent Treatment, 21 May 2003 Author: Prof_Lostiswitz from Cyberia
This is a great film, one that actually benefits from being silent. The south-seas love story could seem incredibly hackneyed, but the sensitive silent presentation makes it all seem believable. Flaherty's painstaking ethnographic research pays off, establishing that we are getting a genuine look at Polynesian village life. The roles are played by actual villagers under their own names.This was originally going to be a documentary like Nanook of the North, but Murnau got so fascinated by Polynesian legends told by the locals that he decided to incorporate them into the story. This also meant that he had to invest his own money in the film, as Hollywood would have none of it. Nowadays we think anything so beautiful couldn't be genuine, but Murnau and Flaherty seem to have constructed an accurate document.The tragic love story has its parallel in real life, as Murnau was killed in a car-crash days after the film's completion.The MTV generation is better able to appreciate silent films than the 60's crowd, so I recommend to viewers interested in something different.
Beautiful, 29 April 2009 Author: aljodav from United Kingdom
Tabu (1931), FW Murnau's last film is an extremely moving film in the Romeo and Juliet mould.Set in Bora-Bora, Matahi and Reri are in love with each other and the first half of the film focuses on the native islanders at play.Then, Hitu informs the islanders that Reri has been selected by the gods to be the sacred virgin whom no man should desire or dishonour.While being taken away, Matahi kidnaps Reri and they flee to civilisation. Here, they briefly share happiness (and presumably she is no longer a sacred virgin?) before the curse of the taboo strikes...Though not the best of Murnau's films, it is a joy to watch. The authentic scenery is magnificent and is perfectly captured by cinematographer Floyd Crosby, who won a richly deserved Oscar for his efforts.Matahi and Reri give moving performances and the Masters of Cinema print is pristine.
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