Tabu (1931 film)

Tabu pronouncedtapu also called Tabu, a Story of the South Seas is a 1931 silent film directed by F.W. Murnau, a docufiction. The film is split into two chapters, the first called Paradise depicts the lives of two lovers on a South Seas island until they are forced to escape the island when the girl is chosen as a holy maid to the gods. The second chapter, Paradise Lost, depicts the couples life on a colonised island and how they adapt to and are exploited by Western civilisation. The title of the film comes from the Polynesian concept of tapu spelled tabu in Tongan before 1943, from which is derived the English word taboo.

Aged emissary Hitu arrives by Western sailing ship to the island of Bora Bora, a small island in the South Pacific, on an important mission. He bears a message from the chief of Fanuma to the chief of Bora Bora a maiden sacred to their gods has died, and Reri has been given the great honour of replacing her because of her royal blood and virtue. From this point on, she is tabu man must not touch her or cast upon her the eye of desire upon penalty of death. This is painful news to Reri and the young man Matahi, who love each other. Matahi cannot bear it. That night, he sneaks her off the ship, and the couple escape the island by outrigger canoe.Eventually, they reach a French colony, half dead. They recover quickly, and Matahi becomes the communitys most successful pearl diver. They are happy with their new life together. However, Matahi is unfamiliar with the concept of money, so he does not understand the bills he signs for drinks for everyone during a celebration. ........

Source: Wikipedia