Tabu

A story of the South Seas, this film by F.W. Murnau documents life in Tahiti and Bora-Bora with a fictionalized plot. Following the death of a sacred maiden, Reri (Anne Chevalier) is selected to fill the void. She is greatly disheartened by this news, as she will forever be labeled tabu (taboo) given that the religious post forbids her from having relations with men. Reri already has feelings for Matahi, so the lovers flee their community hoping to escape Reri's commitment. Their plan works for a time, but a search for Reri eventually reveals their location, at which point they must decide how to proceed. Intended to be a collaborative work between Murnau and famed documentarian Robert J. Flaherty, due to creative differences, along with a number of other production hurdles, Flaherty would only worked on the opening scene. This would also mark the end of Murnau's career, as he died as the result of injuries suffered in a car crash the week before this film premiered.