Tabu (1931) is a beautiful, sad movie about Bora Bora

If you have about eighty minutes and want to see something that looks like a dream, you should watch Tabu. It is probably one of the most beautiful things ever put on film, even if it is almost a hundred years old.

It is perfect for anyone who likes a good tragic romance. If you hate silent movies or get annoyed by stories where people make bad choices for love, you might want to skip it.

The movie was directed by F.W. Murnau. He was the guy who made the scary vampire movie Nosferatu, but this is totally different.

He went all the way to Bora Bora to film this on location. You can really tell because the lighting doesn't look like a dusty old studio.

The story starts off really happy. You see all these people swimming and playing in the water, and it looks like the best vacation ever.

Matahi is the main guy, and he is just so happy to be alive. He has this huge smile that makes you want to hang out with him.

Then he falls for Reri. They dance together and everything seems great until the old man, Hitu, shows up on a big boat.

Hitu is scary. He doesn't say anything, but he just stares with these eyes that look like they can see through your soul.

He brings a message saying Reri is now 'tabu.' This means she is sacred and if any man touches her, or even looks at her wrong, it is a death sentence.

The scene where they announce this is actually pretty heavy. You can see the joy just drain out of everyone’s faces.

It reminds me a bit of the heavy feeling in Rose Bernd, where you just know things are going to go wrong for the woman involved.

Matahi doesn't care about the rules, though. He decides to snatch her away in the middle of the night.

There is a shot of them on a small boat in the dark that is just stunning. The water looks like ink.

They end up on another island where things are more 'modern' because of Westerners. This part of the movie is a bit weird because it shifts gears.

Suddenly there are French police and shops and people wearing suits. It feels less like a legend and more like a regular drama for a bit.

Matahi gets a job diving for pearls because he needs money to pay off debts he didn't even know he was making. It's kind of relatable in a sucky way.

He is really good at it, but there is this one shark that keeps hanging around. The shark looks real, which makes the underwater scenes feel actually dangerous.

I noticed that the way the camera follows them underwater is super smooth. I don't know how they did that in 1931 without modern gear.

While Matahi is working his tail off, Reri is basically living in fear. Hitu, the scary old guy, keeps showing up like a ghost.

He doesn't even have to do anything. He just stands there in the background, and you know the clock is ticking.

The movie is split into two parts called 'Paradise' and 'Paradise Lost.' It’s not very subtle, but it works.

There’s a lot of focus on documents and bills in the second half. It gets a bit dry compared to the beautiful dancing at the start.

But then the ending happens. The ending is brutal.

Matahi tries to swim after a boat, and it goes on for a long time. You see him getting tired and the boat getting further away.

It’s one of those moments where you are yelling at the screen for him to just turn back, but you know he won't.

The pacing gets a little wonky in the middle. Some of the scenes with the local merchants go on for a few minutes too long.

I think I saw a smudge on the lens during one of the beach scenes, or maybe it was just a bit of sand. It makes it feel more real, though.

It isn't a 'fun' movie, but it feels honest. It doesn't try to give you a cheap happy ending just to make you feel good.

The music is also really loud and dramatic. Since there is no talking, the music has to do all the heavy lifting for the emotions.

Sometimes it's a bit much, like when a single tear falls and the violins go crazy. But that was just how they did things back then.

If you like movies that deal with fate and people trying to run away from their problems, like Pursued, you will probably dig this.

It’s a bit of a bummer that Murnau died in a car crash right before this came out. You can tell he put a lot of heart into it.

The actors weren't professionals, either. They were just people living on the islands. That makes their performances feel less like 'acting' and more like they are just being themselves.

Matahi’s desperation at the end feels very real. His face looks completely exhausted.

Anyway, it’s a short watch. Even if you don't love the story, the images of the ocean and the trees are worth it.

It makes you want to go to Bora Bora, but maybe without the scary old man chasing you.

Things I noticed:

• The way they use shadows to show Hitu is coming before you see him.
• Matahi is an incredible swimmer. Like, seriously impressive.
• The contrast between the white sand and the dark reef is wild in black and white.
• The ending shot is going to stick with me for a while.

Give it a try on a quiet night when you're in a thoughtful mood. It's better than most of the stuff they try to sell us now.