"Taboe" is the last film of Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau. He made it together with Robert Flaherty, father of the documentary and ethnographic film. In my opinion the combination proves to be however less than the sum of the constituent parts. The film is not a real Murnau and also not a real Flaherty, but something stuck in the middle.
In 1927 with "Sunrise" Murnau had already made a film about a couple that seemed to be doomed. "Tabu" is not of the same quality as "Sunrise", although there are a couple of scenes that come close. I am thinking especially about the scenes of the initiation ritual of Reri (the girl), the wedding scene of Reri and Matahi (the boy) and the tragic ending scene.
The scene of the initiation ritual is somewhat cynical. We see young people performing a very sensual dance, but at the same time the purpose of the ritual is to declare a girl as holy virgin. After the ceremony a normal sex life will be strictly forbidden for this girl.
In 1927 with "Sunrise" Murnau had already made a film about a couple that seemed to be doomed. "Tabu" is not of the same quality as "Sunrise", although there are a couple of scenes that come close. I am thinking especially about the scenes of the initiation ritual of Reri (the girl), the wedding scene of Reri and Matahi (the boy) and the tragic ending scene.
The scene of the initiation ritual is somewhat cynical. We see young people performing a very sensual dance, but at the same time the purpose of the ritual is to declare a girl as holy virgin. After the ceremony a normal sex life will be strictly forbidden for this girl.