Tabu on AllMovie

F.W. Murnau and Robert Flaherty wrote and produced this moving, beautifully filmed tale of a Tahitian pearl fisherman and his doomed love for a woman who has been declared taboo to all men. Although filmed on location with a non-professional cast of locals, Flaherty's influence over the project ended with his departure during the filming (having clashed with Murnau), and Tabu is a Murnau film from beginning to end: sensual, allegorical, and fatalistic. It would be his last work as well; Murnau died in an automobile accident before the film was released. Academy Award-winner for best cinematography (Floyd Crosby).