I actually picked this up not too long ago at half-price books just because it was a Murnau. I think I paid $7, and I’m very happy to be finally getting around to watching it.
I personally think it’s Murnau’s very best.
Here’s an amazing piece on the film: http://www2.fiu.edu/~harveyb/filmsx1.html
Yes, it’s certainly beautiful, and Murnau was an incredible loss to the world of cinema. The mind boggles what might have been achieved over a few more decades. And yet most filmgoers have never heard of him.
I liked it a lot but I wouldn’t place it as high as Sunrise or Faust.
Neil, thank you for that piece! I think it’s second to Sunrise in his canon, but still a masterpiece, and one of the greatest films of the 30s.
I’m trying to figure out what I am missing. For me it doesn’t measure up to any of the other Murnau or Flaherty films I’ve seen.
I liked the article. The film was interesting but for me a little flat. I’m sure I can appreciate it more with repeat viewings though, even if I would be hard-pressed to place this above his other masterpieces.
Danny Kana
Synopsis
The year was 1931. F.W. Murnau Had another fallout with William Fox as he changed the ending to Murnau’s film “4 Devils”. This upset Murnau, and he left Fox studios. Murnau had always wanted to make a movie in Tahiti with the local natives, and documentary filmmaker Robert Flaherty had experience working with them.
They traveled to Bora Bora together and worked on a script. Murnau trained the locals to work as the camera crew and sent the hollywood crew back to cut costs for the film, and also deserted the idea of shooting the picture in color.
Flaherty and Murnau ran into problem after problem. They didn’t agree on the script, and while Flaherty was supposed to be the co-director of the film, Murnau had him in the lab developing the film most of the time. The opening scene was the only scene in the film Flaherty directed.
Cinematographer Floyd Crosby was brought in, and did a stunning job with the camerawork.
After months of work on a tight budget, Flaherty sold his shares of the film to Murnau, who finished the editing during the winter all by himself.
Murnau had a vision of a great score to be in the film, so he used the rest of his money to buy one.
A week before the opening of “Tabu”, F.W. Murnau was killed in a car accident in Santa Barbara, California on March 11th, 1931.
Finally, an auteur with complete and utter control over his film, Murnau didn’t even get to see his finished work.
I can only imagine what kind of amazing work he would of done if he had lived longer.
Floyd Crosby was awarded with an oscar for best cinematography for the film…..
My Take
Tabu is the most beautiful film Murnau ever made. Hands down. This director had to constantly change what he wanted to please others his whole life, and finally, he had the chance to do exactly what he wanted to do.
He trained locals to work as the crew, and ended up getting fantastic results from actors that didn’t even speak the same language as him.
The cinematography is breathtaking, and the overall feeling of the movie is so raw and real.
Murnau liked to look at the darker side of life sometimes. And I believe he was one of the first directors to do this along with Fritz Lang.
Because for me, sometimes the darker ending in a film is the real ending, whether people want to believe it or not.
I hope you all like my selection.
It’s one of his most overlooked films.