Tabu: A Story of the South Seas

Synopsis: In his final film, F.W. Murnau presents the tale of two young lovers on the idyllic island of Bora Bora in the South Pacific. Their life is shattered when the old warrior declares the girl to be the Chosen Maid and it is forbidden for any man to even look upon her. Refusing to accept a life apart, they run off to another island, one that is decadent and westernized. The boy works as a pearl diver but not quite understanding the concept of money, is soon in debt. When the old warrior tracks them down they again plan to run away but in a desperate attempt to pay off his debts, the boy dives for pearls in shark-infested waters. The boy is successful but fate seems determined to keep the two lovers apart.
Director(s): F.W. Murnau
Production: Milestone Film & Video
  Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins.
 
IMDB:
7.6
Rotten Tomatoes:
91%
TV-PG
Year:
1931
86 min
124 Views


TABU:

A story

of the south seas

Only native-born

south sea islanders...

appear in this picture with

a few half-castes and chinese.

First chapter

PARADISE:

A LAND OF ENCHANTMEN REMORE IN THE SOUTH SEAS...

THE ISLAND OF BORA-BORA STILL

UNTOUCHED BY THE HAND OF CIVILIZATION.

GREETING FROM THE CHIEF OF FANUMA

LORD OF ALL THE ISLANDS

TO THE CHIEF OF BORA BORA

UPON YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE

I CONFER THE HIGHEST HONOR

KNOWN TO OUR ISLANDS

THE MAIDEN SACRED TO OUR GODS

HAS PASSED AWAY AND I DECREE

THAT FROM YOUR ISLAND

SHALL COME HER SUCCESSOR

ONE I HAVE CHOSEN FOR HER BEAUTY,

FOR HER VIRTUE, FOR HER ROYAL BLOOD,

SHE WHO IS NAMED RERI

NO LAW OF THE GODS IS MORE TO BE FEARED

THAN THAT WHICH GUARDS THE CHOSEN ONE

MAN MUST NOT TOUCH HER...

OR CAST UPON HER THE EYE OF DESIRE

FOR IN HER HONOR

RESTS THE HONOR OF ALL HER PEOPLE

SACRED IS RERI FROM THIS TIME FORTH

SHE IS TABU:

TO BREAK THIS TABU MEANS DEATH

HITU:
WORTHIEST OF MY SUBJECTS

BEARS THIS MESSAGE

AND WILL BRING THE MAID TO ME...

FOR HER SAFETY:

HE WILL ANSWER WUTH HIS LIFE

The whole Island is still in an uproar.

The girl Reri has been stolen.

Whatever has happened, according to their law

she is still the "Chosen one"...

Unless she is returned

the Tabu means death...

She will be hunted down and sacrificed,

Matahari will be killed old Hitu himself will die.

I shall not leave until I learn

what the island is going to do.

NO LAW OF THE GODS IS MORE TO BE FEARED

THAN THAT WHICH GUARDS THE CHOSEN MAID

MAN MUST NOT TOUCH HER...

OR CAST UPON HER THE EYE OF DESIRE

TO BREAK THIS TABU MEANS DEATH

Second chapter

PARADISE LOS:

FLEEING THE VENGEANCE OF THE TABU

THE GUILTY LOVERS FOUGHT THEIR WAY...

OVER LEAGUES OF OPEN SEA

SEEKING SOME ISLAND OF THE PEARL TRADE...

WHERE THE WHITE MAN RULES

AND THE OLD GODS ARE FORGOTTEN

IN THEIR FRAIL CANOE THROUGH STORMS

UNDER A BURNING SKY THIRST-CRAZED AND STARVING...

ALWAYS DRIVEN ON BY FEAR...

FEAR OF THE AVENGING TABU.

The couple found in their wrecked canoe,

as already reported, recovered quickly.

The boy, it develops, is born diver,

the best we have ever had on the island.

But it seems only play to him.

He evidently does not yet realize

what money means.

But the girl was stolen

before the ship left Bora-Bora

As the Government desires above all things

to avoid conflict between the islands under its rule,...

it demands the arrest

of this man and woman wherever found.

For their arrest, the Government ofers

a reward of Five Hundred Frans.

Et. Cadoustal .

A most unfortunate accident happened today on the Lagoon.

It occured while most of the people were ashore

at one of their native peasts.

There is a spot in the lagoon, the richest

in pearl beds of any in the South Seas.

But this spot is Tabu. Natives shun it.

Today, one of our old divers

defying the superstition.

An enormous man-eating shark guards

these pearls the native believe...

Today's tragedy proves this is

no superstition:
the shark is there.

I trust I have the Government's approval

in putting up a sign forbidding

further diving in this place.

TABU:

THREE DAYS I GIVE YOU

YOU RETURN WITH ME OR MATAHI DIES

THREE DAYS:

HITU:

SHIPS AGENT - TICKETS SOLD TO ALL ISLAND PORTS

The schooner Hinano is due

June 24h bound for Papeete.

SCHOONER HINANO ARRIVES IN TWO DAYS (JUNE 24th)

AND LEAVES FOR PAPEETE THE FOLLOWING MORNING

PRICE OF TWO TICKETS: 130 Frans

MATAHI OWES KONG AH - BILL RENDERED

(WINES, CHAMPAGNE, Etc. - SERVED VILLAGERS AT FEAST)

TO MATAHI:

MY LOVE:

I MUST GO HITU IS HERE AND WAITS FOR ME

YOU WILL DIE IF I DO NOT OBEY

I WILL GO SO THAT YOU MAY LIVE

THE TABU IS UPON US

I HAVE BEEN SO HAPPY WITH YOU FAR MORE

THAN I DESERVED THE LOVE YOU HAVE GIVEN ME

I WILL KEEP TO THE LAST BEAT OF MY HEAR

ACROSS THE GREAT WATTERS I WILL COME TO YOU

IN YOUR DREAMS WHEN THE MOON SPREADS

ITS PATH ON THE SEA FAREWELL

TABU:

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes

F.W. Murnau

All F.W. Murnau scripts | F.W. Murnau Scripts

0 fans

Submitted on August 05, 2018

Discuss this script with the community:

0 Comments

    Translation

    Translate and read this script in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this screenplay to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Tabu: A Story of the South Seas" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/tabu:_a_story_of_the_south_seas_19295>.

    We need you!

    Help us build the largest writers community and scripts collection on the web!

    Watch the movie trailer

    Tabu: A Story of the South Seas

    Browse Scripts.com

    The Studio:

    ScreenWriting Tool

    Write your screenplay and focus on the story with many helpful features.