Taboo: (among the Polynesians and other peoples of the South Pacific)
the system, practice, or act whereby things are set apart as sacred, forbidden for general use, or placed under a prohibition or interdiction.
In this nearly all Polynesian cast movie, there were two taboos. The first taboo was Reri (Anne Chevalier), the virgin designated to be chaste and untouched as a means of appeasing the gods. The second taboo was a spot in the water that was off limits to pearl divers. Both taboos were challenged.
Early in the movie Reri and Matahi fell in love. Ordinarily that wouldn't be a problem except that Reri, unbeknownst to her, was selected to be "the sacred virgin" whom "man must not touch... or cast upon her the eye of desire." This was a big blow to her and Matahi, but why let a little thing like tradition and the threat of death stop love?
Reri and Matahi didn't. They ran off to another island where they could be together, but the threat to Matahi's life and Reri being taken back would be ever-present.
This movie was able to do a lot with a little. There was no dialogue. Only a few times we got additional information in the form of letters and such. The rest of the story we had to understand from actions and visible emotions like the silent movies from earlier in the century.
I would be lying if I said that the Polynesian cast wasn't a plus. It was exciting to see a movie featuring people of color in their own environment, and the story was great.
In this nearly all Polynesian cast movie, there were two taboos. The first taboo was Reri (Anne Chevalier), the virgin designated to be chaste and untouched as a means of appeasing the gods. The second taboo was a spot in the water that was off limits to pearl divers. Both taboos were challenged.
Early in the movie Reri and Matahi fell in love. Ordinarily that wouldn't be a problem except that Reri, unbeknownst to her, was selected to be "the sacred virgin" whom "man must not touch... or cast upon her the eye of desire." This was a big blow to her and Matahi, but why let a little thing like tradition and the threat of death stop love?
Reri and Matahi didn't. They ran off to another island where they could be together, but the threat to Matahi's life and Reri being taken back would be ever-present.
This movie was able to do a lot with a little. There was no dialogue. Only a few times we got additional information in the form of letters and such. The rest of the story we had to understand from actions and visible emotions like the silent movies from earlier in the century.
I would be lying if I said that the Polynesian cast wasn't a plus. It was exciting to see a movie featuring people of color in their own environment, and the story was great.