Murnau's last film before his untimely death, shot on location in the
South Seas, started as a joint project with documentarist Robert
Flaherty, and it's initially awkward in reconciling their distinct
styles. The more Murnau's themes dominate, however, the better it
becomes. The story of a native couple whose love is threatened by a
religious taboo, it uses natural light subtly to reflect the fading
hopes of its protagonists, whose forbidden love relates to Murnau's
own tabooed homosexuality; while the supernatural elements create a
powerful sense of tragic inevitablity. Nor is the film mere exotica;
underlying its narrative is a degree of outrage against white
imperialism. Flawed, but rather wonderful.
