'Tabu'

I totally understand why these old movies are part of the 1,001 films I should watch before I die. They established an art form and a certain standard that was adopted by filmmakers through the generations.

They evolved the filmmaking process by leaps and bounds over a 20-year period eventually adopting better ways to film, gain better shots, edit, direct and provide some form of production value and effects. For example, look at F.W. Murnau's The Last Laugh for some awesome effects.

However, I tend to think that between 1931 (when Tabu was released) and 2005 (the last year represented on by 1,001 list), there had to be a better film. It definitely wasn't Murnau's best and it's sort of just a nothing film.

Some fun facts:

Murnau died in a car crash before the film was ever released.

The rights to the film were handed over to Murnau's mother in the 1930s. The original film was destroyed during World War II in Germany. The rights were then sold to Rowland and Samuel Brown, who re-released the film in 1948, but were forced to cut about five minutes of nudity in order to get approval by the censors.

Thankfully, all the bare breasts of the native women (and some "half-castes") were restorted once it was released on DVD.