Review: ‘Moana’

A magnified travel film, it’s interesting and has been well done, but there’s no story, and a travelog is a travelog.

The Flahertys were responsible for Nanook of the North. Here they have delved into the southern climes for their subject matter. A subtitle states that the men lingered with the Samoans for two years in order to win the confidence of the tribe and get the inside native stuff.

The action contains a couple of modified laughs and holds some exceptionally eye-filling rugged shorelines, with the surf pounding. The spearing of fish, the capture of a giant turtle in the water by two swimmers and the riding of the breakers by a home-made skiff provide the major ‘action’ scenes.