Taboo | The Movie

The central engine of Taboo ’s narrative is the gaze. Unlike traditional samurai films where the gaze is directed outward—toward the enemy or the object of protection—in Taboo , the gaze is turned inward. The film opens with an interrogation of Kano, where the camera lingers on his porcelain skin and delicate features. The older samurai, tasked with judging his worth, are visibly disarmed.

She leads him to the edge of a pit in the floor—a false stairwell The Master built. Below: darkness. Above: the watching members of Taboo , hidden in the rafters. taboo the movie

Inside: Taboo . A velvet-lined cavern of smoke, jazz, and masks. Men in business suits. Women in gowns. All anonymous. All watching a stage. The central engine of Taboo ’s narrative is the gaze