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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a glorious silent epic, February 5, 2001
This review is from: Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This 1921 anti-war masterpiece by Rex Ingram is an amazing cinematic experience. The photography by John Seitz is breathtaking, and for the most part (there is one section that's a little dark) it's very clear. It's also a delight to read the adaptation of the Blasco Ibañez story by June Mathis. It has the flourishes in keeping with the era, and the poetic quality of it is lovely. It was Mathis who insisted on the casting of Valentino as Julio, giving him his first big heroic part. This exquisite work of art is a massive production, 2 1/2 hours long, and wonderfully acted by all...even the monkey is terrific ! This video has the original score by Blaine L. Gale, and it fits the action perfectly. The performance by Rudolph Valentino is a treasure. His grace and beauty have had few equals in film history, if any. He's simply gorgeous in this, and to watch him dance the tango in that smoky La Boca club is enthralling. I rewind it and watch it over and over...the musicality of it is absolutely astounding. Yes, Rudy lives in my heart, and in the hearts of many, for as long as the magic of film exists.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely Effective; Valentino at his Best, February 15, 2002
This review is from: Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse [VHS] (VHS Tape)
In some respects THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE suffers from being known as the film that made Rudolph Valentino a star; consequently, it is usually regarded as a Valentino vehicle rather than as a powerful film of World War I on an equal footing with the more widely acclaimed THE BIG PARADE and WINGS. Even so, HORSEMEN's deeper message far surpasses either and in an artistic sense leaves WINGS in the dust and is at least the equal of PARADE. The film is not really a Valentino vehicle per se, for Valentino's role is equalled by the roles played by Josef Swickard and Alice Terry; consequently it has an ensemble nature quite unlike most other Valentino films. Based on the once famous but rather heavy-handed Ibanez novel, HORSEMEN tells the story of an extremely wealthy Argentine rancher whose two daughters marry European men, one from France (Swickard) and one from Germany (Alan Hale.) When the rancher dies, dividing his estate between his daughters, the women return with their families to Europe, one family residing in Germany and the other in France. The German family's sons quickly rise to high status, but the French family has a more difficult time, with father Swickard becoming increasingly materialistic and spolied son Valentino emerging as a womanizer who provokes a scandal by a torrid affair with the wife (Alice Terry) of his father's closest friend. Just as these various plot lines reach a climax, World War I explodes around them, reducing their personal concerns to so much trivia and placing the two families on opposing sides. Interestingly, the performances in HORSEMAN bridge the gap between the very broad efforts of most early silent film and the considerably more subtle playing of the late silent era. Swickard gives a notable performance, Alice Terry is quite charming, and Valentino--still and unknown--plays with considerably more restraint than in later films... and is all the better for it. The cinematography is superb, and the film contains a number of scenes--the Valentino tango and the vision of horsemen riding through the sky, among others--of considerable power, and the overall film with its strong anti-war message is still very compelling and packs a whallop. Considerably superior to the later remake; recommended to silent film fans, war-genre fans, and Valentino fans alike.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Greatest of Silent Movies, January 28, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This is one of the great films of all time, dwarfing the pathetic 1961 technicolor remake. The story is gripping, taken from Vicente Ibanez' classic novel, about the effects of WWI on one family, one half of which is of French extraction, the other German. The special effects of the Four Horsemen riding out of the sky is the technological marvel of its day. Watch Valentino dance the tango and you'll understand why hysterical women threw themselves on top of his coffin after he died. Not until James Dean appeared in the 50's had there been such an electric personality lighting up the screen. White pan makeup, black lips, flaring nostrels, cold steel eyes, watch Rudolph Valentino in this one and you'll never forget him as long as you live. A MUST see.
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