Blood and Sand

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Nick M A poor young man from Seville manages to achieve his far-fetched dream of becoming a famous bullfighter. On the night of his wedding to his beloved, Carmen, a guest offers him his congratulations along with a warning to "remember the plaudits of the world are as fickle as a woman's whim." This bit of foreshadowing sets the scene for this golden boy's fall from grace as well as his tragic end in the arena. After his pitiful performance in 1921's The Sheik, Valentino pleasantly surprises by actually acting in this picture! Gone (mostly) are the flared nostrils, comically widened eyes, and obnoxious leers, replaced by what appear to be genuine, appropriately expressed emotions. A Marlon Brando he is not, but I'll take this over what he's been doing in previous pictures. Performing ably alongside him as a seductive vamp is actress Nita Naldi, who gives Valentino's character a convincing reason to stray from his wife. Niblo's directing is probably the best thing about this picture: shots are well considered, the lighting decisions are excellent, and romantic scenes are handled so well that they begin to appear almost modern in their execution. At the heart of it all is the core of an excellent story, but unfortunately it is held back by self-conscious moralizing that never lets it fully breathe. The character meets a tragic end that we can all see is a result of his unfaithfulness and recklessness, yet all throughout the story he is weighed down by this guilt which prevents him from ever fully leaning into his urges. This undercuts the power of the message, our ability to draw our own conclusions, and our enjoyment of the picture. Occasionally stabbing home this sense of morality with the nib of his pen is this pointless character of the neighborhood philosopher who has these scenes, entirely disconnected from the rest of the narrative, in which he sermonizes about the decisions of the main character in a paternalistic manner. Despite that, I found Blood and Sand quite enjoyable. I'm dumbfounded how a picture like The Sheik can end up as #44 on Silent Era's list of top silent films, while this one doesn't rank at all. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/25 Full Review acsdoug D My first time to see a Valentino film and I have a better understanding of his massive popularity now. The man had looks and charisma, and he eschewed the exaggerated gestures that so many silent film stars engaged in. As for the movie itself I am much less impressed. There is little actual bullfighting in it, save for some obvious stock footage. A little more action and a little less melodrama might have helped. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/17/23 Full Review Luca D The second half is definitely where the movie gets interesting. I like the take on romance and the messages throughout. Definitely not an outstanding classic but would probably watch again. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/03/23 Full Review Audience Member A handsome matador is trapped between his dedication to his wife and his passion for an aristocrat. Blasco Ibañez, who wrote the novel on which the film was based, was furious with the depiction of Spain as a backward culture and Paramount did not screen the film in Spain until his death. Still, despite its shortcomings, the film has one of the best performances of Valentino, which sealed his reputation as a Latin lover, as well as a direction which put in use all the creative means of silent cinema. (written with Isa) Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member The life, flaws, and death of a great athlete. In this case, the toreador. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Although bull fighting is a big no for me. I love this film. Rudi is sexy from the beginning to the end, a must for Rudi fans. Great costumes and set through out, Great story line, Good acting from all. Sound track accompanying can be a little annoying but can easily be removed and personalised to you own tastes on YouTube. For Rudi fans, the dressing scene has been found ; ) . Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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