The Son of the SheikRating:
Release Date: 21 March, 2000 Retail Price: $29.95 OUR Price: $26.99 You SAVE: $2.96! Cast: |
The Son of the Sheik Reviews
Exotic Silent Romance With Rudolph Valentino At His Peak
If any particular film epitomised the lush exotic feel of silent filmmaking in the 1920's then "Son of the Sheik", would most definately be it. This 1926 effort captured legendary silent star Rudolph Valentino at his cinematic peak and sadly proved to be his last film before his tragically early death at age 31. Here he happily had a perfect vehicle for his farewell performance full of sensual romance in exotic places with just a hint of menace under the surface, beautiful photography and costumes, and the handsome Valentino playing the dual roles of both father and son to mos tinteresting effect. A sequel to Valentino's earlier star making role in "The Sheik", this followup filmed 5 years later was blessed with a much bigger budget and has a far more polished look to it at a time when Valentino was also maturing as a performer as is seen in his capable playign of the father role which showed his excellent character actor skills in a less glamourous type of role.
The Magic of Rudolph Valentino . . . . . .
I am a huge Rudolph Valentino fan. I have been a collector for many years, collecting old Photoplay magazines, photos, tins, postcards, etc. I, also, have most of his films on tape. That is, the films that are still existing today. All the other so called great lovers are measured by Rudy's standards. No one, past or present can compare to the Latin Lover. Now - onto the movie.
Son of the Sheik was Valentino's last film before his untimely death at 31. This film is incredible. Rudy plays both the son and the formidable sheik in this, his last film. He falls in love with a dancing girl, Yasmin, played by Vilma Banky. They fall in love until he is captured and tortured. Believing Yasmin to be responsible, he escapes and extracts his own form of revenge. The tent scene where he has Yasmin at his mercy was incredibly sensuous. You KNEW what Ahmed was planning to do to the beautiful Yasmin. She knew it, too, but was powerless to stop him. No matter how much pleading and begging she did, he drove her mercilessly to his bed. One word - WOW! True love prevails, though, and all is saved.
Some might find a silent movie to be a bit corny but not I. There is something enchanting - magical about watching Rudy. He is without a doubt, the most graceful man captured on film. No ONE walks or dances the way Rudy does. He is poetry in motion. I could watch him for hours . . .
He was blessed with a sinful handsomeness and those eyes . . . They were almost hypnotic in their intensity. It is soooooo easy to see why the women in the 1920's were filled with hysteria for this Latin Lover. After all of these years has passed, his appeal shines forth in this, his final film. There will never be another Rudolph Valentino. He simply graced the screen with his presence and changed everyday life into something magical. While watching him weave his magic, we forgot our troubles if only for a little.
*There is only one regret the world must have had when Rudy died. His voice was never recorded. His singing was but nothing of him "speaking". There has been much speculation over his voice and the transition from silent films to talkie films. Would he have made such a successful transition where others had failed? I believe he would have. But we will never know for sure.*
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