Besides being a worthwhile and interesting drama, "The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse" is also one of the few Rudolph Valentino films that still holds up well in its own right, rather than as a mere memento of the popularity he held in his own era. The story works both Valentino and the rest of the cast into a good story that contrasts their lives in peacetime with their experiences during the Great War.
The story is set up well in the earlier stages, as the personalities and the relationships of the characters are defined. When the war begins, the story uses it to bring out many different facets of the characters' natures. Their reactions and decisions not only comment on the war itself, but on human nature and on the way that different persons react in times of crisis.
There are a couple of memorable sequence that tie together several of these themes.
The imagery of the 'four horsemen' is rather obvious, but it is used sparingly enough to keep it from being obtrusive. The story, likewise, makes use of a couple of overly convenient coincidences, but overall it is believable and at times compelling, as is the movie as a whole.
The story is set up well in the earlier stages, as the personalities and the relationships of the characters are defined. When the war begins, the story uses it to bring out many different facets of the characters' natures. Their reactions and decisions not only comment on the war itself, but on human nature and on the way that different persons react in times of crisis.
There are a couple of memorable sequence that tie together several of these themes.
The imagery of the 'four horsemen' is rather obvious, but it is used sparingly enough to keep it from being obtrusive. The story, likewise, makes use of a couple of overly convenient coincidences, but overall it is believable and at times compelling, as is the movie as a whole.