Directed by Rex Ingram, this silent version of the Vicente Blasco Ibanez anti-war novel is more famous for Valentino's tango than just about anything else, but I was drawn to see it because it is always compared more favorably to the Vincente Minnelli remake of 1962. Well, though it may be sacrilegious to say so, I think the film is quite good, but I still prefer the remake. Yes, the remake has flaws, but its expansion of Julio's romance with Marguerite was a definite improvement on the dramatics of the original. Julio does not take center stage in the silent version, and as a result I never got as emotionally involved in the characters as I did with Minnelli's characters, which were more fully developed. Minnelli knew how to handle actors, and his version of the story clearly reveals that skill.
What the silent version does better than the remake is show the horrors and scale of war. On the other hand, the remake does a very good job of showing the corruption. Valentino had one great sequence in the Ingram film, and it is his first scene doing the tango. He's amazingly charismatic. The sequence at the end, however, when Julio and his German cousin meet on the battlefield felt rushed, even a bit clumsily handled and for me didn't have the impact that it could have. The following scenes showing the reactions of the families upon hearing of their son's deaths had more emotional weight. Rex Ingram's silent version may not be the ultimate classic its reputation would have us believe, but it does have a lot to offer and the story unfolds well. The cinematography and sets were spectacular. The film is a real epic production, truly gargantuan.
The new orchestral score by Carl Davis for the version that was shown on TMC is one of the composer's best, ringing every emotional moment that can be had from the powerful visuals. The image of the four horsemen riding through the war torn sky was a bit overused, but occasionally very effective in commenting on the horrors of war, somewhat like a Greek chorus.
One thing this version also does better than the remake is the fleshing out of the back story of Madariaga, Julio's grandfather. It's more clear why he so favors his grandson, Julio. It was there in the remake, but not as delineated. Although both versions of the story are flawed, they are still worth seeing, and are so very different from one another. By all means, see the silent version with Davis' score. It's a knockout.
What the silent version does better than the remake is show the horrors and scale of war. On the other hand, the remake does a very good job of showing the corruption. Valentino had one great sequence in the Ingram film, and it is his first scene doing the tango. He's amazingly charismatic. The sequence at the end, however, when Julio and his German cousin meet on the battlefield felt rushed, even a bit clumsily handled and for me didn't have the impact that it could have. The following scenes showing the reactions of the families upon hearing of their son's deaths had more emotional weight. Rex Ingram's silent version may not be the ultimate classic its reputation would have us believe, but it does have a lot to offer and the story unfolds well. The cinematography and sets were spectacular. The film is a real epic production, truly gargantuan.
The new orchestral score by Carl Davis for the version that was shown on TMC is one of the composer's best, ringing every emotional moment that can be had from the powerful visuals. The image of the four horsemen riding through the war torn sky was a bit overused, but occasionally very effective in commenting on the horrors of war, somewhat like a Greek chorus.
One thing this version also does better than the remake is the fleshing out of the back story of Madariaga, Julio's grandfather. It's more clear why he so favors his grandson, Julio. It was there in the remake, but not as delineated. Although both versions of the story are flawed, they are still worth seeing, and are so very different from one another. By all means, see the silent version with Davis' score. It's a knockout.