The Eagle
by Clarence Brown
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Albert Conti, James A. Marcus, Louise Dresser, Rudolph Valentino, Vilma BánkyDirector: Clarence Brown
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: DVD, NTSC, Silent
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 73 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-06-25
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Image Entertainment
Movie Reviews of The Eagle
Movie Review: Valentino as a Romantic Russian
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie's main attraction is Valentino playing a Russian nobleman,from an aesthetic perspective, just watching him wearing a Russian hat studed with the Imperial Eagle and with a cape to match, is enough to justify seeing the film.
He is in love with Mascha, (played by Vilma Banky) the daughter of his worst enemy, Kyrilla Troekouroff ( James Marcus) who is just an awful character as a tyrannical feudal lord, that enjoys among other things tasteless jokes, like sending his guests down to the cellar to be scared out of their wits by a chained bear.
The costumes by Adrian are totally anachronistic. No Russian nobleman was dressing like a medieval boyar by the time of Catherine II, here played by Louise Dresser who does look very much like the aging empress, as depicted in her portraits, but acts more like a capricious society matron with delirium of grandeur when Valentino turns her down. Her childish mannerisms and reactions are delights in the art of hamming up.
Mascha at one point is very casually dressed in the 1920's fashion while out on a carriage ride, with a similarly attired chaperone, although she can also wear a pearl-studed huge concoction on her head while having dinner, that is inspired on the Russian "kokoschnik" headgear, but this Hollywood version should never have been worn a minute before midnight, at the earliest.
At times Valentino's clothes jump ahead a generation or two from the story and is very nicely attired in 19th Century garb, so tight that I wonder how he could breathe or sit down, on the upside one can actually appreciate why his physique's perfection, and reputation as a lover, was not exclusive to the handsome face. But whether in Russian costume or not he is superb as a dashing hero in this adventure story, very similar to Zorro, (black mask included) which actually is pretty close to the original "Dubrovsky" by Pushkin. It is also hard to believe while watching the film where Valentino is swashbuckling away that he would be dead in the next year.
Vilma Banky, a Hungarian Beauty that was nicknamed "The Hungarian Rhapsody" when she came to America was a big star in the mid-twenties. She had a face perfect for the silent screen and an appetite for male attention that must have been as great as her delight in dressing with chiffon. Her chemistry with Valentino is evident from the start, which was to win her the role for his next and last movie, "Son of the Sheik" (1926). They have a charming, humorous way of communicating and their expressions truly do not need any dialogue for translation.
Apparently this movie was in better condition in another laser disc copy. I have never seen it, and though this version would benefit from a good restoration, it is still good enough to watch, which is strongly recommended as it is a great showcase of the charm, allure and charisma that made Valentino an immortal star of the early cinema.
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