Konterr Brilliant and touching

Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

bkoganbing The color cinematography which won an Oscar and the outstanding performances of stars Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, and Rita Hayworth made the sound remake of Blood And Sand an enduring classic. But this silent version and much shorter version of Vincente Blasco Ibanez novel has a lot going for it.Mostly it has Rudolph Valentino going for it. Valentino is cast well as the champion bullfighter of Spain who rises from poverty and marries the girl next door. But then this Samson of the Corrida throws it all away for the love of the Delilah like Dona Sol.Lila Lee is the girl next door who Valentino marries and silent screen temptress Nita Naldi plays the beautiful and cruel Dona Sol. That one gets Valentino definitely going south of his Mason/Dixon line. In that sense Blood And Sand was a perfect Valentino picture because it had Valentino for the women to swoon over and Naldi for the men to drool over.I did miss Laird Cregar playing the epicene critic Curo from the sound version. On the other hand there's Walter Long playing a bandit chief whose life as a lot of parallels to that of protagonist Juan Gallardo.One thing that is radically different is that this silent version takes a position most against the sport of bullfighting. I'm betting that it was not popular in Spain or with Ernest Hemingway. The sound version has far more macho approach.You'll have to decide for yourself which is better.

gavin6942 Juan is the son of a poor widow in Seville. Against his mother's wishes he pursues a career as toreador. He rapidly gains national prominence, and takes his childhood sweetheart Carmen as his bride. He meets the Marquis' daughter Dona Sol, and finds himself in the awkward position of being in love with two women, which threatens the stability of his family and his position in society.Dorothy Arzner worked as the film's editor. Arnzer used stock footage of bullfights filmed in Madrid interspersed with close-ups of Valentino. Her work on the film helped to solidify her reputation of being a resourceful editor as her techniques also saved Paramount money. She would later say that working on the film was the "first waymark to my claim to a little recognition as an individual." What strikes me about that is how "stock footage" existed by the early 1920s. How was there already footage of various things without copyright? Or perhaps there was copyright, but a fee to use it was small? This just seems strange, and yet it is apparently true.

Jaco Wium (jacowium) My print runs under just under an hour which is obviously inferior to the regular 80-minute version or the longer Kino print, so I'll focus on the presenting of the tale instead of commenting on aspects of characterisation, cinematography, etc.There is nothing extraordinarily unique about the plot or the intrigue itself - it even resembles the classic Greek Tragedies to some extent: poor kid makes good, becomes national hero, earns himself a true family but then the true test of his character comes when temptations are served to him on a platter.I do approve though of the WAY the story is told. There are instances of foreshadowing (I'll give no details to avoid spoilers) and a parallel subplot serving to muddle the clear distinctions between villain and hero we are so used to seeing in regular blockbuster fare. At the same time, enough tension is maintained to keep the viewer interested unto the end.It is no mere plot-driven movie either - director Fred Niblo leaves the viewer with enough food for thought to reflect on the nature of society, and man's penchant for self-destruction through cruelty and lust. I am no connoisseur of silent movies such as this one but I thought the actors and actresses were very capable and the three main actors (Valentino, Naldi and Lee) certainly do not lack the required screen presence to make human dramas like this work.It is perhaps debatable whether Blood And Sand represents the finest of Niblo's and Valentino's careers but it can be taken for granted that they must have been very proud of their efforts here.

Schlockmeister Most people picture Rudolph Valentino from his earlier roles in "Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse" or "The Sheik". In this movie, Valentino plays a Matador in Spain and the story traces his rise and fall. Yes, he certainly was handsome and you see traces of his definate appeal here. For me, though, the movie was stolen by "the other woman", Dona Sol. She tarts her role up real well and plays it very broad, almost shockingly brazen for it's time. The scene where she tells Valentino that she longs to fell him beat her will make us wince, then she bites his hand while while in a semi-embrace in order to raise his passions. All stuff that seems pretty extreme for the typical innocent silent movie woman roles. The ending will be no surprise, it is telegraphed and alluded to many times during the movie. It's not Rudy at his absolute best, but I can recommend it.