At this silent point, it is not necessary to explain who were Dame Gloria Swanson and Herr Rudolph Valentino, two silent icons both well known and recognizable for anyone interested in the silent era or even afterwards. Both silent stars worked together in only one film, "Beyond The Rocks" directed by Herr Sam Wood during the silent year of 1922. It was considered lost for many decades until miraculously a nitrate emerged from darkness and was carefully restored by suitable curators at the "Filmmuseum". Obviously the interest in watching such an important silent couple in that film was enormous after so many years, but this German count finds the film's artistic merits noteworthy as well.
The words elegance and discretion best describe the tone of the film.
It is the story of a larger than life love between Dame Theodora Fitzgerald ( Gloria Swanson ) and Lord Hector Bracondale ( Rudolph Valentino ). Theodora is married to Captain Fitzgerald ( Alec B. Francis ) but it's a matter of economics not love as the match was a way of giving financial support to her family, namely her father and her two older sisters.
The passion Lord Hector and Theodora feel for each other is depicted in a well mannered, discreet but at the same time, passionate way; a restricted love that must be suffered in silence in order to avoid a scandal and consequently put at risk the financial support of Dame Fitzgerald's family. This is a hidden love that must wait for better times in order to be consummated.
Such restrained passion is due to decency and the social convention that such affairs not be public; after all adultery is a delicate subject for couples from all social classes, not to mention that 80 years ago it was even more complicated to depict adultery on the silent screen due to censorship. Immoral conduct although older than recorded history and practiced for centuries, cannot be justified even in an artistic way according to the censors of that day.
So Herr Sam Wood's direction is perfect; he maintains the slow tempo and the frustrations "in crescendo" of such inappropriate love sufferings of the couple. This gives the film the perfect mood, sometimes stilted but at the same time lovely and decadent, helped by the convincing performances of both silent stars, glamorous Dame Swanson and charming Her Valentino.
Sometimes, watching the film, this Herr Von was on the verge of losing his temper and said out loud at the Schloss screen: "both of you are young, handsome and rich, so what are you waiting for to commit adultery, for Gott's sake??!!" , a logical aristocratic reaction. Fortunately Dame Fitzgerald and Herr Bracondale knew pretty well that it is much better to suppress basic aristocratic instincts and wait and suffer properly in order to finally get their longed for reward, or as they say in the film, wait until they have "passed the rocks and be finally in the safe waters beyond".
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must drink a cocktail on the rocks.
Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/
The words elegance and discretion best describe the tone of the film.
It is the story of a larger than life love between Dame Theodora Fitzgerald ( Gloria Swanson ) and Lord Hector Bracondale ( Rudolph Valentino ). Theodora is married to Captain Fitzgerald ( Alec B. Francis ) but it's a matter of economics not love as the match was a way of giving financial support to her family, namely her father and her two older sisters.
The passion Lord Hector and Theodora feel for each other is depicted in a well mannered, discreet but at the same time, passionate way; a restricted love that must be suffered in silence in order to avoid a scandal and consequently put at risk the financial support of Dame Fitzgerald's family. This is a hidden love that must wait for better times in order to be consummated.
Such restrained passion is due to decency and the social convention that such affairs not be public; after all adultery is a delicate subject for couples from all social classes, not to mention that 80 years ago it was even more complicated to depict adultery on the silent screen due to censorship. Immoral conduct although older than recorded history and practiced for centuries, cannot be justified even in an artistic way according to the censors of that day.
So Herr Sam Wood's direction is perfect; he maintains the slow tempo and the frustrations "in crescendo" of such inappropriate love sufferings of the couple. This gives the film the perfect mood, sometimes stilted but at the same time lovely and decadent, helped by the convincing performances of both silent stars, glamorous Dame Swanson and charming Her Valentino.
Sometimes, watching the film, this Herr Von was on the verge of losing his temper and said out loud at the Schloss screen: "both of you are young, handsome and rich, so what are you waiting for to commit adultery, for Gott's sake??!!" , a logical aristocratic reaction. Fortunately Dame Fitzgerald and Herr Bracondale knew pretty well that it is much better to suppress basic aristocratic instincts and wait and suffer properly in order to finally get their longed for reward, or as they say in the film, wait until they have "passed the rocks and be finally in the safe waters beyond".
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must drink a cocktail on the rocks.
Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/