The Sheik / The Son of the Sheik (Special Edition)
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Features
• Black & White
• DVD-Video
• Full Screen
• Silent
• Special Edition
• NTSC
In Theaters : 20 November, 1921
DVD Release : 25 June, 2002 |
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The Sheik / The Son of the Sheik (Special Edition) Customer Reviews
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♥♥♥♥♥
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Rudy is My Valentine - O
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Another review by PD's daughter.
I was given this movie from one of moms friends (which I am sooo very happy that I got it!!) but even before that I was mightily curious as to what created such an insane craze and obsession in the 1920's. Now I know. His name was Rudolph Valentino.
I had read "The Sheik" (well the condensed version by Barbara Cartland, but it followed the original story never the less) a few months ago and was really captured by this ruthless Spanish-Brit mix desert sheik. The Sheik Ahmed was cruel, and seemingly heartless (brutal really, but I guess it would be called animal brutality, if you know what I mean..), stating "an Arab takes what he wants" What the Sheik really wanted was Diana, the spoiled yet beautiful aristocratic brit whose room he had snuck into and switched her bullets for blanks and later kidnapped on the desert dunes. Well the Sheik got Diana and wanted to "break her" to his will. And he did so quite violently (as could be seen in Valentino's face, which, ohmygod, he had done so effectively, but I'll talk about Rudy later..)
The one part I really enjoyed was when The Sheik releazed how cruel he was really acting and Rudy's face changed from twisted lust to a look of compassion (it was such a magical part and my mother said "rewind that part!" and so we watched it again)
The Sheik pivoted Valentino's career into the "he'll never be forgotten for ever" mode and really made the 1920's. All the ladies became shebas and the guys sheiks...and everyone from the farm girls to flappers were in love with Rudy.
Now there are 2 movies on this DVD and the second is my FAVORITE!! The Son of the Sheik, where Valentino was the son Ahmed and the father from the original picture, was a far better backdrop for Valentino's acting skills. The special effects were amazing (for that time peroid I mean, today I'd laugh and point and say ha! you must be joking!) in the sense of how the two Valentino's were juxtaposed together (like the part where he has his arm on his other self... creepy cool), it must of cost a fortune to do. In this picture the younger Ahmed falls passionately (passionately I say because he was very .... well I felt it to be very romantic even for today's standards and back then I'm not sure how the older mama's would have acted to his fevered kisses) with a beautiful dancer of a circus troope. The young Ahmed is captured by the jealous "bad guy" of the troope and is whipped (I really didn't see that coming!) and tied to bars (it was horrible and I was very upset at this point) and then the guy lays a horrendous lie at his already bound feet and WELL I can't tell you that because it is the major conflict of the movie (but it's good and I was upset even more).
The DVD has special features. One includes the "Valentino Beauty Pageant" which was creepy but very fasinating for historical reasons. One was a silly skit Valentino did (which made no sense what so ever buuut I did get to see him run around in his bathing suit :Ogasp!) and the last is a short film of the publics reaction to his death (to think there was a report of mass suicides afterwards!)
The one thing I really liked about the DVD was the choice of the soundtrack you wanted to use. It gave you the option of a new sythisized version or the original music they would have used in the theaters (which I personally prefer better). It really adds to the "Sheik" experience.
Overall (finally!) I really LOVED this DVD collection and LOVE Valentino. Why you may ask?? He's in incredible actor!! His expressions are amazing and very naturally changable... he can smoothly transition expressions in a scene that it puts the topgal to shame and makes her almost invisable. But (of course) Rudolph Valentino was extremely attractive and wonderfully handsome (see Son of the Sheik where there is a part where his headgear is stripped off and his shirt is opened ohmy!)
Valentino was certianly bad for his time and my favorite photograph of all time is by him.... where (in the son of the sheik) he is wearing all black with his hood over his head and a cigarette in between his ringed fingers... glaring...
Valentino screams HOTTNESS!!!
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The Sheik / The Son of the Sheik (Special Edition) dvd movie.