Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie, So-So DVD
Review: This is my favorite Valentino movie. It allows him to use his natural talent as a comedian while still fulfilling what his audience expected of his as "the great lover".
Valentino plays Vladimir, a young Cossack officer who spurns the advances of Catherine the Great. (An amusing reversal especially when viewed along with the Sheik movies) Unfortunately, Vladimir's father wirtes to him begging him to get the Czarina's help. He has been swindled by a friend and is dying. Vladimir can do nothing but go home and watch his father die a broken man. He vows vengeance against Karilla, who betrayed his father, and becomes a sort of Russian Zorro called the Black Eagle.
Another unfortunate twist, Karilla has a daughter and since she is played by the lovely Vilma Banky you can guess what happens. Vladimir is smitten and is now stuck between loyalty to his father and band of followers and his love for her. Banky guesses who Vladimir really is right away (in spite of his disguises) and tries to get him to spare her father. Of course, Vladimir will have none of it and it looks like trouble until Vladimir is caught by the soldiers of the revengeful Catherine.
What happens next? Watch and see!Valentino handles his swashbuckler duties with an airy charm. (A shame he never played the Scarlet Pimpernel!) His scenes with Louise Dresser's Catherine are particularly good. She is trying to charm him, he is trying to find a polite way out. Dresser thoroughly deserved her Oscar nod and it's too bad that Valentino was not given one as well. The rest of the supporting cast is also very good, Vilma Banky plays her usual role, the nice girl with a temper, and has an obvious chemistry with Valentino. That said, this DVD, while ok, is not the greatest. The print quality is so-so and points. Bit of dust and lint got in the way of the transfer and can be distracting. The score is pipe organ. There are no extras besides scene selection. All in all, not an improvement on the VHS releases but you may as well buy it if you have an all DVD collection. Check out this movie to watch the Valentino legend yourself but don't expect too much from the DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Movie - Poor transfer
Review: This is not a review of the movie - other than to say it has been one of my favorite silents for over 20 years. This DVD, by Image from the Killiam Collection, seems to be from a somewhat deteriorated positive print of the movie accompanied by a rather mundane organ music tract. Image themselves, released a Laserdisc copy from the Rohauer Collection with full orchestra music in 1989 that was far superior. Hopefully they will be able to re-master that on for release on DVD in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: A breezy silent romp
Review: This movie is a light action/romance/comedy which manages to balance all of the elements well. If you have never seen a silent movie, this is a marvelous place to start. Valentino's preformance is charming as a "nice kid" who, after his father's death, becomes an outlaw. Matters are complicated by the fact that he has rebuffed the advances of Czarina Catherine the Great earlier in the movie. Matters become more complicated when he falls in love with his enemies sweet daughter. Matters become complicated still more when he takes a post as her French tutor in order to exact hsi revenge on her father. While all of the comedy is excellent, the throw away bits are the best such as when Valentino is about to give Vilma Banky a ring but then it gets stuck on his finger or when he adds a few zeros to the reward offered for his capture on a wanted poster. Wonderful, would recommend to anyone interested in classics and silent cinema.
Rating:
Summary: Valentino at his best!
Review: This silent film shows the legendary Rudolph Valentino off well. It takes place in Russia during the reign of Catherine the Great. Valentino plays "The Black Eagle", who is seeking vengence on his family's neighbor who had swindled them out of everything. However, he falls in love with his enemy's daughter and is torn about what to do.
| 
