The Eagle (1925)

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Though The Sheik (1921) and The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1920) are more iconic, and The Son of the Sheik (1926) seems to be the fan favorite, I believe The Eagle (1925) is Rudolph Valentino's finest performance and all-around film. It does nothing to revolutionize film nor is it what you would call "high art," but TE is, in my opinion, a masterpiece of Hollywood escapism with its strong characters, great action, and sparkling comedy set in an art deco re-imagining of the Russia of Catherine the Great.Valentino has a reputation for being a nostril-flaring lover, but I find more often than not, he was usually subdued in his approach, though his characters obviously possess a lot of passion. He's in fantastic form here, juggling roles as an action hero, lover, and light comedian. He might have been sexier in his final film, The Son of the Sheik, but here, he gets to show off a lot more of his comedic talent, which was woefully underused in many of his films. Valentino also gains the perfect leading lady in the spirited and beautiful Vilma Banky. The two make a sexy and incredibly adorable on screen pair, and they would be paired again in The Son of the Sheik. The standout among the supporting cast is Louise Dresser as Catherine the Great. She wrings out a lot of power and comedy in her unfortunately brief part.Clarence Brown is, of course, excellent in the director's chair. He and the cinematographer Georges Barnes bring a lot of artistic touches to this lightest of films. The two scenes which always stand out for me cinematically are the tracking shot across the dinner table and the bit right after the condemned Valentino marries Banky in his cell. The two are embracing in medium shot, and the hands of the prison guard off to take Valentino to his execution and the priest who married the lovers emerge from off-screen to gently pry them apart.If you've never seen a silent film, then TE is a good place to start. Its story is simple but with just enough depth of character to keep you interested and the comedy is smart, not dated in the least. For veteran silent film fans, this is essential.

This was the first silent film I'd ever seen, and it immediately captivated me. All the acting is incredible, and Valentino's allure is breathtaking. The story is adventurous and interesting and even humorous at times. I recommend it to anyone interested in seeing a silent film or anyone just looking to see some classic entertainment.

This isn't the best Valentino; for this viewer, that would be "Son of the Sheik.""The Eagle"'s plot is a mess. The hero is not given a chance to use his own wits or cunning or skill or strength to rescue himself. Rather, he is rescued by a moment of sentiment in a person in power. He has vowed to avenge his father and depose Kyrilla, but he never does. While "The Sheik" movies worked to create atmosphere, showing how Valentino and his women were far, far away, in a world surrounded by sand dunes, "The Eagle" interior shots do a fair enough job of creating a convincing czarist Russia, but its exterior shots are obviously California. There's never any snow, which could have made this world as exotic and distant as Arabia's sands. But this *is* a Valentino movie, and that is a very good thing. He was wonderful, unique, and he made too few movies. So, you watch it for him. Vilma Banky is very fetching here, with the intelligence and spunk of an "It-Happened-One-Night"-era Claudette Colbert. The shot of the heavily laden banquet table is something to see; the special arrangements that had to be made for the camera for that shot are something to ponder. All in all enjoyable, but not the very best Valentino.

Enjoyable adaptation of Russian novel for American screen with well-polished Rudolf Valentino as the former Czarist officer who extracts revenge as the "Black Eagle" against the landowner who cheated his father. Valentino performs macho acts and is not cast only as a ladies man. Excellent directing by Clarence Brown, good re-writing to fit an American audience, some tricky camera shots, and wonderful sets add to the enjoyment of this very good film. Vilma Banky sizzles as the beautiful romantic interest that makes the erstwhile thief select love over vengeance. This is the next to the last time that we see Valentino. Gary Cooper (uncredited) appears as one of the masked cossacks -- you will never find him. Recommended.