Don Juan (1926)

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

The acting in this movie is really good.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

. . . to understand how DON JUAN's escape from a Borgia dungeon could have happened. Since I lack such a diploma, I cannot fathom how this scene is any more plausible than that James Bond flick in which half of Venice collapses into the canals toward the end due to an elevator malfunction. I also noticed that the original print I just watched lacks many of the "synchronized sound effects" with which Warners Bros. sound technicians later enhanced select snippets of DON JUAN for their "25 Years of Sound" celebratory documentary shorts. Apparently, these studio flunkies were so lacking in imagination that they could not conceive of a later generation that would be able to compare the original DON JUAN studio release to their fraudulent "spiffed up" version. As Pope Alex wrote, "What a tangled web we weave when first we endeavor to deceive." Of the three characters actor John Barrymore tackles in DON JUAN, I like his brief cameo as a stand-in for Borgia Family torturer Neri the best. He is convincing then; less so as a lover, and still less as a duelist.

Although it may not be too obvious because of all the legendary Roman trappings, this is actually a fancy formula western (Western Europe, that is). The rake-hell gunslinger, uh, swordsman, is changed by the love of a good woman into a law-and-order fighter, who then foils the land-grabbing, or something-grabbing, villains. He then rides off into the sunrise (!)with the lady. Of course, the villains being of the Borgia persuasion, his foiling may be only temporary, but we'll never know, will we. Vigorous sword fighting, not convincingly staged if you know much about fencing, but exciting if you can suspend your disbelief, is part of the mix that makes this an entertaining film. Also, there are lots of lovely ladies and some vigorous scenery chewing as well. When all's said, though, a look at John Barrymore in his mid-prime is the main reason to view DON JUAN. As for this being an important film in the "dawn of sound" process of 1926-1927, that is due to the existence of "sound on disc" to provide the music and sound-effects. First-run theatres of the period usually did the same thing with an orchestra or organ, and a piano equipped with sound-effects "traps". The "sound on disc" made it cheap enough for even small neighbourhood theatres to have sound.

I enjoyed this movie very much, especially because I recognized bits of it! My favorite movie of all time, _Start the Revolution Without Me_, has a brilliant opening sequence using snippets of old movies--and many of them, I discovered, are from this film.But even without the especial glee of recognizing scenes, this is a thoroughly enjoyable film for those who appreciate swashbuckling costume drama. Or melodrama. There are terrific confrontations, fights, and an awesome chase scene on horseback. There is also oodles of passion and ca-noodling...and shapely John Barrymore showing off his shape in a costume that today's actors wouldn't be caught dead in, I bet.

While researching a paper on erotic literature I found many references to Don Juan. This movie, though in black and white and silent did a good job portraying the man who learned disdain for women from his father. The music matched the moods and John Barrymore sure could scowl. The women were quite seductive, but being a movie from the 20's there is nothing graphic about the trysts Don Juan had with the culpable women. The side story of the evil Borgias added to the movie- with its lessons on right and wrong. His salvation in the end comes from meeting a woman who can't be corrupted.