Beyond the Rocks (1922) User Reviews

Seen at the New York Film Festival, 5 October 2005

[wmorrow59 · 7/10 · 8 October 2005]

When the restored version of Beyond the Rocks received its American premiere earlier this week at the New York Film Festival I was fortunate enough to be in the audience. The amazing story of this film's recovery and reconstruction by the staff of Amsterdam's Nederlands Filmmuseum is told elsewhere on this page, so it's not necessary to repeat it here; for my part, ever since I first heard about this rediscovery over a year ago I've been curious about one thing only, and that's the quality of the movie itself. It's great that Beyond the Rocks has been found, but how good is it?

Well, it was certainly exciting to see the movie with an audience, and a thrill to see Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino in something "new," but frankly I don't think anyone will mistake Beyond the Rocks for a masterpiece of the silent cinema. It's like a sumptuously produced Harlequin romance, a 1922 soap opera in which the two stars model lots of great outfits while they suffer nobly in picturesque locales. I'm not saying it's a bad movie, it's actually a lot of fun on its own terms, but it's the kind of fun you get from reading a "guilty pleasure" beach book. There's nothing wrong with a beach book as long as you're not expecting Chekhov, and nothing wrong with this film as long as you're not expecting Murnau.

The screenplay was based on a novel by Elinor Glyn, an eccentric lady best known for coining the term "It" to describe sex appeal. Madame Glyn (as she preferred to be addressed) is sometimes called the Barbara Cartland of her day, but Glyn's novels were far more outlandish than most anything you'll find in today's bookstores. Her plots were just flimsy excuses to place aristocratic lovers in exotic, secluded settings fit for delivering purple-prose speeches and engaging in steamy love-making on tiger rugs. Just consider the names of some of her characters: Princess Ardacheff, Madame Zalenska, Lord Bracondale, and let's not forget Bracondale's jilted fiancée, the unfortunate Morella Winmarleigh. Considering the silly source material it's remarkable that the filmmakers who adapted Beyond the Rocks for the screen managed to convert Glyn's tale into something halfway respectable, with a touch of dignity. At the screening I attended there were occasional giggles at moments of blatant hokum in the plotting, but I wouldn't call the film absurd over all. I think it's safe to say (although I haven't read the novel) that this is a case where the movie may be considerably better than the book.

Before seeing the film I wondered how two such iconic figures as Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino would pair on screen. Having seen it, my conclusion is that although Rudy looks great and gives a nicely nuanced performance, this is Gloria's picture all the way. Her character is at the center of the story, and it's what happens to her that matters. Swanson rises to the occasion with a stylized performance that is larger than life without ever going over the top, not even in the wrap-up sequence in the dunes of the Sahara, when the story reaches its climax and emotions peak. Gloria retains her poise and, like all the best silent stars, conveys a great deal with her eyes. Swanson was often called a "clothes horse," and throughout this film she and her co-star are both given the opportunity to show off a number of terrific costumes, most notably in a couple of gratuitous historical flashbacks apparently included solely to give the stars the opportunity to display themselves in exotic finery. A friend of mine who also saw the film said that the costumes worn in Beyond the Rocks are the real stars, and I quite agree. Mind you, this isn't solely a fashion show; this movie features not one but two bold rescues of the heroine (at sea and in the Alps) and a wild desert siege by bandits on horseback, but this isn't an action flick at heart, it's a chick flick, and the real action lies in the smoldering looks exchanged by the stars.

The print of Beyond the Rocks is in remarkably good shape for the most part, but there are some rough stretches where decomposition is noticeable, and a couple of junctures where footage is obviously missing. At the festival screening I attended, unfortunately, live music was not provided. Instead we were shown a print with a score by Henny Vrienten, and while I liked some of the music I found it a little too modern-sounding at times: at one point there's a bluesy jazz theme that's more Miles Davis than Jelly Roll Morton, pleasant enough but, in my opinion, not right for a film of this vintage. It was also unfortunate that the people who prepared the soundtrack found it necessary to dub in sound effects. I have no problem with certain ambient sounds (seagulls, dogs barking in the distance, etc.) but on this track we heard doors opening and closing, documents being unfolded, and even the sound of one hand patting another. They seemed to be trying to make the film "less silent," but for me these noises were excessive and only emphasized the absence of voices.

In sum, Beyond the Rocks is an enjoyable experience and of course a fascinating one for fans of the two stars, but it's not a film I'd use to introduce a newcomer to silent movies. God knows there are better examples of silent drama, but I'm nonetheless grateful that this film has unexpectedly emerged from obscurity as a special treat for the connoisseur, a slickly-produced, unabashedly old-fashioned romance served up with all the trimmings.

Beautifully understated acting

[mgconlan-1 · 7/10 · 27 May 2006]

It's great to have this film back after 84 years! It's only a pity it couldn't have been rediscovered while Gloria Swanson was still alive (in her autobiography she named it as one of the three films of hers the "loss" of which she regretted most, along with "Madame Sans-Gêne" and the last reel of "Sadie Thompson"). Elinor Glyn's story is horribly contrived — I can't think of another movie until the Beatles' "Help!" that moved its characters so extensively around the world to so little effect — and the love scenes are a bit disappointing (Swanson recalled that the Fatty Arbuckle and William Desmond Taylor scandals both broke just before this film started shooting, with the result that the script was given a last-minute rewrite to tone down the adulterous passions of her and Valentino's characters) — but what makes this movie truly great is the marvelously understated acting. This is the film to show someone who thinks all silent-film actors swooned, waved their arms like windmills and reacted to traumas like the Statue of Liberty collapsing in an earthquake: the people in "Beyond the Rocks" use simple, economical gestures and facial expressions to get their emotions across. I credit director Sam Wood — who made the transition to sound quite successfully and had a long career in the talkies — with getting these marvelously realistic performances from his cast. Henny Vrienten's musical score for the restored print is somber and effective, though I could have done without the sound effects and crowd noises and it seems odd to watch a silent film with music whose primary instruments are a flute and a Miles Davis-style trumpet.

An exciting discovery

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 21 May 2006]

The silent era continues to have surprises for us, such as this one, "Beyond the Rocks," a film starring Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino once thought lost but since rediscovered and restored. Based on a novel by Elinor Glyn, it's a potboiler that doesn't hold up well today, but so little does at age 84. It's the story of a young woman, Theodora, the hope of her family (i.e., the one with the youth and looks to nab a rich husband) who meets a British nobleman (Valentino) when he saves her from drowning. Then she meets her betrothed, a short, old thing. She's disappointed, but for the sake of her father, marries him. She runs into Valentino on her honeymoon and this time, he saves her from falling off a mountain during a climbing expedition. They seem Meant to Be. But both are determined to honor her marriage vows.

Valentino and Swanson are heavily made up, and both actually looked much better with a more natural appearance. In the beginning, with her hair down and less Max Factor, Swanson is lovely - petite, with amazing eyes and beautiful skin. Later on, however, she looks older than she is due to the make-up and hair-do. Her character has a great wardrobe, and Swanson wears it well. Both actors give good performances. Valentino had a tendency to be obvious in some of his emotions - it was more the style then - but he gives a more relaxed performance in "Beyond the Rocks." Most of the movie looks beautiful with its sepia tones though there are some damaged sections. It's quite a find and a chance to see two big stars of the silent era together. Swanson wrote of parts of the film that don't seem to exist any longer - but as one of the comments here suggests, she perhaps was mixing this up with another film. Given the plot, it would be easy to do so.

Just Saw It!

[vanscottie · 30 November 2005]

Just saw the film at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences in Los Angeles, very faithful and loving restoration. Still some bits missing. The speaker who was in charge of the restoration said there seemed to be approx four minutes still missing. In attendance were members of Swan's and Valentino's family. They spoke of their gratitude that the film was found and restored. Swanson's granddaughter quoted a passage from her grandmother's autobiography about her thoughts on the picture and that passage finished with a plea that somebody somewhere find a print of the film as she did enjoy it so and was so sad it had been lost. It really did feel in that theatre as if both stars were there watching it again. It's a rather good film, not a "great" film but well worth seeing for any fan of either star or of silent films in general. The DVD release will be "soon" and be on the Milestone label, a company that releases DVDs of a large number of silent films including nearly all of Keaton's.

This was a good day for film to have found this treasure

A wonderful discovery ... but not a grand film

[overseer-3 · 7/10 · 23 December 2005]

I had a full range of impressions and emotions while watching this recently rediscovered silent film. I saw it on a big screen in Orlando (before DVD release) and my husband and I sat in the very front row so we would be right on top of it and wouldn't miss a thing.

Story aspects: Beyond the Rocks is a romantic melodrama, based on a story by Elinor Glyn. It had some typical silent film clichés and overacting, but to a veteran silent film fan this will not be distracting. Gloria Swanson plays Theodora, who loves her father and family enough to sacrifice for them by marrying an older man she does not love just because he is rich. Afterward she falls in love with Hector (Rudolph Valentino), a rich romantic young gentleman who rescues her from the clutches of death not just once, but twice. A series of circumstances leads the husband to understand his wife is in love with another man, and he goes off on a dangerous exhibition to Algeria with the aim of sacrificing himself so that the young couple can be together.

Swanson and Valentino obviously enjoyed working together, they had a nice chemistry together on screen, though it didn't strike me as a terribly passionate one. In fact there was not one single kiss scene in the entire film, a major disappointment to me (unless there was one in missing footage). The closest they come to it is one scene where she rubs her cheek against his head. There was instead much talk of duty and doing the right thing by staying away from each other as much as possible, so that the husband would not be hurt.

Style aspects: Gloria's clothes in the film were gorgeous. Valentino on the other hand looked like he was shortchanged in the wardrobe department in several scenes, where he wears a tweed suit that ill becomes him. It looks too tight and only one top button is buttoned on his suit coat, which looked odd to me. For one brief scene he looks incredibly dashing all dressed in white. This was also the first time I noticed that Valentino had a rather large horizontal scar on his right cheek! You can see details like this much better on a big screen. I have never noticed it in any Valentino film I've seen on DVD. In the beginning scenes Valentino looks so young he looks like a teenager. Delectable. Gloria on the other hand had so much makeup on that she looked much older than her years, older even than she looked in Queen Kelly! That kept putting me off. It got a little better when she started wearing sophisticated, glamorous clothes, when she did age as part of the plot.

The art direction was pretty good for a 1922 movie. The scenes on the water and in the desert were quite realistic. The interior of homes looked authentic to the time period. Obviously a great deal of thought was dedicated to the overall look of the film, to make it artistic as much as possible.

Technical aspects: The film started at 7 pm and ended at 8:15 pm, so it was roughly one hour and 10 minutes long (with a 5 minute intro). My first impression of the film was that I was disappointed the beginning titles and credits were obviously lost. The font they used for the title and star credits was a modern, simple one and not impressive. If I were restoring it I would have designed opening credits with a strong vintage look to them, perhaps using a decorative flower design border. They could have gotten ideas from similar 1922 films. To just announce their magical names, Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino, with a boring, ugly modern font was not appropriate and didn't do justice to the importance of this film find.

Most scenes had artifacts galore and missing frames. A pageant sequence was partly missing, leaving the audience with unanswered questions as to what went on during those important scenes. There were some deteriorated scenes and decomposition but most of the film was in watchable condition, and we should be thankful we have it at all.

Musical aspects: The score was a strange mixed bag of new age music with some jazzy refrains thrown in at inappropriate times. One flashback scene received some vintage sounding music but it wasn't impressively authentic. There was one nice bit of music in a hotel scene where a musician was playing some kind of elaborate string instrument and people were dancing. That was my favorite part of the score, but alas, all too brief. Overall I feel the composer was trying to sound like James Horner's music, the fellow who did James Cameron's Titanic soundtrack, but this new age, Celtic sound is just not what I prefer when I watch my silent films. Enough with the pan flutes already! I prefer period music for silents.

The absolute worst thing about this score was the constant sound effects. It was ridiculous. No audience would have heard that many sound effects when going to watch a silent film in 1922. They wouldn't have heard that many sound effects if they had seen a silent-part sound film in 1929!

My rating: I'd give this film a 7 out of 10 for the storyline itself, a typical melodrama that wasn't original, an 8 out of 10 for set design and locations, a 4 out of 10 for the "restoration" work done, a 6 out of 10 for the music score (I might have raised that to a 7 without all the sound effects!), and an 8 out of 10 for the acting.

Addendum: I have since read the 1906 novel by Elinor Glyn, it's much better than the film. I would strongly suggest people interested in this film seek out the novel.

The Tutankhamun of silent films

[F Gwynplaine MacIntyre · 7/10 · 15 January 2006]

Once again, a film "lost forever" has merely been mislaid. 'Beyond the Rocks' is now the King Tutankhamun of silent films, and I say this not merely because the movie climaxes in an ancient Egyptian tomb. Tutankhamun was actually one of the more obscure kings of Egypt, who is now famous precisely *because* of his obscurity. After Tutankhamun's burial (in a small and unimposing tomb), a greater king had his own much larger and grander tomb built on top of Tutankhamun's tomb, unintentionally rendering Tutankhamun's tomb almost inaccessible to grave robbers. Consequently, the greater king's far more opulent tomb has long since been plundered, while Tutankhamun's riches survived nearly intact until his tomb was rediscovered to great fanfare in 1922 (the same year 'Beyond the Rocks' was released), thereby rendering the obscure king Tutankhamun far more celebrated and immortal in modern times than any of the more important kings of ancient Egypt who are now forgotten.

By the same caprice, 'Beyond the Rocks' attracted very little interest in its own day; it was permitted to lapse into obscurity, and is now reaping vast attention only due to its rediscovery. Had 'Beyond the Rocks' been available during the intervening decades from 1922 to now, today it would be deemed just one more routine silent film, a bit more opulent than most.

'Beyond the Rocks' is the only teaming of Swanson and Valentino, two stars who never much appealed to me. I'm hoping that the return of this film will prompt a reappraisal of the career of its director, Sam Wood. He directs this film expertly, most notably bringing taut suspense to an Alpine rescue sequence. Elsewhere, there's a good sequence in which Gloria Swanson's character nearly drowns. (I give her credit for doing this scene; in real life, Swanson couldn't swim!) I was also greatly impressed with how Swanson's heroine is symbolised by the odour of narcissus blossoms; this is one of the very few movies I've seen in which the erotic aspects of *scent* are used intelligently.

This film is a clothes-horse bonanza, with Swanson and Valentino tricked out in elaborate costumes from several different centuries. At one point, they show up in Kate Greenaway cozzies for a pageant on Whitmonday. (With their wits untied on Whitsuntide.) In the first sequence, Swanson makes her entrance as a teenager, wearing a little girl's sailor dress that clashes with her cupid's-bow lipstick!

The art direction is variable. This film was shot in Hollywood but takes place in several nations. I was deeply impressed with the opening sequence, which is set in Dorset and actually looks like Thomas Hardy country. A glass matte shot of the Tyrolean Alps is impressively elaborate but unconvincing. A sequence in Versailles features a ludicrously bad rear-projection backdrop of the Jardin des Tuileries. An alleged Egyptian tomb is laughably unconvincing, although I was impressed that somebody put authentic hieroglyphics on a piece of papyrus (but these should have been hieratic or demotic). Valentino plays an unmarried English earl(!), so his widowed mother is identified as the Countess: surely she ought to be the *dowager* Countess.

SPOILERS COMING. In view of this film's stars, and the fact that the movie is based on a novel by Elinor Glyn (author of sexually steamy potboilers), I expected Valentino and Swanson to exchange lots of flaring nostrils and arched eyebrows in their roles as star-crossed lovers, while she's trapped in a loveless marriage. Astonishingly, the two remain absolutely chaste until her husband dies ... generously blessing their union as he carks it.

The two stars give good performances in weak material. Sam Wood's direction is excellent. For some reason, it's fashionable among cineastes to knock Wood. I was once surprised and disappointed to hear film historian William K Everson (usually generous with his praise) going out of his way to make nasty comments about Sam Wood. Granted, in his personal life Wood had some very unpleasant traits. (Groucho Marx claimed that Wood was a racist, but Groucho often told malicious lies about people he disliked.) What matters is that Wood directed many excellent films that remain very popular, yet few people attribute any of the success of these films to Wood's contributions. While not quite as under-rated as directors Allan Dwan and James Cruze, Sam Wood is indeed under-appreciated. Here's hoping 'Beyond the Rocks' prompts new interest in his career. I'll rate this movie 7 out of 10, mostly for Wood's direction. Welcome back!

A true gem

[kati-visser-telegdi · 10/10 · 19 April 2005]

I was one of the lucky few to see the opening show of the film April 5th 2005 in Amsterdam. I must say I loved the whole idea of a gala, they chose a beautiful venue (Tuschinksi Theatre, a great art nouveau building). It was true pleasure! I had high hopes for the movie, and it even surpassed my expectations. Henny Vrienten, a contemporary composer wrote a superb score to accompany the film. The film made me realise how hard it must be to act a part without having your voice to help you get the message over. And all this with very limited facilities. I couldn't but admire the actors who, surrounded by cardboard mountains and what not, acted their parts. Never mind the mountain wobbled when she fell. It was heartwarming. Gloria Swanson was almost physically there, you could feel her emotions, she really was charismatic. Rudolph Valentino's acting was more instinctive, less learned; his charm was touchable and you instantly understood why millions of women fell in love with him. But beyond this, I thought the story to be an eternal classic: true love vs. honour, honesty and appreciation. And, without wanting to give away too much, I liked the triumph of the right choice. So a true gem, hope many will get the chance to see and enjoy it!

Picture, actors & story better than I had been told, sound effects more distracting than I had been warned.

[Larry41OnEbay-2 · 7/10 · 19 December 2005]

I've loved silent films for years so I'm not your average film viewer, I watch as many as I can find because they're to too rare and usually uniquely entertaining. Beyond the Rocks is not your typical silent in that is the only pairing of stars two of the brightest stars in what was a lost but not forgotten film. It was only forgotten because it was lost for 80years but after the discovery in the Netherlands we finally have a chance to see it for ourselves. I first want to applaud them and all their hard work as I would any archivist in their efforts to make history available to all of us.

I had read some of the many reviews on the IMDb, and after seeing it, the reviews are quite funny. One reviewer writes how Valentino walks away with the film but was not impressed by Swanson. Another finds Swanson radiant and Valentino stiff and inexpressive. And other's thought the film's costumes were the best part! I enjoyed it mostly because the actors had charm including the dumpy old rich husband that got in and then later out of the way. The story was typical meller-drama with our sympathies being first with drowning Swanson, then the dangling mountain climber Swanson, then the trapped in a poor family Swanson turned social climber stuck married to a chubby old man she didn't love Swanson.

Valentino and Swanson never really turn on the heat on high but after kismet (aka author/scriptwriter) has brought them together repeatedly they do simmer a little.

On the whole I enjoyed seeing the film on the big screen. The "digital restoration" turned out to be that the picture image pretty sharp and is rock steady instead of jumpy and jittery. It was a detailed image with sharp focus obviously made from a 35mm nitrate print. What continually struck me as being odd is that the film was filled with artifacts like spots, dirt, specks, blotches, scratches, tears, etc. I've seen several digitally restored titles where these minor image imperfections were removed. And I'm familiar with nitrate decomposition and what that looks like and there were a couple of sections where I understand it was a necessity to see/show that's all that has survived in the source material. But, it does not look like any effort was made to clean up or correct any of the wear throughout the print. Especially, the little lines on the left side of the image caused by those tiny, stress tears at sprocket holes that dance thru out the film. I realize a lot of people probably worked hard and much money was spent on making it look as good as it does, but if the lack of money or time was a problem then why spend too much on the excessive soundtrack? I've seen hundreds of silent films and they should be presented with music that matches/compliments the action. The presentation I saw used a new soundtrack especially made for this restoration and it was not a simply piano or music track using music in a style that would have been used at the films original release. Instead we heard boat and car motors running, the gravel getting crushed under the wheels of a moving car, doors opening & closing, every footstep, papers rustling, dogs painting, background crowd murmurings, envelopes being opened, every sound under the sun except the voices of the lead actors! UGH! These background effects did not compliment the action but constantly bring attention to them selves as unnecessary and intrusive! A proper silent era film presentation has the film accompanied by music of the era that is played live and the musician interprets the mood as it is presented on screen and blends it with the mood of that particular audience. This live mixing of projected larger than life image, live music and interactions of the audience create a recipe for cinema magic! And even though I have ranted on about how I disliked the sound effects that were added to this silent motion picture I did enjoy seeing the film and would not want to prevent anyone from seeing it any way they can. But I hope when it is released another/better soundtrack is offered/optioned on the DVD in case a customer has an experience like mine. My votes, film 7 out of 10, 1950s styled jazz music 4 out of 10 and distracting modern/faked sound effects -1 out of ten.

A must see for everybody except stiff-lipped academics

[jerryuppington · 9/10 · 4 August 2007]

(Contains possible spoilers)

I just loved this movie. Part of the excitement is watching a resurrected film, lost after over 80 years. It's like finding buried treasure.

This movie, however, would interest almost everybody, except experts who're jaded by years of cinematic criticism. Some points:

1. Swanson and Valentino are both beautiful to look at; Valentino is miscast, however. Swanson ages in concert with the screenplay, while Valentino doesn't; he photographs too young next to Swanson, especially in the later parts of the movie.

2. The costumes will make you wonder. Some are ridiculously elaborate. This is high regalia 20s-style. I wonder if they'd even be possible to make today? This is the best movie I've ever seen for parading 20s fashion.

3. Performances are subtle, nuanced, and believable throughout.

4. All the various stages of nitrate composition are evident here--first, the blurring, then the "freckles", then the "moldy cheese" look, then, finally, the disappearance of the image. On the other hand, some of the scenes are so crystal clear that you can see the details on the costumes. If you want to learn about nitrate decomposition, this film is a good teacher.

5. Swanson's tango dance, and the dress that was" talked about for a year", did not survive nitrate decomposition. Contrary to many reviewers' opinions, stills exist for the tango dance. The dress in question is probably the one she wears on stage, for less than a minute, during the pageant sequence. Unfortunately, because it's a long shot, we don't get to see it in any great detail.

6. The modern soundtrack is often off-putting, but during the second decomposing sequence (during the pageant), the somber, dramatic, heart-beating tune matches the action on the screen, while at the same time, dramatically draws attention to the decomposition itself. Was this purposeful? It's as if the composer was saying,"Listen, you fools! These films are disappearing. Just watch this sequence and see for yourself!"

7. While the plot is ridiculous today, it was the norm in 20s society. Elinor Glyn sold millions of books. What entertainment do we have today, that will be laughed at 80 years from now? (Rap music is a possibility.) It's too easy to look at films like this through the lens of today's sensibilities, and lose perspective.

8. About four minutes of film is missing; it's easy to pick out where, because the plot continuity reveals it.

9. Close attention to the sets will reveal that the same room, redecorated several ways, is used several times. For example, Valentino's library, and Swanson's husband's library, in the scenes after the pageant where the letters have been switched, is the same room redecorated.

For all these reasons, see the movie. If you're not enthralled by something in the film, you're jaded. All the rest of us little folks will love it--it's just plain fun.

Very good, though not especially compelling one way or the other

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 4 September 2006]

This is a very competently made silent film--with excellent direction, top stars and a decent script. And, overall it's a good film as well, but nothing exceptional one way or the other. For fans of silents, it's a great film to see. For those who are uninitiated or are afraid of silent films (a common problem), this isn't the best film to see, as there are more memorable and timeless movies out there for you to discover. Plus, both Ms. Swanson and Mr. Valentino appeared in better (as well as worse) films--it's sort of a middle of the road film for them both, though it's the only occasion where they appeared together in a film.

Also, and no one is to blame for this, but the version recently discovered in the Netherlands is not in pristine condition. While generally good, there are some small sections where the film has degraded so much further restoration just isn't possible.

Worth seeing - once...

[Igenlode Wordsmith · 5/10 · 25 October 2005]

When 'Beyond the Rocks' had its initial and only performance at the London Film festival, it was undoubtedly one of the events of the year. The cinema was booked out in advance, and queues formed at the box office in the hopes of obtaining returned tickets. Irrespective of its artistic merits, the miraculously-rediscovered film was guaranteed to arouse interest.

It has to be confessed, however, that the storyline of 'Beyond the Rocks' is in itself complete and utter tosh...

It became apparent to the audience what to expect within the first few shots, where the breathless and far-from-deathless prose of the title cards raised more than a few chuckles, although the attitude in the auditorium was good-natured throughout. The film is no great work of art and never pretends to be; the plot is women's-magazine stuff, told with a straight face as it whips through a quick world tour of stereotypes, from the English seaside to the quaint Alpine inn and a desert oasis. One of the biggest -- and to give it its due, probably in this case intentional -- laughs was raised by the heroine's bewildered husband voicing the audience's own reaction to the revelation of some very undersized Egyptian ruins: "Is that all?"

I was favourably impressed by the restraint and sensitivity of Rudolph Valentino in handling this material. His performance appealed to me considerably more than that of Gloria Swanson, whose role here, to be fair, consists of little more than a series of coy, tragic or would-be dramatic poses; she suffers also, I suspect, from being the designated Star and thus made up far more heavily in the contemporary style than the other female characters. The actress whom I actually admired the most was June Elvidge, playing the small role of Valentino's sister (randomly referred to in various title cards as Ann, Anne or Anna). She gave a very sympathetic and vividly-drawn rendition of her part that contrasted somewhat with what struck me as Miss Swanson's mask-like demeanour.

Despite an expressive performance from Valentino, unfortunately we have to take the central love affair more or less on trust. There is not a great deal of chemistry in evidence. Indeed, the heroine Theodora comes across to me as rather more animated and concerned about the fate of her husband in the final scenes, than about her lover in all that precedes; I must admit to half-hoping for a last minute twist that would have her realise she has grown to love this unprepossessing figure instead! But convention is met by a different set of clichés, and young love duly has its day.

It is interesting to compare the film with the references in Swanson's own memoirs, written many years after it was deemed lost: unless it has been lost in this print to censorship or decay, there is no sequence showing 'the tango as it was meant to be danced; by the master himself', let alone featuring in this dance 'a gold-beaded and embroidered lace evening gown so shimmering and beautiful that movie-goers talked about it for the next year'. Nor, even in this 'European' version, are there any of the 'torrid kisses' of which she observes 'Poor Rudy could hardly get his nostrils flaring before the American version was over'. Either the relevant sections are forever missing, or her memory must have been confused by other Valentino pictures of the era.

The film shown in London was the 'archival version', full-frame and silent, as opposed to the print with attached soundtrack to be made available for future exhibition and sale. In place of the Vrienten score with its allegedly intrusive sound-effects, we were treated to accompaniment by the National Film Theatre's justly renowned Neil Brand. I am unable, therefore, to comment on the music other than to commend the improvisation on this occasion!

In conclusion, I cannot honestly recommend 'On the Rocks' other than as a curiosity: true, it is a relatively early production in a style unfamiliar to modern eyes, but even so I have seen earlier film that I have appreciated more. The beautiful Theodora remains largely a helpless cipher of events, the melodrama of the plot is superficial rather than absorbing, the literary standard of the titles is on occasion risible and the screen lovers fail to kindle a convincing spark. Contemporary critics reputedly disdained it, and only the innovative star pairing and mythical 'lost' status have resurrected its appeal.

But it *is*, without question, a curiosity, and as such worth seeing once by any amateur of film history or Valentino fan. Just don't expect too much...

Great Movie - Loved the Soundtrack

[njtomboy · 10/10 · 22 May 2006]

I never really watch silent films.. In fact, this was the 1st one I ever watched straight through. They usually don't hold my attention. However, this one was strangely heart-warming thus being interesting.

I found that I couldn't take my eyes off the movie for fear I might miss a word passage. As the story progressed I actually grew interested in the story and found myself talking to the characters. This is totally out of character for me.

I quite enjoyed the chemistry between the young bride & her suitor. I was pleased by her devotion to her husband. Although, an affair was had, I rather enjoyed the fact that it didn't play out like a sleazy soap opera.

I also enjoyed the scenery. Yes, the film was old & many of the sites seemed to have fade... but it brought back memories of times I visited some of the same places. Oh and the film was set to great jazz music - which was a total surprise to me.

All in all, I truly enjoyed this film. It held my attention & for that I give it 2 thumbs up! Now I just may go out and find the novel on which it was based.

A moment, but no masterpiece

[Chris Knipp · 6/10 · 18 November 2005]

(A special event at the New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center, October 5, 2005.)

Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Velentino at the peak of their careers starring together for the only time in a hitherto lost title from Hollywood's great age of silent film: that's Sam wood's 1922 Beyond the Rocks. Yes, it's a thrill to see this elaborate production discovered at the Dutch Film Museum and digitally restored a couple of years ago. But bear in mind that both author Eleanor Glyn and director Wood are forgotten today not without reason. this story of the daughter of impoverished English aristocrats who's forced to marry a rich, fat old man -- when of course she prefers Rudolph Valentino -- is corny. The stagy accidents -- a near-drowning and a fall off a cliff in the Alps -- where Valentino (as the playboy Lord Bracondale) just happens to save Gloria -- are even cornier.

But if the charm of Ms. Swanson and the good looks of Mr. Valentino don't slay you, perhaps their wardrobes will. He has as many different pretty outfits as she, and you can see how the hoi polloi came to the pictures just to dream. A nice thing about the movie, which is conventional but not simplistic, is that the unattractive husband, the self-made millionaire Josiah Brown (Robert Bolder), is actually a sweet man who dies heroically, in effect giving his life in the Sahara so Valentino and Swanson can live their love.

Long lost Swanson/Valentino romancer adds little to their legacies.

[maksquibs · 3/10 · 8 May 2007]

Though famous for re-coining "It" as a code word for sex appeal, this piece of romantic slush is more typical of Elinor Glyn's output. Gloria Swanson marries a rich old fart to save her family from ruin, but falls hard for dashing aristo/playboy Rudolph Valentino. A jealous old flame swaps letters Swanson has written to her husband & her putative lover (she's going to do the right thing, whew!) and in a fit of renunciation, her portly spouse goes off on a Sahara expedition (!) knowing that his life will be in jeopardy. Gloria & Rudy give chase, arriving just in time to get the dying man's blessing. Sam Wood helms efficiently, but brings out the ham in everyone, esp. Rudy, and this famous 'lost' pic only proves the axiom about disappointing discoveries. The newly commissioned background score also disappoints though the picture restoration is largely a success.

Swanson and Valentino Together Again

[drednm · 21 May 2006]

Finally saw this via TCM's world premiere; this is the most famous film discovery of the last few years, thought to be lost for 80 years! Very good romance film that sweeps from the English coast to the Alps and the to the African desert. Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino star as star-crossed lovers who wait years to get together.

They meet when she falls from a row boat into the sea and he dives from his yacht to save her. They area attracted but she must marry a self-made millionaire to save her poor family. Later in the Alps on her honeymoon she slips from a snowy ledge and is rescued to guess who? They continue to tun into each other (because he's chasing her) until finally they all come together in the desert.

A little slow but Swanson and Valentino are two of the most charismatic stars of the 20s and they are great together.

Oh I didn't care much for the new musical score. It was boring New Age droning and didn't fit the era. Milestone made the same error with it's restoration of Piccadilly. Here the music drones along, except for a Scott Joplin number, with shards of sound effects.

Based on a novel by Elinor Glyn, the topic of "love outside marriage" was a hot one in the early 1920s. Glyn's plots are always clichés but the real magic here is the beautiful Swanson and beautiful Valentino and how they finally get to be "beyond the rocks." Parts of the film are missing but nothing major. Some parts are distressingly deteriorated but nothing to ruin the overall film. Other parts of the film are so clear you can see grain of the fabrics.

Read up on this film in Swanson's autobiography. She was friends (only) with Valentino and allowed him to be co-starred with her (she got first billing despite the new Dutch restoration that gave Valentino top billing in the closing credits) on condition she get a 3-month vacation in Europe.

Later she corrected someone who said SHE had worked with HIM. HE had worked with HER (because it was her film). Wow semantics, but in the original Swanson got billing alone above the title.

Swanson also talks about the famous tango she did with him--alas lost! I assume it was during the house party where they were readying a "pageant" and she's wearing a famous dress (they talked about it for a year, says Swanson) of white lace and shimmering gold beads. The lobby card I have from this film is a scene of Valentino and Swanson doing the tango. What a pity, but maybe the scene will be found.

At the very end of her terrific book she says people never stopped asking her if she knew where a copy of BEYOND THE ROCKS was... or MADAME SANS-GENE or the final reel from SADIE THOMPSON. You can sense her great feeling of loss.

But it's ironic that in several of her "recovered" films there are still scenes missing: the tango scene in BEYOND THE ROCKS, her Chaplin impersonation in MANHANDLED, and the final piece of SADIE THOMPSON.

A Once In A Lifetime Teaming

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 29 July 2007]

Having just seen Beyond the Rocks tonight I had no idea this was a 'lost' film that was rediscovered and restored thanks to our good friends in the Netherlands where a copy was located. Still a chance to see Rudolph Valentino and Gloria Swanson together is never to be passed up even if what they appear in is a cheap romantic melodrama made better by their presence.

Gloria's a titled Englishwoman in who the rest of her family two half sisters and an impoverished titled father rest their hopes on restoring the family fortune with a good marriage. Enter Robert Bolders in a part that a few years later Charles Laughton might have played. He's a self made member of the English upper middle class looking for what now would be called a trophy wife. Under pressure she marries him.

Of course then Rudolph Valentino comes along and Gloria regrets having married in haste. Rudy's enough to turn anyone's head and they keep running into each other, in the Alps, at Versailles, and back at home where Bolders is being asked to finance an archaeological dig in the Sahara. An expedition along the same lines as the Carnarvon-Carter expedition that discovered King Tut's tomb.

The whole thing ends up in Rudy's old stomping grounds the Sahara Desert. As another reviewer pointed out, if you're a devoted reader of Harlequin novels, you KNOW how it will end.

Gloria and Rudy make this film seem a whole lot better than it is. If it weren't for them it would get an even lower rating. Still for those who admire these two stars and they have deserved admirers, you might want to catch this film.

Now I'll bet the discovery and restoration of Beyond the Rocks would make an interesting movie.

Some good sequences, but nothing special, unfortunately

[zetes · 6/10 · 24 June 2012]

A very rare teaming-up of two silent superstars, Rudolph Valentino and Gloria Swanson. This film was lost until 2005, when it was discovered in a Dutch film archive. It's okay, but kind of pedestrian. Swanson plays a poor girl with an aging father and two spinster sisters. The sisters convince her to marry a much older man, a millionaire (Robert Bolder, who looks like he could play the Penguin in a silent movie adaptation of Batman). Swanson falls in love with young count Rudolph Valentino after he rescues her twice, but of course can't be with him. When Bolder finds out, he is so depressed that he undertakes a dangerous expedition in North Africa, hoping to be killed there. The North African sequences near the end are the film's best. I also liked the alpine sequences nearer the beginning. Otherwise, it's a bit of a bore.

it will be rare to do but, if you can, watch it with a live organ w/35mm print

[Quinoa1984 · 8/10 · 1 April 2009]

One of those nice stories to hear about: a film starring two of the most glamorous and true-blue STARS (in caps) of the 1920s was lost for the greater part of the last century and then discovered in a Dutch museum, and then restored for viewing on DVD and TCM. Viewing it any way you can is delightful, but really, if it's at all possible, the best way to watch it is in a theater preferably projected from 35mm with a live piano accompaniment. It is rare to happen but well worth the while, especially with the right organist; the material begs to be given lush and melodramatic rhythm to go with the lush and melodramatic storyline. It might not be the very best silent film you've ever seen, but as far as these old-fashioned romantic will-she-or-wont-she movies go it could be a lot worse.

It's one of those stories: a girl needs to betroth a rich gentlemen to help out her family, and she does reluctantly, but her heart is soon to be linked to a man who saves her not once but twice, first time from drowning after falling out of her rowboat and again when she slips and nearly falls off a cliff. There's a few of those moments where one laughs at something kooky being played straight- the honeymoon is spent in the mountain where there's clog-dancing or other- but it's really about these two characters, Lord Bracandale and Theodora, coming together.

Moreover, it's about the stars playing would-be lovers on screen, with *the* sexy symbol of his time Valentino substituting for all those lonely women who would love to be in Swanson's shoes. You could guess that so many in the audience would yell out "just leave with him already, he's friggin' Valentino!" Granted, Sam Wood is no master of cinematic drama, but he's a strong craftsman who directs his stars extremely well, getting some restrained and touching performances filled with those little gestures or those sad or loving looks that make up so much of what makes silent films tic. And there's also a supporting performance Robert Bolder that has its moments. Only once did I get slightly fidgety, which is right in the scene where he's deciding on whether or not to go off on the expedition (it dragged slightly, even for just its few minutes as one wants to get back to the stars). The rest of his performance, however, was splendid, particularly when he discovers by a misplaced letter about the love affair between the Lord and Theodora. The final desert scene is also a knockout of melodramatic proportions.

It's always something nice when a good film is unearthed for all cineastes to take in, and Beyond the Rocks provides its audience a match-up comparable to the likes of Brad Pitt teaming up with Angelina Jolie or Roberts with Owen in the recent Duplicity. It's engaging to watch the story and yet it's not the reason we're watching: there's something to the chemistry between Swanson, a beauty who doesn't hide her curves and tender but knowing exchanges, and Valentino, who could melt the right girls face with a glance. It's a fine little relic meant to be seen on a big screen.

A curiosity piece but not one of the silent greats...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 21 May 2006]

This is proof positive that not every silent film is great or even worthy of restoration, however good the photography may be. Nor is the musical accompaniment always appropriate, as is the case here.

GLORIA SWANSON and RUDOLPH VALENTINO may have been the hot twosome of the twenties, but here they hardly get a chance to do more than exchange intense glances while Swanson coyly looks away and flutters her overmade eyelashes and purses her bow-lipped mouth. Rudy is given not too much material to work with in the way of romantic lover, but he gets hero status from the fact that first he saves her from drowning, then rescues her when she falls off the rocks.

Aside from her garish and non-flattering make-up, Miss Swanson does nothing to suggest why she was such a popular silent star except for the fact that she is paraded in a series of costumes that were clearly not designed by Adrian.

Valentino, on the other hand, gets to look his handsome self and even dons one white outfit that flatters his swarthy good looks. Other than watching the two of them parade around in various outfits, there is nothing in this Harlequin romance that makes much sense.

Her romance with a nobleman is given a conveniently happy ending when her husband nobly allows himself to be shot in the desert so that his young wife can spend the rest of her years with Valentino.

Somewhere in this hopelessly old-fashioned, banal, slow moving romance there must be a message, but I'll be darned if I can find one--except perhaps that when you're old, you should kill yourself if it will make your wife happy.

As silent films go, the direction by Sam Wood is quite restrained for the time period and the photography is often artful when the film isn't having restoration problems.

But this is by no means anything anyone should go out of their way to see. The story is trite, Swanson's acting is all a series of poses, and only Rudolf Valentino comes out of this smelling like a rose. At least he's natural and low-keyed and knows how to look at a woman--which must disappoint female fans who wanted to see him and Swanson steaming up the desert with passion. Not.

Great Look Back in the Past

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 24 May 2006]

Viewing this Classic film from the 1920's was fascinating and especially viewing Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino both in the same picture was very unusual in films during the Silent Era. Rudolph Valentino was the heart throb of all the young girls and ladies and Gloria Swanson was very petite and cute looking and had a certain spark to her acting skills. Rudolph Valentino,(Lord Bracondale), played the playboy which he was in real life and gave an outstanding performance trying to win the heart and soul of Gloria Swanson,(Theodora Fitzgerald). Theodora was married to an old man with a beer barrel belly and very rich, but he did deeply love Theodora and would do anything to make her very happy. This is a rare picture that was lost and restored in the Netherlands. If you like Classic Silent films and great film stars, this is the film for you.

Lavishly produced silent film

[sdave7596 · 7/10 · 28 April 2012]

This silent film, "Beyond the Rocks" was made in 1922. It was believed to have been lost forever, as films of that era were made out of a nitrate that disintegrated over time. Film makers of that time made a lot of pictures, and movie audiences simply moved on to the next film. No one thought anyone would care about these gems; fortunately this one was found. The film stars two of the most popular actors of the silent era: Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino. The story centers around a penniless young girl; she is married off to a much older man (Josiah Brown) so she can provide for her family financially. Enter a handsome aristocrat (Valentino) who is smitten with the now very wealthy Swanson. The two are very attracted to each other. She resists, torn between duty to her husband and her love for the younger man. Despite his love for her, Valentino tries to be a gentleman, and he is never inappropriate with her. Her husband gets wind of the attraction, and the rest of the story is heartbreaking. The quality of this film is quite good; there are a few rough patches, but overall the color tints used are outstanding. It is a lavishly produced film, complete with amazing set designs, and Swanson is decked out in sumptuous fashions. The film itself was probably considered average for its time. However,it is quite a treat to see both Valentino and Swanson at the peak of their youth and good looks. I love silent films and Turner Classic Movies for bringing them to us!

Old Movies Can Be Awful, Too

[rbrtptrck · 1/10 · 30 November 2005]

There are reasons why movies get lost. I saw this last night at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Science was on display in the craft which restored the film. Art was nowhere present. The movie is dreadful. Trophy-wife Gloria and single Rudy spend most of it nearly kissing and then snapping their necks to face forward and look frustrated. In the last segment, her fat, rich, old, ugly husband manfully recognizes that youth must call to youth and deliberately walks into an Arab raider's bullet. I am not making that up. The audience, which had prior to the showing sincerely applauded the efforts of the restorers, giggled helplessly throughout the film. Gloria wears one stunning outfit, a Persian lamb (I think) coat with karakul (I think) cuffs and collar bigger than most emerging nations. But that's it for entertainment value. Even by the standards of the time, the plot is clunkily contrived and glacially slow-moving, and the acting is minimal (not the actors' fault--nobody actually has a character to play), and the whole project is so detached from any human reality that it approaches science-fiction rather than romance.

Good performance, watch even if you are not a silent fan

[MarieGabrielle · 9/10 · 7 May 2011]

Gloria Swanson looks lovely and young here as Theodora, an ingénue with no money who marries businessman Josiah Brown so she may help her dear father. For the era, the film is remarkably effective, the rice throwing scene as she departs, to go to Europe with her new husband. Even while black and white and digitally restored yet bruised film, the visuals are quite interesting.

Rudolph Valentino as Lord Bracondale is quite attractive. It is subtle, he meets her through the Tyrolean honeymoon, the smell of narcissus on her handkerchief reminds him of.....something....

Of course all is above board and nothing happens for quite some that is untoward.

What is lovely about this film is the visual sense of eroticism and romance. We do not see this today. It is subtle, no screaming, psycho-drama or histrionics. It is, in a sense the way some real romance and infidelity may be played out. Theodora loves Lord Bracondale but remains faithful to elderly and infirm duffer Josiah Brown.

Eventually we see Josiah financing a safari to Algeria as he chooses to do so to rid his wife of the stigma of being married to an older, less virile man. He acquires a small legion of Algerian soldiers on an archaeological mission, but there is danger and Theodora decides to follow him.

There are some innovative scenes of the Algerian desert and an archaeological site which several explorers note was a "torture site for an unfaithful woman, as from the Bible". It is stark and desolate desert, evoking barren emotions, barren marriage.

I found this film charming and visual. Romantic comedies today are saccharine and trite. While some of the cinematography is rudimentary it far surpasses what passes for romantic interlude today.Please watch and Gloria Swanson looks lovely. 8/10.

Silence Is Golden

[wes-connors · 6/10 · 13 May 2008]

Fetching young Gloria Swanson (as Theodora Fitzgerald) is rescued from drowning by debonair playboy Rudolph Valentino (as Hector Bracondale). Although Ms. Swanson clearly falls for Mr. Valentino, her family notes: he's not the marrying kind. They set beautiful Swanson up with elderly millionaire Robert Bolder (as Josiah Brown), which enhances family fortunes considerably. On her honeymoon, Swanson slips on the Swiss Alps; she is saved by Valentino, and the two find it difficult to resist each other…

Director Sam Wood's "Beyond the Rocks" is an enjoyable pairing of superstars Swanson and Valentino. Their initial flirtation, and fantastical costumed interludes are effective. Otherwise, the two seem more like pals than romantic partners; and, the story is sheer nonsense. Still, this is a film found in 2003, which co-starred not one - but TWO of the most popular film performers of the 1920s. What will they uncover next?

Much thanks to Nederlands Filmmuseum and Milestone Films for "Beyond the Rocks".

****** Beyond the Rocks (5/7/22) Sam Wood ~ Gloria Swanson, Rudolph Valentino, Robert Bolder

Better soundtrack than film

[LuvSopr · 5/10 · 16 April 2012]

I can certainly understand why the discovery of this film was seen as a major event - a lost, major teaming of two of the biggest film stars of all time.

The care put into the restoration is a sight to behold - the movie is pieced together beautifully, and some sequences, like the glimpses of color, are stunning. Rarely would the sight of blue flashes on a dressing gown excite you as much as they do here.

The soundtrack, by Henny Vrienten, is a masterpiece. Soothing, romantic, sweeping, tribal, majestic. I wish the DVD release of this film had gone into more detail on the making of this genius. It truly carries the movie when the movie itself is not quite up to the task.

As for the film itself, I just felt little connection to the characters or story. While I appreciate that Beyond the Rocks did not delve into huge, murderous melodrama, there are very few stakes in a two hour film. Theodora and Hector meet. They fight their feelings as he chases her around the world. They continue fighting their feelings to the point where a supporting character is the only one who causes movement to the plot. Even at the end of the film, Theodora and Hector are on the sidelines. The film seemed more concerned with preserving the morality of the characters than with telling a strong story.

You have little reason to care about this couple, and that extends to the performances. Valentino, one of the most charismatic film idols of all time, seems restrained and lost in this role. Swanson, not too far off from her days as a comedienne, makes facial expressions in closeup which come across as if Lucy Ricardo was making a silent picture. The makeup piled on her is also distracting, and aging.

Robert Bolder, as Theodora's husband in name only, is the most interesting part of Beyond the Rocks. To the film's credit, they do not demonize Josiah, instead presenting him as a man whose time has passed and who truly does love his wife. His final scene in the film is quietly powerful, and the finest moment.

Beyond Bolder, and the soundtrack, my favorite element was the jolting fantasy sequence of the price a wife pays for adultery - a moment which has far more vitality than the rest of the film.