Dan's Papers - Issue #4 - April 20, 2007

On April 21 at 3 p.m., Dan's Papers They Made The Movie Here Film Festival will present Blood and Sand, the 1922 classic milestone of the early Long Island film industry.

Blood and Sand is the historically dated film of the life, loves and glittery wardrobe of a matador. The lead role is convincingly fleshed out by Rudolph Valentino, who infuses the blood and, if not the grit, the real zotz into the production. The film is based on Blood and Sand, Vincente Blasco Ibanez's studied, romantic and heavily contrasted sol-y-sombra-style novel, which was deftly adapted for the screen by June Mathis, who wrote the screenplay for Ibanez's The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), the film that rode Valentino to stardom. Ms. Mathis had recommended him to the formidable director, Rex Ingram. Rudy came through for them, creating a different leading man, the Latin Lover, a sensitive, sensuous swarthy Adonis, sleekly arrogant, yet vulnerable. The Sheik (1921) followed and that film firmly placed Valentino in the tall saddle of a matinee idol.

Unfortunately, under the limited direction of Fred Niblo, Blood and Sand's amorous dark shadows are brushed in simplistic strokes, giving the film a crude, too basic, black and white content. But Valentino adds a subtle tonality of varying shades of romanticism, imparting an image that is both full and true. In those days, silent romance and drama was of a heavy, grasping-at-the-heaving breast type of emoting. But, at least they grasped at their own breasts, not the women's.

Yes, you may find yourself guffawing when you are supposed to be gasping, especially in those scenes when the trampy Vamp, portrayed by a matronly-looking Nita Naldi, pulls out every trick to seduce the uptight matador. However, the film holds up well. The bullfighting and the theme that "prosperity and happiness cannot survive when built upon cruelty and bloodshed" are solid supports for the film's shaky old legs. The storyline itself has become a prototype for scads of novels and movies. The poor boy, laden with inspiration, succeeds to greatness, in spite of his kvetching mother, so he can shower her and his childhood sweetheart with largess. Then a wicked, rich witch, who has everything except him, wants him. He succumbs. She proceeds to bust his chops. Finally, he sees the light through swollen eyes, and... No, I won't spoil the surprise. The formula has been re-suited for almost every profession - a prizefighter in Body and Soul (1947) pounded by John Garfield, a jazz trumpeter in Young Man With a Horn (1950) blown by Kirk Douglas. There's an opera star in Serenade (1956) scaled to new decibels by Mario Lanza, and many more, including gangsters, violinists, politicians and artists. The only thing left, I guess, is a magnificent podiatrist.

Blood and Sand is an ambitious and successful movie despite its unimaginative director. As stated, June Mathis' script kept the big book's essence. Another woman, Dorothy Arzner, who edited and cut the film, devised the idea (new for the time) of using actual bullfighting footage, into which she brilliantly wove close-ups of Valentino, perfectly matching the action. She personally directed the sequences to prove it would work - and it did. Having the real arenas and documented action helps the film tremendously. I guess it's true that women were Rudy's strongest supporters.

Although the film is silent (with musical accompaniment) you are cordially invited to voice your thoughts and comments after the screening. Enjoy the show.

Guy Jean de Fraumeni is the producer/writer/director of award winning European and American feature films. He has been a judge at Major Film and TV award competitions, including the Oscars, the Emmy's and various film festivals. He is assisted by Sarah Halsey.