An early, lush star vehicle by the newly-formed MGM. The star was Gilbert but he was easily out-shined by Garbo, who presented herself as a mature, sexually aggressive female at a time when this simply wasn't done. In this film she was a transgressor and, so, paid a nasty price but made other female film stars of her day seem like silly teenagers in comparison. It's no wonder that she captured male imaginations and held them for decades. The scene where she seduces Gilbert was electrifying...few men could have resisted her.
The sets and production design were outstanding. It's hard to believe that these exteriors were shot on a Hollywood back lot. And the theme...the strength of a male bond through time and life's vicissitudes...was well handled. The accompanying music score also excelled. Several nice director's touches...a silhouetted dueling sequence, POV shots...gave the film a contemporary feel.
But the film was badly hurt by the bug-eyed acting technique used by the two male leads. It made them look demented. Never in the history of the world has anyone really acted like that. This alone distanced a modern viewer from the film.
Still, this was a revelation. A "silent" that held a modern audience for two hours and made them care about the resolution. Watta surprise.
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