Beyond the Rocks

There has been a lot of excitement and anticipation about the release of this 1922 silent film which was believed lost, and Milestone has done a marvellous job of meeting our high expectations by presenting a second film and various fascinating bonus features on this DVD. "Beyond the Rocks" not only features the only pairing of two legendary silent screen stars, Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino, but the story itself was written by another big name of the 1920s, namely Elinor Glyn, who also wrote the story for "It" - another famous silent film starring Clara Bow. Putting all these big names and talents together, it's no surprise that "Beyond the Rocks" was a much sought-after silent film for decades, hence the fuss over its unexpected discovery in the Netherlands in 2003. As one might expect from an Elinor Glyn story and the established screen roles of Valentino and Swanson, "Beyond the Rocks" is a nice, old-fashioned love story with style and sophistication. Swanson and Valentino play the lovers, but she is married to an older, wealthy man chosen by her family and she feels a duty to honour this `bargain'. Although the end may be predictable, the steps leading to it are not so clear, and there are a few little twists as the film reaches its climax, making it a good and entertaining story even apart from the star appeal of Valentino and Swanson. Needless to say, both exude their usual on-screen charms and sweep the audience away on their romantic adventure; starting from a quaint English village, to the Alps, Versailles and finally the Sahara Desert. There are only two segments lasting a few seconds where the film has irreparable damage; otherwise the picture quality is beautiful, and watching some of the bonus features which document the discovery and restoration work of this film, we can be thankful that it has come to us in this near-perfect condition.

I was also very pleased with the second film on this DVD, namely "The Delicious Little Devil" from 1919 in which Valentino stars opposite Mae Murray; another popular star of the silent era. While Valentino plays the usual appealing role of the lover, it is Mae Murray, in my opinion, who steals the show in this surprisingly entertaining film with her vibrant, energetic and expressive manner. The musical accompaniment chosen for each film is of a very high standard, and among the special bonus features, perhaps the most fascinating is an extensive recording of Gloria Swanson talking about her life; it plays instead of music to "Beyond the Rocks". All these things together make this Milestone release well worth the long wait for both silent film enthusiasts and anyone just curious to see these two screen legends together.

Considering the huge percentage of silent films that are lost forever due to neglect and decomposition in the years since sound revolutionised movie making practices it is a miracle when some long lost and long coveted title from the silent era is discovered seemingly rising like a pheonix from the ashes in near pristine condition. Paramount's 1924 melodrama "Beyond the Rocks", has always been a much sought after film title and was believed to be long lost except for one surviving fragment of film a few minutes long. Despite having been officially "lost", for almost 80 years "Beyond the Rocks", has always stirred the imagination of silent film enthusiasts not so much for its dramatic qualities but because of its historic only teaming on screen of film legends Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino. When this film was rediscovered by accident in Holland a few years back there was universal celebrations throughout the film world due to the films miraculous survival after all these years. Thanks to a very careful restoration process it is now a total joy and priviledge to be able to enjoy this memorable film on DVD which until recently would have been thought of as an impossible dream. The discovery of "Beyond the Rocks", is of course also significant for film buffs in that it literally brings back to life another part of the extraordinary body of work of screen legends Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino and allows audiences for the first time in nearly 80 years to witness their legendary talents together for the only time on screen.

After much fanfare in Europe and an arthouse release in America, BEYOND THE ROCKS has finally arrived on DVD. Had it featured no-name or forgotten silent era stars it wouldn't have made much noise and would have disappeared very quickly but with Valentino and Swanson on board you can clearly see the difference that a pair of Hollywood legends makes. Valentino in particular shows what a delicate and refined actor he could be when called on to do so. He does wonders with a character who is not given that much to do. Swanson gives it her best shot but her role differs little from her previous Cecil B. DeMille pictures and director Sam Wood doesn't have the DeMille touch with actresses. The film is good but not great but it's nice to have around especially in this restoration from the Netherlands Film Museum. There are a few rough spots and the tints are sometimes a little too intense but the overall result is very impressive. You get your choice of new background scores too. The 1919 Mae Murray vehicle THE DELICIOUS LITTLE DEVIL which is also included doesn't do much for Valentino but it shows Murray off to good advantage especially in some very revealing costumes that are quite racy for the time. The real reason to buy this disc is Gloria Swanson's 1955 recording about her life in the movies. Absolutely fascinating with sharp, witty and astute observations from someone who was actually there. Lots of other extras too.

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