The Sheik (1921)

Don't make me angry...

Directed by George Melford
Starring Rudolph Valentino, Agnes Ayres and Ruth Miller
Produced by Paramount Pictures

Ahmed is a powerful Arabian sheik.  When he says jump, his followers say how high.  When he wants the casino to himself, the casino closes.  And when he wants Lady Diana in his harem, she'd best get in line with the idea.

Of course, Diana is a wealthy, independent Englishwoman and wants no parts of this.  Ahmed, not willing to take no for an answer, kidnaps the woman and makes her a servant.

Eventually, Omair, an enemy of Ahmed, decides he wants the woman for himself and HE kidnaps her.  Ahmed, now realizing he is in love with Diana, mounts an attack on Omair's stronghold to win the woman back.  Can Ahmed save Diana?  And will she reciprocate his feelings?

All right, first, let's talk about the good stuff.  There are a couple of action set pieces here that are well done, particularly Ahmed's attack on Omair's lair at the end.  It did a great job of ratcheting up the tension throughout and the final fight between Ahmed and Omar was great.

As to the rest, I didn't care for this one at all.

I came into The Sheik looking forward to my first dose of Rudolph Valentino.  He's billed as a magnetic personality that brought people back to his romantic adventures over and over again.  His name is synonymous with the male ideal.

For me, the dude simply has crazy eyes.  I mean look at this:

Or this:

Or this:

This is the way he looks throughout the entire movie.  If there's a reason for women swooning, I do not get it.  His acting took me right out of the movie for its running time.

In terms of story, this is borderline misogynistic.  At one point, he says he does not understand why making Diana suffer is not bringing him pleasure.  He forces her to wear certain clothes and serve him.  By the mid-point of the film, she has become subservient to him.  When the two profess their love at the end, you don't know if she's fallen for the sheik or if she's suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.

Finally, at the end of this film, just as you are about to have an interracial romance, it is revealed that Ahmed is actually European and was adopted by a Mideast sheik.  So it's no longer taboo for them to be together!  I am sure this was necessary in 1921, but it struck me as just silly.

I had high hopes for this one based on the reviews, but was ultimately disappointed.

** out of *****