Starring Rudolph Valentino, Vilma Banky and George Fawcett
Produced by Feature Productions
A troupe of entertainers who prefer to be thieves sit in their camp outside of town, alternately cheating and accusing each other of cheating. Inside one of the tents, Yasmin, the daughter of the group's leader, sits dreaming of the handsome man she met earlier.
The man Ahmed is the son of a sheik (the title character of 1921's The Sheik). He has fallen for the dancer and is on his way to meet her in the ruins next to the criminals' camp.
Unfortunately, the entertainers learn of the lovers' secret rendezvous. They capture and torture the man, while planning to ransom him. Ahmed's right hand man Ramadan rescues him, but our hero believes that his love set him up.
When the troupe comes through the town where Ahmed is recovering, he kidnaps Yasmin to take his revenge. In the meantime, his father is growing impatient with his son's disobedience in recklessness.
Will Ahmed learn the truth about his love? Can he earn the respect of his father and... wait, did our "hero" really just rape his captive?
I've seen movies overshadowed by a scene, both for good or ill. This may be the first I have seen where an implied scene almost subsumes the entire film.
Ahmed has captured Yasmin and is toying with her. He kisses her and shows her the helplessness of her situation. Then, she begins backing away from him and towards a bed. Fade out
The next time we see her, she is awakening in that same bed and her previous hatred is now boiling over. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out what happened to her while the camera cut away.
It's a big and important moment. The movie wants us to root for our young lovers to figure out the earlier misunderstanding and get back together. But there are certain acts you can't take back.
The movie tries to keep us in the couple's corner. Yasmin has been promised to one of the other thieves. And he is a thug and a brute. Truly someone worth reviling. It gives Ahmed a foil to save his girl from. It gives Yasmin someone to run from and into the waiting arms of our hero.
But there are certain genies that just won't be bottled up. The movie comes close to making it work, but redeeming a rapist in the last twenty minutes is a hell of a hill to climb.
It's a shame too, because in most other respects, this is the Rudolph Valentino sweeping epic I have been waiting for. It's got action and romance and plenty of opportunities for Valentino to smolder.
Our lead actor is great in his dual roles as both Ahmed and his father (reprising an older version of his character from The Sheik). As the son, he shows a carefree side, a romantic side, and an angry, dangerous side. As the older sheik, Valentino flexes acting muscles I didn't know he had. He's regal and stoic, but softens when he sees a glimmer of his old self in his son.
Vilma Banky is that exotic beauty that you can see a ruler throwing away his throne for. She's fiery and smart. And then, she's broken and filled with hate.
The supporting cast is equally good. Karl Dane managed to make Ramadan a memorable character with little screen time. I get an Adam Baldwin vibe off of his performance. Agnes Ayres is appropriately doting yet supportive reprising her role from The Sheik.
The use of Valentino's two roles is a technical marvel. I've seen split screen in earlier films, but here it really seems seamless. He finds ways to make the characters interact that are ingenious.
Son of the Sheik is a great film overwhelmed by a narrative misstep. Ahmed could have been cruel. He could have just slapped Yasmin. But rape? Ugh. The movie wants Yasmin to choose between the hero and the villain. But how does she know which one is which?
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