Even though this film only partially exists in rough quality, it's not difficult to see why The Young Rajah (1922) was not one of Valentino's more popular films. The story has interesting ideas: a displaced prince with psychic powers, a love interest who must overcome her racial prejudice before she can be with the hero, and a sense of religious tolerance which feels odd in such an old Hollywood film. Unfortunately, the film is uneven, with a villain who's barely allowed to have much presence and a rather bland main character.
Valentino in particular is pretty stiff. From what we see of it, this performance has to be among the weakest of his career, alternately wooden and overdone. Really, the only plus in this film are Natacha Rambova's costumes and sets. Everything else is interesting in theory, but in execution, quite forgettable. Still, I do hope they find a full print of it someday; maybe a complete print would change my opinion.
Valentino in particular is pretty stiff. From what we see of it, this performance has to be among the weakest of his career, alternately wooden and overdone. Really, the only plus in this film are Natacha Rambova's costumes and sets. Everything else is interesting in theory, but in execution, quite forgettable. Still, I do hope they find a full print of it someday; maybe a complete print would change my opinion.