Valentino (1977) 128m.
Typically raucous Ken Russell biography is a bit of an odd one out in his catalogue. I'm not sure why he was attracted to the story of silent-movie idol Rudolph Valentino after several years of tackling composers and artists, but I would guess that the allure of recreating the old days of Hollywood is a pretty potent lure for any film director in love with his craft.
Despite flaws, and its liberal interpretation of the facts, VALENTINO at least introduces the man to those casual viewers that may have never heard of him. At best, it implants the image of Rudolph Valentino as a screen phenomenon of the silent era and points out the distinctive impact of the medium. It's summed up quite simply in one shot which shows an audience composed entirely of women watching a Valentino film while the camera moves in on one and transports her into the events on the screen. Russell, however, is not one for understatement – to compensate for the lack of filmic events that take place in Valentino's life he inflates scenes with loud music and hysterical, obnoxious characters. Given the right subject matter, Russell's excessive style can be effective (ALTERED STATES, THE DEVILS, THE BOY FRIEND, TOMMY). Here, it's just puzzling – at least for any viewer unacquainted with the notorious director.
Cast as the central character is ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, who shares not only his forename with the screen idol but a workable physical likeness. Aware that this was Nureyev's acting debut, Russell wanted him to speak more with body language than words, but the dancer saw this as a chance to develop an acting career (which ironically paralleled Valentino's own artistic progress). At times he is striking in the part, particularly when he is on the dance floor. He also alternates between wooden and hammy, but that conforms to our stereotype of silent film actors anyway and isn't necessarily a distraction. The interesting cast also includes Leslie Caron, Felicity Kendal, Carol Kane, Michelle Phillips (from The Mamas and the Papas) and John Ratzenberger in a bit part. And where on Earth did Russell dig up Huntz Hall?
By the film's end we are still left with the impression of Valentino as an icon, not a man. It's a curious thing, which we might like to blame on the story, Russell's handling of the material or Nureyev's performance. But I think the answer is simpler than that: Valentino was and always will be an icon because although we know him by sight we have never heard him speak, henceforth freezing him in time exclusively by image. He also died young, reinforcing that the image would never develop, grow old, or change. Valentino was, for all intents and purposes, the smoldering characters he presented on screen. Could any biographical picture have transcended that legacy? What attracted Russell to the project – Valentino's legend – is also the same thing that ensured his film would never be entirely successful.
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