In this effective German drama with exotic touches from director Ernst Lubitsch, Albert Wendland (Harry Liedtke) is a successful painter on holiday in Egypt when he finds lovely girl Ma (Pola Negri). She's been held captive by crazed local Radu (Emil Jannings), but Albert rescues her and takes her back to Europe with him, where her exotic dancing makes her a celebrity. Meanwhile, Radu is found dying in the desert by Prince Hohenfels (Max Laurence), who saves the Arab and takes him back to Europe, hiring him on as a servant. Radu remains obsessed with Ma, and will stop at nothing to take her back or keep her from living without him.
This was a recommendation on YouTube, and I watched it on a lark. I was surprised that it had such a pedigree, with Lubitsch directing and Negri and Jannings starring. They're both entertaining, with Negri's dancing a kitschy treat and Jannings mad-eyed mugging enlivening the proceedings. While this is listed as a horror film, it's not, although there's a bit about a cursed tomb in the beginning that goes nowhere. Still, I found this entertaining enough, and at just under an hour, not a great demand on my time.
This was a recommendation on YouTube, and I watched it on a lark. I was surprised that it had such a pedigree, with Lubitsch directing and Negri and Jannings starring. They're both entertaining, with Negri's dancing a kitschy treat and Jannings mad-eyed mugging enlivening the proceedings. While this is listed as a horror film, it's not, although there's a bit about a cursed tomb in the beginning that goes nowhere. Still, I found this entertaining enough, and at just under an hour, not a great demand on my time.