The Love of Sunya

Fascinating Gloria Swanson film from 1927. Not remembered as a great, but this film has some very modern ideas. Swanson plays a young woman whose spirit is restless. She is being pushed into a loveless marriage by her bankrupt father, but she's in love with another man (John Boles) about to sail to South America for business. She also wants to pursue a career as an opera singer. At this juncture a strange man (Hugh Miller) appears and offers her a glimpse into the future via a crystal ball. Sounds corny but you have to remember the 20s was a decade crazy for the occult. And The Love of Sunya is prefaced by an Egyptian story in which a young girl is killed by a lustful priest. His destiny is to track down her spirit and make amends. Holy Karma! Very New Age.

Swanson gazes into the ball and her future as an opera star in Paris is revealed. Her second viewing tells of her loveless marriage. Taking this into account she makes her decision. This film was, by the way, Swnason's first effort as a producer. The Love of Sunya made its world premiere in the brand new Roxy Theatre in New York with Swanson in attendance. In her autobiography she says, "the audience stood and cheered for five minutes."

This film allows Swanson (30 at the time and a super star) a full range of emotions and plots in 4 different roles. She looks great and wears some fabulous clothes, especially the Deco dress and jewelry ensemble during the Paris story. Her performance is one of her best even though this film is remembered as being a disappointment. It's very entertaining and fast-paced at 75 minutes. This was also Boles' first important role. Raymond Hackett plays the brother. Ian Keith is the rat Anthony.

A great treat for fans of the fabulous Gloria Swanson. The Love of Sunya certainly stands on its own as a terrific silent film.