Main Cast: Rudolph Valentino, Vilma Banky, Louise Dresser, Albert Conti, James Marcus
Release Year: 1925
Country: US
Run Time: 77 minutes
Plot
Based on a Pushkin novel, The Eagle stars Rudolph Valentino as a Russian cossack who is the special favorite of the formidable Catherine the Great (Louise Dresser). He spurns her attentions, preferring not to be a kept consort. When his lands are stolen from him, Valentino transforms into a Robin-Hood-like masked avenger. Vilma Banky plays the daughter of the man who killed Valentino's own father. Despite his thirst for revenge, our hero falls in love with Vilma, who goes the "Lois Lane" route of adoring the masked-avenger Valentino but disdaining the unmasked Rudy, little guessing that the two are one in the same. Watch quickly for Gary Cooper as one of Valentino's masked minions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Rudolph Valentino is at his most natural and appealing in this swashbuckler. He wears the period costumes, from the Cossack uniforms to the formal French jacket and trousers, as if they were his second skin, moving in them with a dancer's grace and casual sexuality. His Vladimir Dubrovsky is played with wit, humor, and humanity -- a revelation when compared to the stiff posturing of much of his earlier work. In addition, the star is helped at every angle: The story is action-packed and entertaining, the direction intelligent, and the cinematography (courtesy of George Barnes) is some of the most poetic of the silent era (in addition, the banquet scene contains one of the most impressive tracking shots of the 1920s). The delicately beautiful Vilma Banky is a fetching co-star, and the support (especially Louise Dresser as the worldly Czarina) is excellent. The Eagle was under-appreciated in its day and made only a fair amount of money. Nowadays it is recognized as a great example of film making in the 1920s, although it's also not revived often enough. Those who have seen the beautiful restoration with the Carl Davis score can consider themselves fortunate, indeed. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
Vladimir Dubrovsky (Rudolph Valentino), a Cossack serving in the Russianarmy, comes to the notice of the Czarina (Louise Dresser) when he rescues Mascha (Vilma Bánky), a beautiful young lady, and her aunt trapped in a runaway stagecoach. He is delighted when the Czarina offers to make him a general but horrified when she tries to seduce him. He flees and the Czarina puts a price on his head.
Soon afterwards he receives a letter from his father informing him that the evil nobleman Kyrilla Troekouroff (James A. Marcus) has taken over his lands and is terrorizing the countryside. Hurrying home, Vladimir learns that his father has died. Vowing to avenge his father and help the victimized peasantry, he adopts a black mask and becomes the Black Eagle, a Robin Hood figure. Discovering that Kyrilla is Mascha's father, he takes the place of a tutor who has been sent for from France, but not previously seen by anyone in the household. Vladimir is thus able to become part of Kyrilla's household. As Vladimir's love for Mascha grows, he becomes more and more reluctant to continue seeking revenge against her father, and the two eventually flee the Troekouroff estate. Vladimir is captured by the Czarina's men, but the Czarina, once determined to have him executed, has a last minute change of heart, and she allows Vladimir, given a new French name, and Mascha to leave Russia for Paris.
Reception
Valentino's previous few films had not been particularly well received, but The Eagle proved a strong comeback for him, getting good reviews from the critics, doing well at the box office and proving popular with both male and female fans. The Eagle is also notable in cinematic history for its famous extended tracking shot of the food laden table in the banquet scene.
