Marcin Kukuczka "She discovered me. Anything I have accomplished I owe to her, to her judgment, to her advice and to her unfailing patience and confidence in me," Rudolph Valentino said about an eminent woman in both his career and in the Hollywood of the early 1920s, the first female film executive June Mathis (1887-1927). SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION: It was Ms Mathis who took the key initiative in making one of the cult movies of the silent era, in convincing the studio Metro to hire Rex Ingram on as a director, in discovering the screen idol, Rudolph Valentino. And, perhaps, the latest aspect is the one that has remained associated with this movie. What is more, Ingram, an eminent director of his day, clearly appears to have given, beside Ms Mathis, a free ticket to stardom for the king of tango, for the cherished boy of extravagance."HAIL VALENTINO" one could shout out... Indeed, it seems that most aspects appear to be shadowed by the magnetic presence of the young handsome actor, his genuine performance as youthful Julio whose heart was devoted to tango and whose charm to women. It is clear that the role began the widespread "Valentino mania," which proves the fact that there were hardly any other actors in the history of cinema who, in a short period of time, managed to create a special aura around themselves as intensely as Valentino did. Yet, it would be a serious condensation to claim that the movie is solely a Valentino vehicle.Therefore, NOT SOLELY VALENTINO but lots of aspects, including stunning visuals, beautiful cinematography (great work by John Seitz), grandiose sets, length and the lavish costumes make THE FOUR HORSEMEN an epic proportion silent film, one of the three earliest ones (the two other being D.W. Griffith's 1915 BIRTH OF A NATION and 1916 INTOLERANCE). When I watched the film with my friend, we were entirely mesmerized by the fact that so glorious a motion picture was made as early as in 1921. The impressive number of extras (over 12,000), the glossy sets of the Marne Valley, the beautifully decorated interiors and powerful imagery must have overwhelmed the generation of the silent era viewers. Moreover, what appealed to them even more intensely in 1921 was the content.The POWERFUL CONTENT, based considerably on the novel by Vincente Blasco Ibanez, deals with events that were fresh in the minds of viewers: the WWI (sometimes referred to as the Great War) which had just ended and which was infamous for having brought so much destruction and death to so many people. And here, except for various plots that appear in the content and possible interpretations of "false stereotypes" and clichés, one should be just and state one fact clearly: THE FOUR HORSEMEN is truly one of the most powerful anti-war movies. The truly SYMBOLIC CHARACTER is Tchernoff (Nigel De Brulier) who bases his vision on the theme of four horsemen derived from the Book of Revelation and from the interpretations by Albrecht Duerer, appears to represent human conscience. The focus is clearly put on the Christian faith where there is a strong link between hatred and suffering vs love and peace. The aspect of personal sacrifices, the atonement offered from the depth of one's heart is also memorably manifested here. Consider, for instance, the scene at Lourdes, France.As far as the CAST are concerned, it is, again, not only Valentino who deserves appreciation. I think that wonderful acting is given by many talented actors and actresses who still can make THE FOUR HORSEMEN my cup of tea. It is significant to mention the director's wife, Alice Terry who portrays beautiful Marguerite Laurier in a very subtle manner. Her heart longs for youthful companionship, yet, she chooses to dwell in the joy of self sacrifice by helping others, living for others. Her character represents the way of love that remains in total objection to the way of hatred that war spreads. And isn't her way the only one that may bring relief to suffering humanity? Among other cast, I would make a remark about the aforementioned Nigel De Brulier whose face appears to be particularly mysterious and, for whom, nothing is a mystery. Pomeroy Cannon is also memorable as old Madariaga, the old centaur for whom women were the plague of his existence.All things considered, one could think that the film is too sophisticated and, perhaps, too old to be appreciated nowadays. However, after viewing the movie twice, I say honestly: "It is anything but!" Its legendary role may be a matter of the past only for people who will close themselves in up-to-date technical effects and action. Yet, if you open yourself to the depth of classic motion pictures, to their timeless messages, the legendary role of THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE shall not pass. You will never forget this film because it touches the universal aspects of human existence.It will constitute a silent tribute to the life circle of humanity, to various stories that begin with joyful "Hooray" at their births and end with sorrowful "R.I.P" at their deaths; yet, the stories above which shines the Miracle of Love.

Einar The Lonely This is surely a visually magnificent film to watch, especially if you get to see a copy of the tinted Photoplay restoration with a great score by Carl Davis.It strikes me however that few commentators here seem to bother about the very nasty portrayal of German people in this film. Despite its claims for universality, condemning WWI in general and not just a single nation (or class for that matter) involved in it, the image of the Germans is no different from the wartime propaganda huns as portrayed by Erich von Stroheim and others. They appear as arrogant, cold, ugly, brutal, grotesque, greedy, militaristic idiots, who even in peacetime in a civilian/family setting march in line and click their heels all the time. Julio's three cousins are portrayed as bespectacled, mischievously grinning jerks who obey their father's commands as if he was an army officer, even as children. They are even shown reading Nietzsche's Zarathustra and it's appraisals of the warrior man as if it was some kind of a bible. A race of villainous, natural born warmongers, it seems. Now this can hardly be the basis for an honest anti-war-movie. Compare this portrayal to the very different, more human and sympathetic image of German people in John Ford's FOUR SONS and of course ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT. Despite the now-campiness of these scenes in question I find them still quite offensive and hard to watch, even given that most silent movies made heavy use of strong contrasts and stereotyping. I guess in 1920 the anti-German resentments in the US were still very strong, which even caused D. W. Griffith to absurdly switch a German refugee family in post-war Berlin into a polish refugee family in ISN'T LIFE WONDERFUL - as late as 1924! All this shift from anti-war-intentions to merely anti-German clichés somewhat betrays the "message" of the movie, which admittedly comes across quite rhetorical and pretentious in the first place, and is indeed one of the movie's weakest and most dated points. It just seems to be tagged onto the Valentino adultery romance story for mere dramatic effect (as in the vision of the Apocalyptic Horsemen and the final graveyard scene). But overall the war theme doesn't really stand in the center of the movie.

Ron in LA Romantic wartime adventure starring Rudolph Valentino as a wealthy Argentine-born Frenchman who travels to Paris, teaches ladies to tango, and has an affair with a married woman that becomes complicated by the onset of the Great War. The film is a comprehensive, albeit maudlin, account of WW1 from the French perspective, and succeeded in 1921 as a means for the families of wartime casualties to process their grief.I disagree with the comments calling this an anti-war film. A pro-war position will often include intense grief over the casualties of war, but will see those casualties as necessary, and serving a great cause. In The Four Horsemen, the French are noble, the Germans are virtually all monsters, the Americans are heroes, and the only really unsympathetic character (besides the Germans) is the Frenchman who shirks his patriotic duties.All Quiet On the Western Front is an anti-war film, but The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse makes you want to put on a uniform and fight.

hcoursen I know that this is a celebrated classic, but it sprawls. Some of the scenes -- Valentino dancing, for example -- are there only for their own sake, and add little to the narrative movement. Many of the long sequences with the greedy Frenchman are just tedious. Like the films of D.W. Griffith, this one is preachy and moralistic. The film finally makes a powerful point -- all the sons of the father who urged them to war,or, in the case of the Frenchman, was delighted to see his son in uniform, die in World War I. The battle sequences -- the epic 'trip to the underworld' -- are interesting for their mix of mud and allegory. Valentino makes the film worth while, and the wonderful Alice Terry, best of the silent screen actresses, makes the film memorable. Had the film tightened around the doomed relationship between Valentino and Terry it would have lost its sweep, but it would have achieved an intensity that the finished product lacks.