Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

just watch it!

Fantastic!

Brilliant and touching

Gloria Swanson looks lovely and young here as Theodora, an ingénue with no money who marries businessman Josiah Brown so she may help her dear father. For the era, the film is remarkably effective, the rice throwing scene as she departs, to go to Europe with her new husband. Even while black and white and digitally restored yet bruised film, the visuals are quite interesting.Rudolph Valentino as Lord Bracondale is quite attractive. It is subtle, he meets her through the Tyrolean honeymoon, the smell of narcissus on her handkerchief reminds him of.....something....Of course all is above board and nothing happens for quite some that is untoward.What is lovely about this film is the visual sense of eroticism and romance. We do not see this today. It is subtle, no screaming, psycho-drama or histrionics. It is, in a sense the way some real romance and infidelity may be played out. Theodora loves Lord Bracondale but remains faithful to elderly and infirm duffer Josiah Brown.Eventually we see Josiah financing a safari to Algeria as he chooses to do so to rid his wife of the stigma of being married to an older, less virile man. He acquires a small legion of Algerian soldiers on an archaeological mission, but there is danger and Theodora decides to follow him.There are some innovative scenes of the Algerian desert and an archaeological site which several explorers note was a "torture site for an unfaithful woman, as from the Bible". It is stark and desolate desert, evoking barren emotions, barren marriage.I found this film charming and visual. Romantic comedies today are saccharine and trite. While some of the cinematography is rudimentary it far surpasses what passes for romantic interlude today.Please watch and Gloria Swanson looks lovely. 8/10.

One of those nice stories to hear about: a film starring two of the most glamorous and true-blue STARS (in caps) of the 1920s was lost for the greater part of the last century and then discovered in a Dutch museum, and then restored for viewing on DVD and TCM. Viewing it any way you can is delightful, but really, if it's at all possible, the best way to watch it is in a theater preferably projected from 35mm with a live piano accompaniment. It is rare to happen but well worth the while, especially with the right organist; the material begs to be given lush and melodramatic rhythm to go with the lush and melodramatic storyline. It might not be the very best silent film you've ever seen, but as far as these old-fashioned romantic will-she-or-wont-she movies go it could be a lot worse.It's one of those stories: a girl needs to betroth a rich gentlemen to help out her family, and she does reluctantly, but her heart is soon to be linked to a man who saves her not once but twice, first time from drowning after falling out of her rowboat and again when she slips and nearly falls off a cliff. There's a few of those moments where one laughs at something kooky being played straight- the honeymoon is spent in the mountain where there's clog-dancing or other- but it's really about these two characters, Lord Bracandale and Theodora, coming together. Moreover, it's about the stars playing would-be lovers on screen, with *the* sexy symbol of his time Valentino substituting for all those lonely women who would love to be in Swanson's shoes. You could guess that so many in the audience would yell out "just leave with him already, he's friggin' Valentino!" Granted, Sam Wood is no master of cinematic drama, but he's a strong craftsman who directs his stars extremely well, getting some restrained and touching performances filled with those little gestures or those sad or loving looks that make up so much of what makes silent films tic. And there's also a supporting performance Robert Bolder that has its moments. Only once did I get slightly fidgety, which is right in the scene where he's deciding on whether or not to go off on the expedition (it dragged slightly, even for just its few minutes as one wants to get back to the stars). The rest of his performance, however, was splendid, particularly when he discovers by a misplaced letter about the love affair between the Lord and Theodora. The final desert scene is also a knockout of melodramatic proportions.It's always something nice when a good film is unearthed for all cineastes to take in, and Beyond the Rocks provides its audience a match-up comparable to the likes of Brad Pitt teaming up with Angelina Jolie or Roberts with Owen in the recent Duplicity. It's engaging to watch the story and yet it's not the reason we're watching: there's something to the chemistry between Swanson, a beauty who doesn't hide her curves and tender but knowing exchanges, and Valentino, who could melt the right girls face with a glance. It's a fine little relic meant to be seen on a big screen.

Though famous for re-coining "It" as a code word for sex appeal, this piece of romantic slush is more typical of Elinor Glyn's output. Gloria Swanson marries a rich old fart to save her family from ruin, but falls hard for dashing aristo/playboy Rudolph Valentino. A jealous old flame swaps letters Swanson has written to her husband & her putative lover (she's going to do the right thing, whew!) and in a fit of renunciation, her portly spouse goes off on a Sahara expedition (!) knowing that his life will be in jeopardy. Gloria & Rudy give chase, arriving just in time to get the dying man's blessing. Sam Wood helms efficiently, but brings out the ham in everyone, esp. Rudy, and this famous 'lost' pic only proves the axiom about disappointing discoveries. The newly commissioned background score also disappoints though the picture restoration is largely a success.

The silent era continues to have surprises for us, such as this one, "Beyond the Rocks," a film starring Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino once thought lost but since rediscovered and restored. Based on a novel by Elinor Glyn, it's a potboiler that doesn't hold up well today, but so little does at age 84. It's the story of a young woman, Theodora, the hope of her family (i.e., the one with the youth and looks to nab a rich husband) who meets a British nobleman (Valentino) when he saves her from drowning. Then she meets her betrothed, a short, old thing. She's disappointed, but for the sake of her father, marries him. She runs into Valentino on her honeymoon and this time, he saves her from falling off a mountain during a climbing expedition. They seem Meant to Be. But both are determined to honor her marriage vows.Valentino and Swanson are heavily made up, and both actually looked much better with a more natural appearance. In the beginning, with her hair down and less Max Factor, Swanson is lovely - petite, with amazing eyes and beautiful skin. Later on, however, she looks older than she is due to the make-up and hair-do. Her character has a great wardrobe, and Swanson wears it well. Both actors give good performances. Valentino had a tendency to be obvious in some of his emotions - it was more the style then - but he gives a more relaxed performance in "Beyond the Rocks." Most of the movie looks beautiful with its sepia tones though there are some damaged sections. It's quite a find and a chance to see two big stars of the silent era together. Swanson wrote of parts of the film that don't seem to exist any longer - but as one of the comments here suggests, she perhaps was mixing this up with another film. Given the plot, it would be easy to do so.