The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921 film)

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse was a 1921 silent movie produced by Metro Pictures Corporation, directed by Rex Ingram and starring Rudolph Valentino, Pomeroy Cannon, Josef Swickard and Alice Terry. It was based on the novel The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez.

Related Topics:
Silent movie - Metro Pictures Corporation - Rex Ingram - Rudolph Valentino - Pomeroy Cannon - Josef Swickard - Alice Terry - Vicente Blasco Ibáñez

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Madariaga "The Centaur,"(Pomeroy Cannon) a harsh but popular Argentine landowner, has a German son-in-law whom he dislikes and a French one whose family he openly favors. He is particularly fond of his grandson Julio (Rudolph Valentino), with whom he often carouses at seedy dives (one of these providing the setting for a famous tango sequence with Valentino). After Madrigal dies the extended family breaks up, one half returning to Germany and the other to France. In Paris Julio enjoys a somewhat shiftless life as a would be artist and sensation at the local tea dances. He falls in love with Marguerite Laurier (Alice Terry), the unhappy and much younger wife of a friend of Julio's father. The affair is discovered, and Marguerite's husband agrees to give her a divorce. It seems as though Julio and Marguerite will be able marry, but both end up getting caught up in the Great War: Marguerite becomes a nurse and Julio, ashamed of his wastrel life, enlists in the French army. He becomes reknown for his bravery on the front, but is inadvertantly killed by his German cousin.

Related Topics:
Pomeroy Cannon - Argentine - Landowner - German - French - Rudolph Valentino - Tango - Paris - Artist - Alice Terry - Great War - Nurse - Army

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With its extended scenes of the devasted French countryside, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is often considered to be one the first anti-war films ever made. It won wide acclaim and was one of the top grossing silent films of all time. Julio proved a break through role for Valentino who would go on to become one of the biggest stars of silent films. The film was remade in 1962 (the setting was changed to World War Two) with Vincente Minnelli as the director.

Related Topics:
Anti-war - Silent films - Valentino - 1962 - World War Two - Vincente Minnelli

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In 1995, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse was added to the National Film Registry in the Library of Congress, recognising the cultural, historical and aesthetic significance of the work, as well as the risk of the original movie reel no longer being preserved.

Related Topics:
1995 - National Film Registry - Library of Congress - Cultural - Historical - Aesthetic - Reel

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