While the 1940 The Thief of Bagdad is one of my favourite films, this silent film from 1924 is every bit as memorable and has much to offer. Visually, it is spectacular especially in the splendid cinematography and the colourful sets. The story is still as magical as ever, with the action witty and cleverly choreographed with Fairbanks doing his own stunts and doing it so energetically, and the fantasy elements from the magic rope and the winged horse to the underwater sea monsters and the valley battle are enough to enchant you. True, the film is lengthy and may contain a couple of lulls in the pacing, but when Fairbanks, the visuals and the adventure and fantasy elements of the story were so good, this was hardly a problem for me. The characters could be seen as genre clichés, but fun and likable ones at that as well as endearingly performed. Of the performances, faring weakest was Julanne Johnston, beautiful but on the bland side. The rest of the cast more than make amends, with Douglas Faribanks really the epitome of dashing, heroic and charming(made even more so with his trademark smile), Sojin deliciously malevolent and Anna May Wong entrancing. Overall, there are a couple of debits, but the great things overshadow those completely and make for a sensational film. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox
Review of The Thief of Bagdad
