I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

When it comes to Blood and Sand (1922), I like Valentino's sensual, sensitive performance as the ill-fated matador and Nita Naldi is fun, if a little over-the-top, as his evil mistress, but this film is too preachy, undercutting the tragedy of the story. I also feel there's a misogynistic undercurrent, where women are sorted in the ingénue/vamp dichotomy (Nita Naldi is the wicked woman who enjoys sex and lures Valentino away from Lila Lee, his innocent and sexually modest wife) and men are expected to have "a good love and a bad love."Still, the production values are nice and this is one of Valentino's better performances, a step up from his kitschy Wile E. Coyote histrionics in The Sheik (1921). And yet still, I'd rather watch The Sheik over this, as it's a lot more fun. Blood and Sand is a drag.

My print runs under just under an hour which is obviously inferior to the regular 80-minute version or the longer Kino print, so I'll focus on the presenting of the tale instead of commenting on aspects of characterisation, cinematography, etc.There is nothing extraordinarily unique about the plot or the intrigue itself - it even resembles the classic Greek Tragedies to some extent: poor kid makes good, becomes national hero, earns himself a true family but then the true test of his character comes when temptations are served to him on a platter.I do approve though of the WAY the story is told. There are instances of foreshadowing (I'll give no details to avoid spoilers) and a parallel subplot serving to muddle the clear distinctions between villain and hero we are so used to seeing in regular blockbuster fare. At the same time, enough tension is maintained to keep the viewer interested unto the end.It is no mere plot-driven movie either - director Fred Niblo leaves the viewer with enough food for thought to reflect on the nature of society, and man's penchant for self-destruction through cruelty and lust. I am no connoisseur of silent movies such as this one but I thought the actors and actresses were very capable and the three main actors (Valentino, Naldi and Lee) certainly do not lack the required screen presence to make human dramas like this work.It is perhaps debatable whether Blood And Sand represents the finest of Niblo's and Valentino's careers but it can be taken for granted that they must have been very proud of their efforts here.

BLOOD AND SAND is one of those rare movies where the remake is actually much better--and this isn't because the remake was a sound movie and this one was silent. The problem is that the original Valentino film was a very traditional morality play that tried to please the more conservative film viewer of the day and ended up being rather heavy-handed and lacked depth. So, despite this being a film by America's most loved male sex symbol of the day, it is very pro-family and discusses the evils of extramarital affairs in a very obvious and superficial manner (the remake is slower paced and less preachy). This is odd, by the way, when you compare this film with two of Valentino's other famous performances. In THE SHIEK, there is a lot of sexual tension and the film is pretty racy for its day, as was THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE (which even included some nudity). It really is interesting how none of these films represent the average viewer--the movie is either anti-sex (like BLOOD AND SAND) or very pro-sex (like the other two). A truly interesting dichotomy.

Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926) plays a bullfighter Juan Gallardo 'Zapaterin', who is really good at what he does.He falls in love with Carmen, played by Lila Lee (1901-1973), a girl he's known since childhood.But then an other woman shows interest on him, a true vamp who goes by the name of Doña Sol, played by Nita Naldi (1897-1961).And of course Juan becomes interested of her, too.Soon his loving feelings turn into hate.This woman just won't let go.Eventually Carmen finds out what has been going on between Juan and this woman.In the end, Juan is dying after a bullfight and Carmen is there by his side, Doña wouldn't care less.Fred Niblo's Blood and Sand from 1922 is a brilliant silent movie with some drama, romance and sport.The actors do a perfect job.Rudolph Valentino is marvelous.He was a teen idol of his time, who was idolized by half the world.He died tragically awfully young in 1926 to blood poisoning.He was only 31 and half the world mourned.Nita Naldi and Lila Lee are both very beautiful and they also could act very well.In the silent days the eyes had a big part, and in this one they all handle the eye work perfectly.And the dramatic music makes it all better.Blood and Sand is a thrill for all the Valentino fans and for those who don't require any dialog in the movie.