Valentino

R 6.1
1977 2 hr 8 min Drama , History

In 1926 the tragic and untimely death of a silent screen actor caused female moviegoers to riot in the streets and in some cases to commit suicide...

  • Cast:
    Rudolf Nureyev , Leslie Caron , Michelle Phillips , Carol Kane , Felicity Kendal , William Hootkins , Seymour Cassel

Similar titles

Sully
Sully
On 15 January 2009, the world witnessed the 'Miracle on the Hudson' when Captain 'Sully' Sullenberger glided his disabled plane onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 souls aboard. However, even as Sully was being heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill, an investigation was unfolding that threatened to destroy his reputation and career.
Sully 2016
The Wizard of Lies
The Wizard of Lies
A look behind the scenes at Bernie Madoff's massive Ponzi scheme, how it was perpetrated on the public and the trail of destruction it left in its wake, both for the victims and Madoff's family.
The Wizard of Lies 2017
Houdini
Houdini
The life and times of escape artist/magician Harry Houdini.
Houdini 1998
To Die For
To Die For
Simon and Mark live together in London. When Mark dies of AIDS, Simon gets on with his life rather quickly, too quickly to suit the ghost of Mark, who reappears to disrupt Simon's cruising and then moves back into their flat to prompt Simon to experience and express feelings. Simon is adamant that feelings, especially love, are not for him. Subplots develop as Mark and Simon observe their neighbor Siobhan's love life and as Simon spends his days as a satellite-TV installer partnered with Dogger, a homophobe ignorant that Simon is gay. Is there any key that can unlock Simon's feelings and allow Mark to rest in peace?
To Die For 1994
Unsolved Suburbia
Unsolved Suburbia
MARTY is a quirky straight guy weekdays, and gay on weekends, a high school senior, who along with his questionably straight friend JAKE, unravels the mystery of who put a hit on their friend THOMAS'S new gay lover. Jake uses his expertise as a peeping tom and gossip monger to discover neighborhood secrets, while Marty helps Thomas hide safely. At home Marty has problems of his own, when his boyfriend MICHAEL, and girlfriend ANYBODYS, find out about each other. When a surprise fourth person is sneaks into the room, the end results might be deadlier than the hit man.
Unsolved Suburbia 2010
Open
Open
OPEN is a hallucinogenic journey through gender, identity, the body, love and how those can be shared by two people. The film consists of interlocking stories lines- the first about two trans women in a pandrogynous relationship in which they simultaneously receive plastic surgery treatments to mirror each other's features to ideally form into a single person. The second story follows a trans man and his new (cisgender) boyfriend as they run away from home and push against their own personal boundaries while dealing with his unexpected pregnancy.
Open 2010
Hiralal
Hiralal
The Bengali-language biopic looks back on Hiralal Sen, who is credited with making India’s first advertising film and political documentary.
Hiralal 2021
Sense of Tumour
Sense of Tumour
With an experimental treatment looming to cure her aggressive cancer, Jamie ventures to the lake where her and her girlfriend, Grace, fell in love, fearful it will be the last time she ever sees it.
Sense of Tumour 2022
Dahling Nick
Dahling Nick
The story of Nick Joaquin, who only accepted the National Artist Award on the condition that the Marcos administration release a well-known writer who was being unjustly detained during Martial Law.
Dahling Nick 2015
Champagne Charlie
Champagne Charlie
Champagne Charlie 1989

Reviews

AniInterview
1977/11/01

Sorry, this movie sucks

... more
Claysaba
1977/11/02

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

... more
Beanbioca
1977/11/03

As Good As It Gets

... more
Tayyab Torres
1977/11/04

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

... more
clanciai
1977/11/05

This was to me a most impressing surprise, a fantastic film of multiple aspects and observations of the very bizarre world of Hollywood when it was still all experiments, with Rudolph Nureyev accomplishing an astonishing stardom in convincingly impersonating Rudolph Valentino, while all the dancing scenes naturally remain the chief asset of this phantasmagorical fireworks of a film, with both plenty of humor, mainly hilariously ironic, virtuoso caricature scenes, a great deal of romance and passion going to extremes, with Leslie Caron excelling and actually outshining the leading lady Michelle Phillips, with also some very revolting scenes, especially the nightmare at the prison and the grotesque abominability of Peter Vaughan, with splendid music all the way; but in spite of the wild caricaturizing throughout the film, it gives a rather convincing and even realistic picture of Hollywood in the 20s, and the portrait of Rudolph Valentino in all his complexities, building up towards an apotheosis of a finale, when he actually succeeds in crowning his life with happiness and success after all and dying the more triumphant for his shortcomings, could hardly have been made more colorful, dramatic and interesting. Perhaps the best scene of all, and the most baroque, is the grotesque recreation of the case of Fatty Arbuckle.

... more
Paul Sutton
1977/11/06

This film topped the British box-office for two weeks and in doing so made Ken Russell the most successful filmmaker in Britain in the 1970s. It was his fifth No.1 hit in that decade. Guy Hamilton had four No.1s (Bond films), Sam Peckinpah had three No.1s; no one else had more than two. Ken Russell also spent longer at Number one than Spielberg, whose two No.1 hits, Jaws and Close Encounters, failed to match the record set by The Music Lovers (1 week at No. 1); Devils (Eight Weeks at No.1); Tommy (14 weeks); Lisztomania (2 weeks) and this. Valentino is not one of Russell's masterpieces, but there are mightily glorious things to see here.

... more
VR
1977/11/07

In the typical Ken Russell style,this film is definitely not an accurate,impartial,factual, Valentino biography,rather a very subjective and very artistic interpretation of how the director sees,feels,asserts Valentino's personality. Acting left me with mixed emotions-Rudolph(another famous,infamous,worshiped,controversial,fascinating,extravagant and much to soon dead Rudolph)Nurejew acts in a very uneven way,his part of Valentino being a strange combination of embarrassing flaws and very brilliant,highly artistic bits. At worst,Nurejew does not resemble Valentino's physical appearance(that's why the Franco Nero version,in spite of being artistically less accomplished,delivers a more credible Valentino,Franco Nero being a real Italian with real Italian accent),his accent is obviously Russian,some scenes are badly acted. On the other hand,Nurejew is credible as Valentino the dancer(the tango scene is superb,he dances even better than Pacino in the timeless scene from Scent of a Woman)and,being a homosexual,Valentino's supposed homosexuality(or homo-erotic tendencies),a much talked about but very uncertain supposition,is hinted without a clear yes or no through his acting. The story is told in a disrupted,Citizen Kane style:after Kane's death everyone who knew him tells his own story about how they knew the late;in this film,people gathered at Valentino's funeral recall several episodes from his life,each story representing a stage,a period in the meteoric rise from the penniless immigrant to the world's most famous and highest paid actor.But,like in Dorian Gray,the myth will eventually destroy its creator(in Velvet Goldmine,the luxurious rise and fall of a rock-star,will also remind of Oscar Wilde's timeless story). Everything in this movie is so roaring twenties:the elegant Rolls-Royces and other vintage cars,the lavish mansions(n.b. Falcon Lair wasn't even so opulent as depicted in the film,while the Garden of Allah,Nazimova's residence,is clearly a replica,because the real building was torn down in 1959),Valentino seems alive(and almost ready to burst into laughter)in his open coffin-even the way his body is displayed before the funeral looks chilling,theatrical and tastelessly glamorous:his very formal suit,his makeup,the flowers,the jewels,the fancy decorations,the marble hall,his opulently dressed and far too histrionic mourners(in a sharp contrast to that,the film closes showing the same dead body in an austere,bleak,utterly simple morgue,covered only by a blanket. The opening scene is impressive:the hysteric crowds bursting into the room where Valentino's body lies reminds-without going that far-of the unleashed masses in Day of the Locust-everyone seems to bitterly struggle to grab a piece of a holy relic. It is also interesting how the director puts into the film Valentino's poems or his famous boxing match,always at the verge between reality and legend;I particularly like the(most likely fictional) scene where a crowd of female admirers is loudly reciting Valentino's poem You in the garden of his villa-You is my favorite both among Valentino's poems and one of my favorite poems in general-,another highly poetic scene is when Natacha,his second wife is parallel seducing him and initiating him in the poetry of Omar Khayyam(actually,in spite of the quite revealing nude scenes together that show quite a lot of flesh,not only Nurejew was homosexual,but also he couldn't stand on-screen partner Michelle Phillips,the feeling being mutual,on the other hand the chemistry between the two of them and the magic of the flawless scenes together indicate how well this film is done to create such perfect illusion). In fact,you are left guessing,if-to quote Fitzgerald(another '20 legend,with meteoric&controversial rise&fall)he for real or just a character from his novels-everything isn't just an endless charade around masculine and feminine(in the jazz age both sexuality and fashion were ambiguous,androgynous,excessive,libertine,eccentric),around art and dazzling imagery. Undoutebly highly artistic(more than an inventory of luxurious settings without deeper meanings),not completely flawless yet all in all above average,this film is highly recommendable to every roaring twenties' nostalgic.

... more
lujack1
1977/11/08

I was fortunate enough to have caught the last 2 hours! This film was engrossing from the time I tuned in, until it ended.His (Nureyev's) portrayal is timeless. The dance scenes are spellbinding. I've wanted to dance - only to pursue other career choices. His subtleties leave you wanting more.I was very moved by his performance. Michelle Phillips' performance ranks with some of the 'BEST' work seen from her! She deftly embodies a woman who will do whatever it takes to be with and support the man she loves! A rarity these days, she makes it look simple and exudes the on-screen confidence to do just that! Kudos, Michelle!I was deeply disturbed to learn that he (Nureyev) had died of AIDS. This disease is an equal opportunity destroyer. Just think of what he might have accomplished had he lived...Nureyev brings passion, delight, and a wide range of emotions to his performance - and should be delighted to know that his work in this piece is truly appreciated!I am now searching for an unedited copy of the film for my archives.

... more

Watch Free Now