The Barbarian (1933)

Let's start with the positives – you have the very beautiful Myrna Loy appearing in a bathtub for goodness sake, a suave Ramon Novarro wooing her with beautiful songs, and an exotic pre-code tale set in Egypt. Where modern viewers will struggle is with the scenes in the desert, where Novarro mistreats and later rapes Loy. What started out as a forbidden romance, albeit with borderline creepiness in Novarro's persistence, becomes cringe-inducing, and I have to say, I also hated the ending. Men forcing themselves on women until they gave in was de rigueur for the time, and the fantasy about Arabs post-Valentino was still strong in America, but the film would have been stronger had it either had Novarro's character been truly honorable ('Barbarian' indeed), or Loy's ultimately capable of resisting him if he wasn't. As it is, one feels conflicted and kind of icky with the message it conveys about both Arabs and women. And yet, Loy and Novarro are both pretty compelling, and make it worth watching. Did I mention Loy appears in a bathtub?

It's amazing to me how wrapped up in hysteria some people get. Yes, this film clearly implies rape. Rape happens. It's detestable. Films -- to varying degrees -- depict human life. Therefore, I expect films to sometimes depict unpleasant topics. And that should not be a reason that we give a positive or negative critique of a movie. What's important is how the film approaches a topic. Admittedly, this film doesn't approach it very well.Although I had often heard the name Ramon Novarro, I don't believe I had ever seen one of his films...I guess I thought of him as too much in the silent era. So this film was a learning experience for me...particularly after reading his bio on Wikipedia. In terms of his performance in the film, I found it interesting, but I was not exactly surprised when I learned that in real life he was gay. He doesn't seem very macho in this film, which sort of belies the character he was playing. He does come across -- at least in our time -- as a pervert, so I wonder how he would have been perceived in this film in 1933. But, despite his supposedly being a romantic lover, his gestures and behavior definitely suggest his gayness. But, still, it's interesting.Myrna Loy was very good, as she almost always was.Reginald Denny...well, he did okay here, but I never quite saw the attraction for him in films. It always nice to see the great character actor C. Aubrey Smith, and he's fine here...although in not so noble a role as we often saw him, and with little real screen time. A surprise was seeing Edward Arnold in a character role as an Egyptian...interesting.In terms of the plot and script, we first meet Ramon Novarro -- as an Egyptian gigolo -- at the train station, where it is clear that he has romanced a number of foreign female tourists...probably robbing them to some extent, as well. And then along comes Myrna Loy with friends and family...his next victim. Early in the film he seems to be annoying in his attempts to insert himself into situations, but alternately being very helpful...although in our time, it would appear to be stalking. And, that interpretation would be justified considering action later in the film. It seems pretty clear that rape does occur in the desert, although you only see the aftermath. Okay, it made sense with this script. But, the conclusion of the film makes no sense at all.Production values are quite high here, particularly considering it was 1933.All in all, worth watching at least once. I guess 1933 must have been a very different national psyche; so that makes it an interesting film.

This film is not your typical 5/10 film. It has all the hallmarks of a well-made MGM production of its era, including a good cast performing their roles quite well and believably, great cinematography, good art and costume design etc. However, you just can't get past the spectacle of Myrna Loy's character falling for a man who is at least her stalker and most probably her rapist.The opening scene is humorous, with amorous Jamil (Ramon Navarro) talking to lady after lady on the train leaving Cairo telling each that she is the only one for him and that parting is heartbreaking. He gives each a piece of jewelry that is supposedly a priceless heirloom. After leaving the train he reaches into his pocket and reveals that he has a handful of such priceless jewelry - they are in fact cheap trinkets, which is precisely how he sees his western conquests, now on their way back to the west with smiles on their faces. So far, so good - Jamil is a playboy, probably just taking advantage of silly women who did give themselves willingly even if under false and, quite frankly, obvious pretenses, and the audience should be able to live with that.Enter Diana Standing (Myrna Loy) arriving in Cairo from the west to marry her fiancé (Reginald Denny), who is unfortunately joined at the hip with a very critical and talkie mother. Jamil spots her and decides she is the one for him. Unfortunately, Diana isn't given the option of saying no to Jamil's dishonest sales pitch, which she does. He abducts her from her caravan, takes her out into the desert, and besides continually pitching woo he uses methods that are tried and true means of breaking down prisoners of war.Diana's fiancé and company finally catch up to her, Jamil escapes, and Diana goes back to civilization to do what she came to do originally - marry the rather dull guy with the unhealthy mommy attachment. Now I can see the ordeal and the distance causing her to change her mind about her wedding, but the final scene is just too much. Jamil appears on her balcony, serenades her, and she not only doesn't turn him into the authorities, she abandons her wedding and goes with him enthusiastically. Her final line - she tells Jamil that her mother was Egyptian. Is that supposed to be some kind of excuse, like a purebred Western girl would never succumb to this treatment but an Egyptian one would? I normally don't write reviews that basically outline the whole plot, and I have left enough details out that you should still find it interesting should you plan to watch it, but the outcome and thus the message of the film is what undoes it to begin with. It's an interesting artifact of the precode era, and I've always enjoyed Myrna Loy and her films, but this is just too much to take.

Kidnapped in the Egyptian desert, a beautiful American finds herself alternately loving & loathing THE BARBARIAN who abducted her.Taken solely as romantic adventure, this lavish little MGM film has much to offer, including good acting & fine production values. Considered only from the standpoint of the plot, the story is ludicrous, what with a heroine suffering histrionics among the sand dunes & a hero who is a completely unprincipled cad.Ramon Novarro does well in the title role, a reprise of his silent film THE ARAB (1924). MGM's Mexican star adds yet another ethnic stripe to his thespian escutcheon, this time portraying an Egyptian prince. Looking a little like a Valentino clone, he gets to sing & act in a variety of languages. Myrna Loy, who only gets billing below the title, is excellent as the Englishwoman caught-up in the allures & entrapments of the Nile Desert. After paying her dues in roles like this, she would very soon become a major Hollywood movie star.In the very able supporting cast Reginald Denny plays Loy's stuffy fiancé; Edward Arnold is an unctuous pasha; Hedda Hopper appears briefly as an American tourist very pleased with Novarro's attentions. Wonderful old Sir C. Aubrey Smith is well cast as Loy's eccentric uncle and elderly, tart-tongued Louise Closser Hale steals every scene she's in as Loy's peppery companion.This film is definitely pre-Production Code vintage, a fact made plainly obvious by Loy's lounge-in-the-tub scene. Considered rationally, many of THE BARBARIAN's implications are rather disturbing. That Loy could only be happy with the man who has humiliated, beaten, abused & raped her are decidedly unwholesome ideas to come from the pen of screenwriter - and liberated woman - Anita Loos.Novarro sings 'Love Songs of the Nile' quite well, but interminably. If it sounds suspiciously like his previous 'Pagan Love Song' hit, it may be because the two songs share the same composers, Nacio Herb Brown & Arthur Freed.