Popular reviews

• 

  Review by Lencho of the Apes ★★★½

  A pinnacle of late-Hwood-silent pictorialism. Story's a bit null in affect, but it looks marvelous.

• 

  Review by washington ★★★★

  This late silent really hit a sweet spot and shows Dwan at the height of his abilities. With a movietone score and a true epic feel at 72 minutes filled with all of Dwan’s pet themes while showing a version of the west never seriously taken elsewhere.

  The film begins a bit utopian, at least by the standards of a century ago, as Spain has conquered America and made the new culture of Mexico. In the early parts of the film Dwan takes delight in all the little details he can through in of how Spanish ideas of nobility have adapted to making a new culture. Building this world and getting invested in its minutia is fascinating enough that it…

• 

  Review by Abrom

  Grand film critique et dialectique sur la colonisation et grand film du mouvement comme vie surficitionnelle. Dwann concerve de Griffith sa fissure, son irreconciliation fragmentaire entre fiction et matériel autonome, qu'il transfigure en fissure entre la grande violence de la grande histoire dans la répétition des topos mythiques (lynchage, l'or, la construction de la ville) et le moment matériel de vie quotidienne, le moment où la société violente oublie qu'elle a fait violence.

• 

  Review by Diogo Serafim ★★★½

  Horses and gold. The thing that amazes me the most here is how tonally diverse and narratively efficient the film is. Has any other filmmaker managed to give us so much entertainment and sheer excitement with only using the versatility of his camera's movements and lenses choices?

• 

  Review by Gary ★★★

  In old California, the idyllic lives of a Spanish grandee (George Fawcett) and his daughter (Renee Adoree) are turned upside down by the gold rush.

  Will a hunky young prospector (Tom Keene) take over their ranch and sweep the haughty senorita off her feet? Or will bandits spoil it all?

  If silent movies are your thing, this one is OK. There's honest nostalgia and respect for the old way of life...and ambiguous / uncomplimentary things to say about the "invaders" from back east. Our leads are beautiful people and quite charming, which makes the whole thing go down easy.

  Ms. Adoree was apparently a big deal in the silent era, then alas, succumbed to tuberculosis before making the transition to…

• 

  Review by AHackFraud ★★★½

  Allan Dwan's final (surviving) silent film. This being a silent-era Hollywood film with the title Tide of Empire, my inner political correctness alarm-bells were ready and primed to blare on the outset, but Dwan's intentions seem less to be retell myths of America's founding than to pursue one goal—to tell a story, which he does with a simple speed and precision that is so mistakably Dwan and powerful in effect.

• 

  Review by PUNQ ★★½

  A late silent western from MGM. Does have music and sound effect, but no dialogue except background noise. Renée Adorée is lovely as a señorita and it's a rare occasion where Tom Keene's handsome looks actually transport itself to the screen. Add Harry Gribbon & Paul Hurst as liquor thirsty bartenders and you got the laughs too! The goldrush story fails to bring anything out of the ordinary, but it's a highly polished production per normal as it's paid for by MGM and directed by Allan Dwan.

• 

  Review by Thiago Cupertino ★★★½

  "Claro que, mesmo com movimentos de câmara, de modo geral é boa ideia passar por coisas para se ter um efeito de movimento. Sempre reparámos que, se passássemos por uma árvore, ela se tornava sólida e redonda em vez de achatada. Portanto, preferíamos edifícios com pilares, para termos um efeito maravilhoso quando passávamos com a câmara."

  Como era bom Allan Dwan em filmar esse tipo de casal, esse tipo de homem, esse tipo de espírito. Difícil não se deixar deslumbrar e sorrir de pouco em pouco tempo num filme como esse.

• 

  Review by Lya ★★★★½

  Si vous voulez une review sérieuse allez lire celle que j'ai liké il a tout dit

• 

  Review by Matt Strohl ★★★½

  The peril and plunder of manifest destiny, in 73 minutes.

• 

  Review by John Ryan ★★★½

  A charming introduction to an idyllic Spanish-Californian family manor gives way to the gold rush, and a tidal wave of title cards follows. There's a 10 minute stretch here that is very hard to watch. Thankfully, the film settles into a pretty standard, but enjoyable and attractively shot western.

  My rating may be generous, but I am a sucker for an attractive western.