Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #86418 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-03-02
• Formats: Black & White, NTSC
• Dimensions: .50" h x 5.50" w x 7.50" l, .22 pounds
• Running time: 80 minutes

Amazon.com
This is the classic tale of Shiek Ahmed Ben Hassan (Valentino), who kidnaps a British beauty (Ayers), and spirits her away to his city of tents in the desert. She resists all of his amorous moves, continually begging to be returned home. He finally complies, but on her way home, she realizes that she has come to care for the sheik. Ayers is kidnapped on the way by the villainous Omair (Walter Long), to be dealt a fate worse than death. Valentino and his army save Ayers just before she commits suicide, but he is severely wounded. Ayers nurses Valentino back to health, finally able to declare her undying love for the Sheik. The film that created Rudolph Valentino's reputation as a legendary screen lover.

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Customer Reviews

DISAPPOINTED
I LOVE Rudolph Valentino and adore all of his movies, but this version of "The Sheik" left me lukewarm.

Some years ago, when AMC still featured film classics and no commercials, they aired a black and white version of "The Sheik" that I was fortunate to have taped. The film quality was sharp, crisp, and offered enough contrast so that details were easily apparent without my having to strain my eyes or compel me to sit a foot away from the TV set to notice them. Enhancing this version, the musical score emphasized the exotic setting and romantic allure of the story.

As an added bonus, this version contained a scene that isn't featured in any recent releases: The morning following her abduction, Diana awakens to find rose petals strewn on her bed. She is moved by the beauty of the petals until she notices Ahmed's cigarette holder on a nearby table. She remembers a sensation of being touched while she slept and fears that Ahmed may have ravaged her during the night. The servant girl, Zelia, assures Diana nothing improper has taken place. She then proceeds to show Diana the basket from which she, Zelia, has taken the flower petals to spread on Diana's bed. Zelia also explains (and we are shown through flashback) that Zelia, while sleeping on the ground next to Diana, had held Diana's hand through the night to comfort her.

I watched this magnificent version many, many times, until about a week ago, when quite unfortunately, and rather tragically for me, the video tape snapped in two while being rewound. I was heartbroken!!

Although I already own the special edition DVD ("The Sheik" and "Son of The Sheik") put out by Image Entertainment featuring the color tinted version of "The Sheik", I still longed for a black and white version. Imagine my delight when I saw an opportunity to own a black and white version of "The Sheik", hopefully comparable to my lost copy. I was thrilled!

The feeling, however, didn't last very long. This DVD (reproduced and distributed by Reel Enterprises in 2006) offers no special features, no menu and no scene selection feature. From the moment you put the disc into your DVD player, the movie starts to play. This in itself wouldn't be so bad.

Fifteen minutes into watching this version, however, is when major disappointment set in. Although this version offers the original title cards, the film quality isn't sharp or crisp, and at times is even a bit dulled. Although watchable, it's evident that cost measures, not film qualtiy, took top priority for the folks at Reel Enterprises. This version is nothing but a direct transfer of an average quality video to DVD. Too bad that all the technological advances made in film restoration and DVD production were ignored by Reel Enterprises. With a little extra expense, they could have produced a quality product.

BTW, that extra scene was missing in this version, another disappointment for me.

By far my biggest complaint with this version is the music. A musical score should enhance the mood of the entire film or contribute to the intensity of a particular scene. This DVD's musical score evokes none of the smoldering passion, romance or emotions of the characters, nor does it contribute to the film's exotic atmosphere. It's little more than non-descript generic background music, basically elevator music, undermining every scene in this film. The music throughout this version consists of a solo piano movement or violin piece playing gently and rather drowsily in the background during passionate love scenes as well as battle sequences. Even the "Kashmiri Song" which Valentino's character sings (via title cards) is overlooked. There isn't a single musical allusion to this love song; not even a few musical notes from this piece are reproduced anywhere in the film. Later, when the action shifts to the desert where an impassioned Ahmed abducts Diana, a soothing violin/piano movement is heard. Contrast this same scene with the color tinted version from Image Entertainment which highlights the action by using "Bacchanale" from "Samson et Dalila" by Saint-Saens.

As with the film quality, so it must have been with the musical quality: cost measures were clearly top priority for Reel Enterprises. How else do you explain the choice of a generic musical score that acts as a lullaby for an audience, rather than arouses viewers to watch a virile, passionate, smouldering, intense Valentino fight for the woman he loves.

Bottom line: Don't waste your money or time on this inferior transfer. Instead, invest your money in a quality DVD of "The Sheik".