Bardelys the Magnificent

Bardelys the Magnificent, a silent from 1926, features good stunts, one of the most wonderfully sneering villains I’ve ever seen put to film, and a lead actress whose technique appears so modern that she could roll into a contemporary romantic comedy without missing a beat.

John Gilbert plays Bardelys, a Don Juan type of character in pre-revolutionary France.  The ladies love him, the men don’t mind him because he’s such a nice guy, and even the King thinks he’s got it all going on.  But there’s trouble in Paris. The villainous Chatellerault (Roy D’Arcy) has returned after being spurned by the fair Roxalanne de Lavedan (Eleanor Boardman).  Chatellerault, shamed by his failure, challenges Bardelys to a bet: if Bardelys can marry Roxalanne in two months, he’ll cede all his properties to the famed paramour.  If not, Bardelys, loses everything.  Bardelys takes the challenge, and the laws of drama take over from there.

So, what makes Bardelys the Magnificent worth your time?  Not Gilbert, who’s fine and all, but lacks the charisma of a Douglas Fairbanks or a Rudolph Valentino.  I mean, yeah, he can fence with the best of them and seems a decent fellow, but I sensed that the film assumed he’d be an audience favorite while he struck me as a second rater.  The stunt work, while not spectacular, is quite nice.  The fencing matches look good, the acrobatic bits look natural, and the action set-pieces give the impression of carefully designed and executed stunts.  If that’s your thing (and it is mine), you’ll surely enjoy it.  The villain, well, now we’re getting into it.  Roy D’Arcy blew me away.  This guy mastered the moustache twirl, the disdainful sneer, the deep insecurity covered by haughtiness and volatility.  And hey, he can even do a pretty good pratfall when asked.  D’Arcy’s Chatellerault ranks right up there with Hans Gruber in the pantheon of great screen villains.  But you wanna see something that’ll really blow you away?  Check out Eleanor Boardman as Roxallane.  Her performance stands out not just from this film, but from silent film in general, because she’s doing something completely different.  While nearly all silent film acting seems aimed at the rafters, with big gestures and expressions to ensure everyone’s comprehension, this actress carries and expresses herself naturally.  When she shrugs, when she smiles, when she doubletakes, she looks like a real person and not a Silent Era Actress.  It surprised me, it refreshed me, and it delighted me.  I thought it was about the coolest thing ever.

So if you like silents, check out Bardelys.  You’ll predict the story and you may not warm to the lead, but I guarantee that you’ll delight in the villain and love Eleanor Boardman.  This is a good time at the movies.