Heyst is a man who lives in isolation and peace on a secluded Island, but while doing business at a hotel on the mainland encounters Alma, an attractive violinist who is being abused in her profession. He takes pity on her, and as she wishes to escape, steals her back to the Island with him. Schomberg, the owner of the hotel, desired Alma for himself, and teams up with a group of criminals in order to win her back. The criminals travel to the Island, and once there it is one betrayal after another. The girl tries to please both Ricardo and Heyst in order to save herself. Ricardo, desiring the girl for himself, turns against their criminal leader Mr. Jones, as does Pedro who suddenly sees an opportunity to avenge Mr. Jones for murdering his brother some years ago. A couple of these characters die, one survives, and Heyst and Alma suddenly realise they love each other. For some reason we never get closure on what happens to Pedro or Schomberg, and the film ends with a few plot threads hanging.
It is essentially an early pirate film, violence and adventure, and of course, sex appeal, with Alma spending much of the third act in a dress with her shoulders bare, which was fairly raunchy for the time. It was perhaps quite a spectacle in 1919, but pales in comparison to the achievements of modern films. And while the winding plot keeps us engaged, it all unravels in the end. Mr. Jones, leader of a criminal gang, can not hit his target with a pistol from five metres, nor can Ricardo, expert knife thrower, hit his, but Heyst, peaceful man who has never held a gun before in his life, can hit his target from a greater distance. Actually, not much in the third act makes a great deal of sense. I guess they were hoping the gunfights would distract you from that, but that trick won't work in 2018!
Thematically, it is about the strong allure of women, and how their very nature can turn men from their peaceful ways, and against each other into wickedness. To the films credit, the scenery was nice, as was the use of the smoking volcano as both metaphor and potential hazard.
It is essentially an early pirate film, violence and adventure, and of course, sex appeal, with Alma spending much of the third act in a dress with her shoulders bare, which was fairly raunchy for the time. It was perhaps quite a spectacle in 1919, but pales in comparison to the achievements of modern films. And while the winding plot keeps us engaged, it all unravels in the end. Mr. Jones, leader of a criminal gang, can not hit his target with a pistol from five metres, nor can Ricardo, expert knife thrower, hit his, but Heyst, peaceful man who has never held a gun before in his life, can hit his target from a greater distance. Actually, not much in the third act makes a great deal of sense. I guess they were hoping the gunfights would distract you from that, but that trick won't work in 2018!
Thematically, it is about the strong allure of women, and how their very nature can turn men from their peaceful ways, and against each other into wickedness. To the films credit, the scenery was nice, as was the use of the smoking volcano as both metaphor and potential hazard.