despite louis b. mayer reportedly not be interest in sign the young greta garbo to a contract and this first american and mgm film for the actress look quite beautiful . it obvious that the film be assign some amazing talent to film the production and make matte painting and a it have all the nice polish and artfulness you would expect from the best picture the studio could produce . it simply look beautiful even 84 year later . a for garbo herself and like her other very early american film she and too and look different . while she quite recognizable and her makeup be much soft than it would become just a year later give her a less severe look and a gentleness about her you just do not see in subsequent film . i kind of wish they would keep this look and but consider how famous she would become with the trademark look and who be i to say they shouldn not have go that route . the film be about garbo and how she and her family be unfairly force off their land by the landlord . while the landlady and the much esteem doña bernarda and claim it because the bank have demand payment and it because her son have fall for garbo and what good way to get rid of her than to force them out on the street . nice lady and huh . year pas and by now garbo have become a new singing sensation who be world famous . when she return to her hometown year later and her old boyfriend ( who have promise to marry her but wimped out when his mother and doña bernarda and refuse to allow it ) see her . his new love for another lady be now test will he be content to marry this lady who be the heir to a huge pig fortune or will he want his old flame . and and more importantly and will garbo even take him back after he behave so spinelessly . in the meantime and a huge rainstorm hit . the land begin to flood and home soon be be wash away by the deluge . cortez and a friend make a mad dash a the dam break . in a scene where they obviously superimpose his row boat over the cascading stream and he eventually make it out alive and to the home where garbo be now stay . she welcome them inside and they stay with her until the storm pass . then and he admit that he still love her and have brave the storm to make sure that she be safe . she tell him to get lose . next and you see ricardo about to get marry to his second choice and the daughter of the pork king . he obviously have little enthusiasm for this and you feel sorry for the lady and a she do nothing wrong . soon and cortez be see wander back to garbo home he love sick and need her . in this scene and garbo be quite luminous and can not tell him to leave a they dissolve in each other arm . once again and he tell her of his love for her . when doña bernarda learns of this and she be not pleased . evidently and a pork queen be a good catch than an internationally know singer . because of the meddling of this nasty old lady and garbo leaf unwilling to come between the mother and her wimpy son . but and cortez come run announce he must have her and would not rest until he have her a his wife . moment after make this proclamation and a family friend talk to cortez and convince him to give her up for the good of his career and reputation . so much for would not rest until he have her for his wife and huh . despite cortez be a wimp through and through and for some reason she can not bring herself to hate him . and so and he marry the pork queen and live a very dull life . when year later garbo meet cortez again and he be a dull look middle age man while she be as beautiful a ever . and and not surprisingly and she tell him and once again and to get lose . at the time this film be make and garbo be not a star in the u and cortez be . so and in light of this and it surprise they give cortez such an unlikable character to play . instead of the usual confident valentino like role they would be give him and here he be an indecisive wimp a huge wimp . and and from here on and his career be on a slow downward spiral . a for garbo and the role help establish her a a big star a she be the focus of the film and play a character much like her late persona . a for the film and the new music compose for it be very nice and though a tad repetitive . the print and oddly and be nearly perfect throughout except for the intertitle card which could use some restoration . a most enjoyable film expertly construct and wistful and worth seeing . and and for one of the few time i can think of it and i have no real complaint in this excellent film .