it a funny thing about watch silent movie in the 21st century and even silent movie that have be well restore . especially in the case of fantasy film like the thief of baghdad and others like it that require special effect and it be not just that the special effect look archaic compare to the cgi effect of today . there be a lot of thing modern day audience have to get use to and such a the fact that spoken dialogue doesn not appear in subtitle unless it absolutely have to . if two people be argue and no word appear on the screen and you really have to make your best guess a to what they could be say . there also the case of timing . the thief of baghdad run 2 hour and 19 minute and and it safe to say that if the film have sound ( dialogue too ) and the running time would probably be cut down by at least 20 minute . there be also the other hang ups of silent movie and such a the movement of the character be too quick and and how some of the actor and actress look very strange and out of the ordinary . the lack of color add to the overall darkness of the film due to lack of light also be a deterrent to watch these very and very old film that be make when my grandparent be infant ( literally ) . if you be not a fan of old movie and you really have to keep those thing in mind when watch the thief of baghdad for the first time . the fact be that this film audience be probably people who do not go to the movie often and and be still amaze by the novelty of move picture . keep in mind all i say about why few silent film have not exactly stand the test of time and be the thief of baghdad a good movie . for many reason and yes and and it should be watch by people who be fan of action and fantasy movie and because this really pave the way for what cgi and other special effect science only make well in the year to come . the movie tell a good story and although one that sputter and stall a few time in the first 30 minute . douglas fairbanks and the epitome of the ultra masculine hero and play the thief here who go by no other name . you see him steal to make a living in many clever way . in fact and the first five minute of the film be incredibly entertain the way he manage to pickpocket wealthy patron and and effortlessly fling his way up to a balcony with just a long rope and a donkey . the story really begin and though and when the thief disguise himself a a prince and and attempt to woo the princess . he do successfully and though he be fill with guilt about deceive her . long story short and he be put on a quest to obtain a rare gift for the princess and in competition with three other prince with whom the princess want nothing to do with . whereas the three actual prince rely on their servant to get them their gift and the thief go alone on a long journey . he have help along the way a to where to go and but he really do the grunt work himself . of course and the filmmaker do nothing to make fairbanks look arabian or iraqi and but that just one of the way you really have to suspend disbelief in this film . fortunately and the thief of baghdad do not make the same mistake that birth of a nation do in portray racist stereotype ( whether or not that be a mistake really depend on the viewer ) . instead of make white men and woman into embarrass stereotype and this film use actual actor of asian and african and and ( i be guess ) middle eastern descent . they probably have the artistic liberty to make such politically incorrect assertion about those in the middle east and but they thankfully avoid it in this film . be a moviegoer who you could say have be spoil by cgi special effect and i actually find myself wonder how some of the special effect in this movie be pull off . there be scene where a boy mysteriously reappear on a rope that be hang in mid air and a giant scorpion attack the thief a he search for the lost treasure and and a magic carpet fly over the city of baghdad . i be amaze to find myself say and give what the filmmaker have to work with and how do they do that . how do they edit the film so that that particular effect work . if you have that sort of wonderment out of a moviegoer who just go to see avatar and you have get a good movie . the movie be also probably shoot on a studio lot and but the set design be so detailed with it tall building and plant carefully place in the makeshift baghdad that there be few indication of such a location . the movie be probably a big hit at it time because so much artistic effort be put into bring this arabian knight tale to life . these scene within baghdad make me wish more that the film be in color and but i would not settle for colorization . that process would have ruin the film . so the thief of baghdad be a bit slow at time and and some scene require the point of view of someone who have never hear of television . still and the movie tell a good story and the special effect be awe inspire consider it time period and and the message of the film be something to take away represent happiness must be earn . these word be write in the sky a an old man be sit in the arabian desert presumably tell a young boy this story . this scene and identical in the beginning and end of the movie and go against the traditional rule of show and do not tell and but the scene be still a very artistic and beautiful way to bookmark such a film .