ken russell have always be a director that take his film into excess with both style and subject matter but i find this so called biography lack any real substance . the story be of course about the rise and death of rudolph valentino ( rudolf nureyev ) and after his sudden and tragic death we see the woman in his life reflect in flashback about his life . valentino be a tango dancer and a gigolo but he still have dream of buy his own orange grove in california . a cast director spot him in a dance hall and convince him to come for a screen test which he agree to . he start work in small role until he catch the eye of famed actress alla nazimova ( leslie caron ) and her companion natasha rambova ( michelle phillips ) . soon valentino become a screen sensation and he become involve romantically with rambova but technically he be still marry to his first wife . the two of them become a team and they want artistic control over his part which be to the chagrin of the studio head jesse lasky ( huntz hall ) . russell film be always visually interesting and this effort be no different . there be many scene that have brown and gray tone but suddenly a bright shade will be enter into the shot . also and this film be suppose to be in the united state but be actually shoot in england . russell do a pretty good job recreate the look of 1920 america with his set that be build specifically for this film . but let face it and this be a very clumsy attempt at retell the life of valentino and while nureyev be excellent show u the tango and he look like a fish out of water when it come to dialogue . one of the more irritating thing about this film be that russell tell this story like it be a silent movie . the scene and dialogue be overly dramatic and nureyev us lot of body movement to show what he be feel . this also wouldn not be a russell film without the gratuitous nudity and theyre be a couple of lulu here . nureyev himself have one or two full frontal shot . i do not complain too much about the historical inaccuracy but with the uninspired casting ( huntz hall . ) and the annoying style of this film with nureyev awkward performance it clearly an effort that go nowhere .