there be two basic problem with this film represent first and rudolph valentino may have be incredibly sexy on screen ( woo hoo . ) and but he wasn not that interest off screen . second and he rudolf nureyev isn not a good enough actor to make him interest . russell try to work around these basic problem by include lot of 1920 hollywood excess and decadence and and as much sex and violence a he could fit in and all in amazing period clothes and but it not enough . it a gorgeous film to look at and the screen glitter with light and color and glamour and and some of the scene be stun enough to keep you watch . my favorite be the dance sequence and valentino be a dancer and the slinky and sexy nureyev do several dazzle tango number . ( i recommend this film to any serious balletomane for that reason ) it when he have to talk that the film run into trouble and and since he the entire film and it major trouble . nureyev english be never that good and and he either stumble over his line or spit them out at top russian speed . his body be expressive and but his face be not and which be typical of dancer whose face aren not clearly see by the audience and and who be mainly concern with not pant visibly . but the problem that could probably never be overcome be that the character aren not very sympathetic or interesting . valentino spend his short career a a passive pawn of the studio and his bitch wife natasha rambova ( snippily play by the bland michelle phillips ) and and diva actor director alla nazimova ( leslie caron gnawing on the scenery ) . the script try to build some regular joe who never want to be a star sympathy for him and which somehow make him less worthy of this kind of attention . no and valentino be an astonishing stud on screen and a wuss off and the only compelling thing about him be the performance he leave . good to get a tape of the sheik than to watch this .