Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

SunnyHello Nice effects though.

Spoonatects Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

ags123 Though he tried valiantly, director Ken Russell couldn't maintain the depth he brought to his biggest success "Women In Love." From that point on, excess took over at the expense of logic and coherence. Films like "Mahler," "Tommy," "Lisztomania," became increasingly messy. By the time "Valentino" came along, while still offering up a visual feast, Russell had become sloppy. The script is bad - none of the narrative is the least bit convincing. Rudolf Nureyev is not at fault here. He gamely subjects himself to all manner of humiliation and comes off pretty well. The same can't be said for the rest of the cast. Leslie Caron tries hard. It's Michelle Phillips' lack of acting ability that brings down the whole production. "Valentino" is worth a look by fans of Russell's visual style, but that's about all it's got to recommend it.

Armand Nureyev as Valentino. Leslie Caron in a nice role. and spirit of period. basic ingredients of a film. not astonishing. but almost seductive. new exercise of Ken Russell to present his world in usual colors and fragile shadows. a homage-film who desire give not exactly fragments of a life but skin of a myth. and the work is reasonable. this is the point to begin to discover the movie. sure, Nureyev was not the best option. but it is far to be a error his performance. only perfect example for good intentions and art to use his rare gift to cover the not inspired acting. a Russell film. this is the definition for this exotic, strange and nice movie.

Jazzelyne Even if you know very little about Rudolph Valentino (like myself), it's obvious after just a couple of minutes that this "autobiography" doesn't have to be taken all too seriously. The dark humor and colorful, operatic way in which director Ken Russell tells his story, make this film interesting to watch, although some parts were just a little over the top to my taste (like Leslie Caron's excessive entrance at the funeral home, the cult of fans gathering outside Valentino's mansion and the scene in which Valentino and his co-star "practise" their love scene).Although the choice of Rudolf Nureyev to play Valentino was a gamble, I think he is surprisingly well-cast in the title role. In my opinion, the whole essence of the movie was to make it look like a silent movie, whether in grotesqueness of the scenes or in the overly dramatic dialogs. In that light, Nureyev's performance should not be judged as "bad acting". His exaggerated accent and equally strong body language are part of his performance, which is supported by the fact that Nureyev in real life didn't had that much of an Russian accent (anymore) by 1977. Whether his acting style - or for that matter the style of the entire movie - appeals to you, is therefore merely an issue of personal taste than of professional capability of the filmmakers.As a homosexual (or more accurately bisexual), Nureyev certainly would have related to the hate directed at Valentino and as a world-famous ballet dancer, he would also have been able to relate to Valentino's fame, outrageous lifestyle, the parasitic way in which some people surrounded him and the pressure of being an idol. He created an impression that I found believable and endearing.Someone in another IMDb user review stated that Nureyev is "not handsome", "short" and "not muscular at all". Of course personal opinions about beauty may differ, but REALLY... if Nureyev is not considered the embodiment of physical perfection, than who is? This man has been a sex icon from the moment he became famous and was adored worldwide not only for his wonderful dancing, but also for his beautiful sculpted body and astonishing charisma. He definitely shows these trademarks in this movie. All his love scenes (even with Michelle Phillips, who he apparently disliked) ooze an erotic feeling. But above all, he shows that his dancing skills exceed the classical ballet. The most captivating moments for anyone with a warm place in his heart for dance, are certainly the spectacular ballroom scenes: from the passionate tango with Vaslav Nijinsky (one of several comical references to ballet) to the stunning duets with his two on-screen wives.There are chances that you have mixed feelings after having watched this film, but in my case this is mainly due to the script. The main characters stay a little flat in the narrative and the big leaps in between the events leading to Valentino's death sometimes make it hard for people not familiar with the historical background of Valentino to truly understand the implications of the story. The "why" behind the larger-than-life popularity of this iconic cinematic person thus stays a little obscure. However, the sadness over a talented life cut off too early, is a similarity between Valentino and Nureyev (who died in 1993 as a result of AIDS) which gives the entire film a melancholic shine.

jotix100 Ken Russell, the distinguished English director, gives us his own take on the legend of Rudolph Valentino, the legendary silent star. This biopic that Mr. Russell has written with Mardick Martin, doesn't deliver the promise of showing the man behind the fame. In a way, this is probably the interpretation of the writers, based on well known facts, no doubt. However, the film that one sees has an amateurish look, that has a lot to do with the casting of the title character: Rudolf Nureyev.Mr. Nureyev was an accomplished dancer. As an actor, either his style is not what one expected, or Mr. Russell's direction to the star was completely wrong. The end result is a picture much too long, but with the usual Ken Russell palette of rich colors and lush scenery. The traditional excesses of the director are present in the film, and while we don't care for this man the way he is presented, one can see Mr. Russell's exuberance all over the film. One can't help to wonder what picture would have been made with another actor in the title role. The film offers brilliant moments where Ken Russell shines, but the end result is uninteresting. At the end, Valentino, the man, remains an enigma.