I found this silent film in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, I assumed it was Russian because of the image of the leading character, it's from America, I didn't know what to expect, so I just went for it and watched. Basically Vladimir Dubrovsky (Rudolph Valentino) is a dashing young lieutenant (a Cossack as it was then known) in the Imperial Guard of the Russian army. He comes to the notice of the Czarina Catherine II (Louise Dresser) when he rescues beautiful young lady Mascha Troekouroff (Vilma Bánky), and her Aunt Aurelia (Carrie Clark Ward), trapped in a runaway stagecoach. Vladimir is delighted when the Czarina offers to make him a general, but is appalled when she tries to seduce him, he flees from the palace, in anger the Czarina orders a warrant for his arrest, he has a price on his head, he is wanted dead or alive. Soon after, Vladimir receives a letter that the evil nobleman Kyrilla Troekouroff (James A. Marcus) has evicted him from his land ownership and is terrorising the countryside with his corruption, and it gets worse for Vladimir when he finds out his Father (Spottiswoode Aitken) has died. Vladimir vows revenge against Kyrilla for the death of his father and to help the the victimised peasants, so with a black mask he adopts the identity of Robin Hood style outlaw "The Black Eagle", leading a group of unsatisfied men to help him fight and seek vengeance. Vladimir discovers that Kyrilla is Mascha's father, he finds a way to get closer to him, by taking the place of a tutor sent from France, but never seen by anyone in the household. In adopting this role his love for Mascha grows stronger, and he becomes more and more reluctant to continue seeking revenge against Mascha's father, so they eventually flee the Troekouroff estate together. Vladimir is captured by the Czarina's men, but the Czarina no longer seeks to execute him, she has had a change of heart, in the end she allows him and Mascha to leave Russia together for Paris, France, with a new French name, to start a new life. Also starring George Nichols as Judge, Michael Pleschkoff as Captain Kuschka of the Cossack Guard and apparently young Gary Cooper as a Masked Cossack. Valentino is well cast as the swashbuckling hero, he is good in and out of the black mask, this is Valentino's penultimate role before he died, a female cult was formed following his death. It is obvious the story was inspired by Zorro, and it is a pretty simple tale of a man wanting to help the poor people and get even with the bad guy, but it is good fun to watch, a worthwhile silent adventure. Good!

Though The Sheik (1921) and The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1920) are more iconic, and The Son of the Sheik (1926) seems to be the fan favorite, I believe The Eagle (1925) is Rudolph Valentino's finest performance and all-around film. It does nothing to revolutionize film nor is it what you would call "high art," but TE is, in my opinion, a masterpiece of Hollywood escapism with its strong characters, great action, and sparkling comedy set in an art deco re-imagining of the Russia of Catherine the Great.Valentino has a reputation for being a nostril-flaring lover, but I find more often than not, he was usually subdued in his approach, though his characters obviously possess a lot of passion. He's in fantastic form here, juggling roles as an action hero, lover, and light comedian. He might have been sexier in his final film, The Son of the Sheik, but here, he gets to show off a lot more of his comedic talent, which was woefully underused in many of his films. Valentino also gains the perfect leading lady in the spirited and beautiful Vilma Banky. The two make a sexy and incredibly adorable on screen pair, and they would be paired again in The Son of the Sheik. The standout among the supporting cast is Louise Dresser as Catherine the Great. She wrings out a lot of power and comedy in her unfortunately brief part.Clarence Brown is, of course, excellent in the director's chair. He and the cinematographer Georges Barnes bring a lot of artistic touches to this lightest of films. The two scenes which always stand out for me cinematically are the tracking shot across the dinner table and the bit right after the condemned Valentino marries Banky in his cell. The two are embracing in medium shot, and the hands of the prison guard off to take Valentino to his execution and the priest who married the lovers emerge from off-screen to gently pry them apart.If you've never seen a silent film, then TE is a good place to start. Its story is simple but with just enough depth of character to keep you interested and the comedy is smart, not dated in the least. For veteran silent film fans, this is essential.

Russian lieutenant Vladimir Dubrovsky (Rudolph Valentino) vows vengeance against a man named Kyrilla (James A. Marcus) after Kyrilla used treachery to steal Dubrovsky land, which left his father a dying, ruined man. Eventually hiding his face under a mask and assuming the identity "The Black Eagle", he and his band of followers set out to bring down Kyrilla. However Dubrovsky has even more reason to hide his face because having offended the Czarina of Russia by spurning her affections, she has issued a warrant for his arrest dead or alive for desertion from his regiment. Further complicating Dubrovsky's plans is he unexpectedly winds up falling in love with Kyrilla's daughter Mascha (Vilma Bánky).Well it's certainly unpredictable, you have to say that. This one certainly has plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing what might befall our hero next. Valentino it cannot be denied is excellent in the lead role as an heroic bandit with irresistible charm. This does deliver romance and some tense moments for our ill-fated lovers. The problem here is that really "The Black Eagle" never quite seems to deliver the goods when it comes to action, his most impressive moments firing a shot at a key moment and as expected coming to the rescue of his damsel in distress time and time again. Also the ending doesn't quite seem to ring true given previously established events in our story. Still certainly not bad of its type, just a straightforward romantic adventure, almost fairytale-like, in a fashion.

Enjoyable adaptation of Russian novel for American screen with well-polished Rudolf Valentino as the former Czarist officer who extracts revenge as the "Black Eagle" against the landowner who cheated his father. Valentino performs macho acts and is not cast only as a ladies man. Excellent directing by Clarence Brown, good re-writing to fit an American audience, some tricky camera shots, and wonderful sets add to the enjoyment of this very good film. Vilma Banky sizzles as the beautiful romantic interest that makes the erstwhile thief select love over vengeance. This is the next to the last time that we see Valentino. Gary Cooper (uncredited) appears as one of the masked cossacks -- you will never find him. Recommended.