“If
Russia in revolt were as kind as you… I would have no fear for its future.”
Like
many silent films The Red Dance is
melodramatic and could have ended much sooner than it did. It is also a perfect
example of how Hollywood takes events from history and twists them to the
breaking point for entertainment.
The
story takes place during the October Revolution in Russia at the beginning of
the Twentieth Century. Grand Duke Eugene (Charles Farrell) is given orders to
retreat during a battle. He asks his superior officer why he was given the
orders to retreat. The superior officer tells him he was given the wrong orders
by someone looking to sabotage them. To receive his real orders Eugene is sent
to Petrograd. In the city he meets the queen and her daughter Princess
Varvarra. The princess tells Eugene that she is afraid of a peasant uprising. He
tells her the peasants are most likely being lead into it by someone. Turns out
the czar’s advisor is behind the revolt. The advisor thinks Eugene has learned
too much. Eugene wants to learn all he can about the peasants so he can help
them. Someone tells him the best thing he can do is marry Princess Varvarra
which will help him learn about the peasants.
Tasia
(Delores del Rio) is a young peasant girl. Her father has been put in jail for
life because he was taught teaching children. Her mother was killed in front of
her years ago when she was also caught teaching. Now she lives with friends in
a house on farm. Tasia wants to bring her people out of the insufferable
oppression they are in. While working out on the farm a lusty soldier named
Ivan Petrov comes after Tasia. He wants to marry her and so do her friends.
Tasia does not want to marry the soldier she wants to wait to find her true
love. The friends have Ivan sign a marriage contract.
Tasia
was reading a book in the house. The one friend caught her reading and starts
smacking her. Eugene, on his way to Petrograd, sees Tasia being beat. He stops
the old woman from hitting Tasia. Eugene observes the farm. The old woman says
that the czar takes their food and the Cossacks attack them. Eugene tells the
woman he needs a guide to the czars lodge, if Tasia can be his guide he
promises to have the Cossaks stop attacking them. The rebels hear about Eugene
wanting Tasia as his guide. They think she can be very useful to their cause.
That night Tasia runs to Eugene at the lodge in the middle of the night. They
forget about class and enjoy each other’s company. When Tasia returns to the farm
the following morning Ivan has gotten totally drunk and forgot they were
supposed to have been married the night before. They both decide they were not
right for each other and forget about getting married. Ivan still loves Tasia
and remains loyal to her.
Eventually
the peasants revolt and the attack the government. Tasia has become a chorus
girl in a show. The peasants find Eugene and plan on killing him. Ivan finds
Tasia and tells him about Eugene. She tries to save him before he is killed.
Luckily Ivan also helps since he knows how much she loves the Grand Duke.
I
got bored with the story pretty quick. I also had a bit of a hard time
following the story but that is nothing new for me. not being able to follow
the story probably had something to do with the fact that it was boring and, as
I mentioned, being a melodramatic romance.
Delores
del Rio and Charles Farrell were good together. From what I did pay attention
to I liked their characters. The best character was Ivan Petrov played by Ivan
Linow. His character was funny and sweet. The first time I saw Petrov I hated
the character I hated him because he attacked the main character and he wanted
to marry her right away when she did not want to. But as the film went he was
one of the best.
Raoul
Walsh did not do a bad job directing the film but this is not the type of story
you would expect from him.
The Red Dance is an alright silent film
it is definitely not one of the best. You cannot watch it as a true historical
piece it is so dramatized. Watch The Red
Dance only if you are a fan of either Delores del Rio or Raoul Walsh.
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