The Barbarian 1933

I previously recorded this movie and watched it on Sunday. I've been trying to make sense of it ever since. 

It begins as a kind of farce. Ramon Novarro stars as Jamil, a guide (secretly a prince) who romances the tourists he meets. In the opening minutes, he pledges love to both an American and a German tourist and exchanges "family heirlooms" for valuable jewelry from his loves. 

Then Myrna Loy as Diana arrives in town to meet her fiance. Jamil ingratiates himself with her by returning her dog after her Uncle Cecil (C. Aubrey Smith) and companion (Louise Closser Hale) leave the dog alone after arguing over who should take care of her. 

Smith and Hale are very funny. Cecil is taking every opportunity to take a drink and can never seem to find cash when he needs to give someone a tip. I love when Cecil asks if there's a bar up there when Diana and Jamil are climbing a pyramid at night. 

Soon the tone of the film changes. Jamil appears in Diana's bedroom unannounced and unwelcome. He takes over her caravan after she fires him when she wants to visit her fiance. When she demands they return to Cairo, he separates her from the rest of the caravan, degrades her, rapes her, and attempts to marry her. 

Later Diana returns to her fiance, meets his overbearing mother, and is about to get married, but runs off with Jamil for a happy ending. 

I've left out many details and a few characters, but that is the gist of the film. The change in the tone is jarring, and the end is disturbing. I realize there have been many changes over the years in what is considered romantic, but events in this film are too much. 

It's strange that Myrna Loy, born in Montana, was cast as an exotic vamp in the 30s, but later a perfect wife in the 40s. Ramon Novarro was a Mexican cast as an Egyptian,  Edward Arnold, son of German immigrants, was cast as another Egyptian. Hollywood was "color blind" in its own way. Maybe I should say it still is. 

I would love to see a remake of this film as a romantic comedy as it seemed to be at the outset. It would be a challenge to get rid of all the offensive scenes, but well worth it.