The Temptress poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Greta Garbo, Antonio Moreno, Lionel Barrymore

In a masked ball in Paris, Manuel Robledo, a young Argentinian architect, meets Elena, the Marquess of Torre Blanca. Later, the young woman is rightly accused causing the misfortune and loss of wealth...( read more  read more... ) of Fontenoy, a man who fell for her charms. To escape social criticism, the Marquis of Torre Blanca transfers his residence to Argentina. There, Elena meets again Manuel, when he is building a river's dam. Manos Duras, a thug, harasses Elena, and when Manuel intervenes, he defies him to a whip duel. The duel is long and vicious, both men suffering many cuts on their faces and naked chests, but in the end, the thug is vanquished and humiliated. Manos Duras sets up an ambush to murder Manuel, but the Marquis of Torre Blanca is killed instead. Now, there only two men in love for Elena, the eternal temptress.

Flixster Users

73% liked it

306 ratings

Unrated

Directed by: Fred Niblo

Release Date: October 3, 1926

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: September 11, 2007

Stats: 24 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

None yet... Got one?

Your Rating


clear rating
Facebook

Flixster Reviews (24)

  • groaningbitch
    August 12, 2008
    groaningbitch
    "the temptress" is greta garbo's first american movie which sets off her iconic image of silent vamp in united states. garbo's insoucient manners have some tint of ethereal melancholy which fundamentalizes her tragic diva status, anchored by a thick aura of fatalistic helplessnes...( read more)s as lovers're always doomed to aching love without eternality in her screen romances.

    garbo plays the tempress who is a dame philandered by her spineless husband to pay debts. then she falls heads over heels in love with a handsome stranger in a flowery garden under the silvery stars. then next day her lover discovers her despicable infidelity as the traded woman, so he departs with loathing hatred. but destiny leads her again to his side and she still captivates everyman under her spell with her striking beauty. however, wherever she arrives, fatal ruin befalls upon men as helen could wreck troy despite her eyes only cast upon one man who despises her.

    "the temptress" is a great exemplification of the intimidating empowerment of feminine allure as men fear women's charm since bible depicts dalliah betrays samson, also as adolescent boys scare to be devoured by the virgina vendetta. (pardon.) woman descends as the fault-blamer who catalysizes doom with misogynistic distrust. somehow female remains as the reluctant puppet of karma with irrevalent detachment as men bleeds to vie for her one sensuous regard. inevitably the female's got to commit an extrene masochistic deed to redeem herself and the sacredness of her love to the man as he collapses under her skirt.

    garbo shall be the otherworldly incarnation of femme fatale, and her sultriness is never so evident as in "the tempress", clouded with a mythical fable-alike atmosphere as the backset is filled with expressionistic sceneric art. in her state of "silentness", garbo's sensuality is shredded with intense enigma as if you're observing a mythological tale with ideological archetypes.

    the essence of woman's genuine fairness is as fragile as flower, you wanna pluck the blossom then after inhaling its fragrance, you secretly wish to tramp it beneath your feet, so transiet so vulnerable. the pinnacle of tragic aesthetism could only be accomplished as the female protagonost selects the path of self-ruin to gratify your appetite for destruction.

    melodramaticity, indeed. as wordsworth remarks that poetry is the overflown state of emotions as one smolders in his maxium of sentimentality. (correct me if i quote it wrong). the carthesis is enlightened as the audience escalates into the pitch of drastic plot twists. that was cinema or entertainment in old days, a form of extinguished art.
  • NickEaViL
    December 19, 2009
    NickEaViL
    I have been curious about Garbo films, and I have started my adventure in her films with 'The Temptress'. This was her second film and she was not an established star yet...Here are some points I noticed:

    - I found that the soft focus style during the first scenes, especially wh...( read more)en Elena (Garbo) takes her mask off (very excited during this scene, I must add), has a similarity to the look a singer named Alison Goldfrapp had during the release of her first album, Felt Mountain. My partner and I noticed this, and thought it would be interesting to point out. The blurring of background objects would help the viewer direct their view to the actors.

    - The score was very adequate in enhancing the drama or lightness of the various scenes.

    - The fades in between scenes of Paris and Argentina were very interesting. I found it to be creative, especially because there were no optical printers at the time this movie was filmed. The fades had to be done within the camera,backing up on filmed footage to create the fades. Must have been a very intricate process as to not mess up the footage already shot.

    - I enjoyed the 'foot fetish' scene during the tracking shot that was done over and under the banquet table in the scenes showing Fontenay's dinner party.

    - Another scene that caught my eye was the distorted mirror that Elena looked into while her stay in Argentina. I am a fan of distortion and this shot was well done.

    Overall this was a great film to spark my interest in Garbo's films.
  • sepio41
    October 28, 2008
    sepio41
    after debuting in 1925's the torrent, garbo was starred in the temptress, a seamy story of a woman who artlessly destroys the lives of the men that love her.
  • nEkRoGuRl
    October 7, 2008
    nEkRoGuRl
    It was the first silent film that I saw. Even though I saw it from the middle, it caught my attention.
  • Ghw12158
    August 6, 2008
    Ghw12158
    its Garbo what else do I need to say?
  • aegossman
    March 26, 2008
    aegossman
    This was a good movie.

View All The Temptress Reviews

Critic Reviews

No recent reviews.

Comments

This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "The Temptress" !

Post A Comment | View All Comments

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

All Rotten Tomatoes content is used under license from Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes, Certified Fresh, and the Tomatometer are the trademarks of Incfusion Corporation, d/b/a Rotten Tomatoes, a subsidiary of IGN Entertainment, Inc.

Cast

More Like This

This list looks lonely.
Add a suggestion!

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

The Temptress : Watch Free on TV

The Temptress Trivia

  • This Bond movie has the distinction of introducing two of the most famous characters of the whole Bond series -- the mute Korean with a deadly bowler named Oddjob and the frisky temptress named Pussy Galore.   Answer »
  • Who's that singer who took a bow in the films "Dick Tracy" (as sultry temptress Breathless Mahoney), "Four Rooms" (as a seductive coven-member), and "Swept Away" (as a socialite stranded on an island)?   Answer »
  • Who's that girl who took a bow in the films "Dick Tracy" (as sultry temptress Breathless Mahoney), "Four Rooms" (as a seductive coven-member), and "Swept Away" (as a socialite stranded on an island)?   Answer »
  • Who played the temptress in "Flesh and the Devil"?   Answer »
More The Temptress Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for The Temptress. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add The Temptress to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?