Blood and Sand

Blood and Sand is a 1922 American silent drama film produced by Paramount Pictures, directed by Fred Niblo and starring Rudolph Valentino, Lila Lee, and Nita Naldi. It was based on the Spanish 1909 novel Blood and Sand (Sangre y arena) by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez. There is an earlier version of Blood and Sand (1916), filmed by Blasco Ibáñez himself, with the help of Max André. This earlier version was restored in 1998 by the Filmoteca de la Generali... more

Blood and Sand is a 1922 American silent drama film produced by Paramount Pictures, directed by Fred Niblo and starring Rudolph Valentino, Lila Lee, and Nita Naldi. It was based on the Spanish 1909 novel Blood and Sand (Sangre y arena) by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez. There is an earlier version of Blood and Sand (1916), filmed by Blasco Ibáñez himself, with the help of Max André. This earlier version was restored in 1998 by the Filmoteca de la Generalitat Valenciana (Spain). Juan Gallardo (Rudolph Valentino), a village boy born into poverty, grows up to become one of the greatest matadors in Spain. He marries a friend from his childhood, the beautiful and virtuous Carmen (Lila Lee), but after he achieves fame and fortune he finds himself drawn to Doña Sol (Nita Naldi), a wealthy, seductive widow. They embark on a torrid affair with rather sadomasochistic overtones, but Juan, feeling guilty over his betrayal of Carmen, tries to free himself of Doña Sol. Furious at being rejected, she exposes... less