Spoilers. Observations. Opinions.

Spectacular.

Spectacular costuming. Exotic furnishings.

I thought Nureyev could only dance ballet. Here, he also tap dances. He does the tango. I am amazed.

Rudolf and Rudolph. Both were dancers. Their names were almost alike.

Leslie Caron did a great job. I enjoyed seeing her. Her character was campy and over the top.

This was historically the early Roaring 20s, a post-World War One flashy era of excess and stereotypical abandonment of traditional moral values. There was a hedonism that was expressed on the silent screen. People were tired about hearing about the fighting and killing of the wartime battlefields.

There were film stars, fan clubs and exotic mansions. There were scandals and movie deals. There was heartbreak. There were competition and jealousy. There were short, abbreviated film careers. Not a lot of actors lived to what we would call retirement age.

Many characters in this film were based on real people. Many scenes were vignettes taken from Valentino's real life. Would these have had sound film careers? Would Valentino? Maybe their squeaky voices would never have made it.

Why was it that the 1927 sound film debut occurred only two years before the 1929 Stock Market Crash and ensuing Great Depression, sending film studios and actors almost to the proverbial bread lines? Early 1920s actors' excesses could no longer be economically feasible. Weren't a lot of them broke, by that time?

I am a degreed historian, actress, singer, dancer, film critic and movie reviewer.

Though he tried valiantly, director Ken Russell couldn't maintain the depth he brought to his biggest success "Women In Love." From that point on, excess took over at the expense of logic and coherence. Films like "Mahler," "Tommy," "Lisztomania," became increasingly messy. By the time "Valentino" came along, while still offering up a visual feast, Russell had become sloppy. The script is bad - none of the narrative is the least bit convincing. Rudolf Nureyev is not at fault here. He gamely subjects himself to all manner of humiliation and comes off pretty well. The same can't be said for the rest of the cast. Leslie Caron tries hard. It's Michelle Phillips' lack of acting ability that brings down the whole production. "Valentino" is worth a look by fans of Russell's visual style, but that's about all it's got to recommend it.

Filled with wonderful moments, Valentino, ultimately collapses under the weight of its overblown and raucous fairground antics. It must have been an amazing coup to get Rudolf Nureyev to play the infamous Rudolph Valentino but there is just too much going on and some scenes going on for too long. The costumes, by the director's then wife Shirley are amazing but really only help to feed in to the overall campiness of the proceedings. I can imagine Ken bouncing about encouraging everyone to give it their all and this certainly seems to have born fruit with Peter Vaughan's ecstatic performance towards the end but it also means that poor little Felicity Kendal, always the most measured of actresses, actually overacts here. A camp extravaganza that I'm sure many can enjoy but I would have preferred just a little more insight. The Fatty Arbuckle portrayal is unforgivable, never mind that of Valentino himself.