Garbo's second American film, and one that provided the template for much of her acting career going forward. She would play some variation on an alluring, mysterious woman whose seductive charms brought men to ruin. Ultimately, though, given the morality of the time (and, to my mind, the true one), the woman must herself eventually fall, either to the point of destitution (as here), or death (like in Flesh and the Devil). The religious overtones are a bit much, to be fair, but completely understandable given the narrative and moral framework they operated in. Thematic content aside, The Temptress is also just a well-made film. The drama and pacing are excellent, and cinematographer William Daniels captured some powerful and beautiful images. For me, the most memorable ones are a Paris dinner party where the host ends up committing suicide, and a whip fight between the male lead and an Argentinian bandit. In the latter, intercutting between the fight and Garbo's arousal in reaction to it was quite effective. There were also some great wide shots of the Patagonian Desert. Overall, I'd place this a little below Flesh and the Devil, but it was still very good and entertaining.
Review of The Temptress
