After reading the glorious memoir Swanson on Swanson by Gloria Swanson I was ravenous to see more of her silent pictures from the dawning of the movie industry. This gem from overspending, OCD ridden director Eric von Stroheim was never officially finished as the production went over budget and there were significant disputes between Stroheim and Swanson, but what was salvaged is a beautiful piece of filmmaking. A type of grown up fairy tale with themes of romanticized violence, renegade from the Catholic Church, and the gamine charm of Swanson herself. Though the ending set in Africa was never filmed, which is a missing plot point, it's still a good watch for anyone with little resources for their own filmmaking endeavors and need inspiration. This was done with little budget and a million tiny problems, but is now a classic.