Film was awarded a 2 for filming, but content earns a 0.While I can give a pass to certain inequities in movies, (i.e. the Nicholas Brothers dance number that Fred Astaire rated as the best dance number ever filmed) I draw the line at praising a film where a woman is kidnapped, raped, eventually returned, ridiculed upon her return, then runs off with her kidnapper/rapist, for the lame reason of her mother was half Egyptian, feeding into the stereotype that people of certain ethnic backgrounds should stick together.The cinematography of the film rated a 2 because that could be interesting.No matter when this picture was made, pre-code, post-code, whatever, there is no excuse for tolerating the torture of a woman, then have the woman go out of her way to return to her torturer. Sorry, no can do.

This film is not your typical 5/10 film. It has all the hallmarks of a well-made MGM production of its era, including a good cast performing their roles quite well and believably, great cinematography, good art and costume design etc. However, you just can't get past the spectacle of Myrna Loy's character falling for a man who is at least her stalker and most probably her rapist.The opening scene is humorous, with amorous Jamil (Ramon Navarro) talking to lady after lady on the train leaving Cairo telling each that she is the only one for him and that parting is heartbreaking. He gives each a piece of jewelry that is supposedly a priceless heirloom. After leaving the train he reaches into his pocket and reveals that he has a handful of such priceless jewelry - they are in fact cheap trinkets, which is precisely how he sees his western conquests, now on their way back to the west with smiles on their faces. So far, so good - Jamil is a playboy, probably just taking advantage of silly women who did give themselves willingly even if under false and, quite frankly, obvious pretenses, and the audience should be able to live with that.Enter Diana Standing (Myrna Loy) arriving in Cairo from the west to marry her fiancé (Reginald Denny), who is unfortunately joined at the hip with a very critical and talkie mother. Jamil spots her and decides she is the one for him. Unfortunately, Diana isn't given the option of saying no to Jamil's dishonest sales pitch, which she does. He abducts her from her caravan, takes her out into the desert, and besides continually pitching woo he uses methods that are tried and true means of breaking down prisoners of war.Diana's fiancé and company finally catch up to her, Jamil escapes, and Diana goes back to civilization to do what she came to do originally - marry the rather dull guy with the unhealthy mommy attachment. Now I can see the ordeal and the distance causing her to change her mind about her wedding, but the final scene is just too much. Jamil appears on her balcony, serenades her, and she not only doesn't turn him into the authorities, she abandons her wedding and goes with him enthusiastically. Her final line - she tells Jamil that her mother was Egyptian. Is that supposed to be some kind of excuse, like a purebred Western girl would never succumb to this treatment but an Egyptian one would? I normally don't write reviews that basically outline the whole plot, and I have left enough details out that you should still find it interesting should you plan to watch it, but the outcome and thus the message of the film is what undoes it to begin with. It's an interesting artifact of the precode era, and I've always enjoyed Myrna Loy and her films, but this is just too much to take.

Originally meant to be a steamy romance filled with temptation and scandal, The Barbarian comes off today as antiquated and shocking but for all the wrong reasons. Diana Standing (Myrna Loy) is a wealthy woman from America who comes to Egypt to visit the land of her heritage. Her mother was half Egyptian. There she meets a ruthless womanizer who cons himself into being her guide. Jamil El Shehab (Ramon Novarro) has a history of romancing women and taking their money. He sets his eyes on Diana who no matter how she resists, cannot escape the watchful and menacing eye of Jamil.Beginning in the 20s, America went wild for all things Arab and mysterious. Women fainted at the thought of men like Rudolph Valentino ravaging them in the desert, something they feared but also longed for. These kinds of stories became commonplace both in Hollywood and in trashy romance novels. Thus, we have The Barbarian. What better subject (rape, brutality, forbidden desire) for a pre-code film? Although she wore a nude bodysuit in the scene, Loy takes a bath in a tub with no bubbles and few flower petals inside to cover her. The soft focus says it all; this movie is all about sex.Unfortunately today, many women see Novarro as a brute and a savage. Their negative reactions to him make for difficult viewing. His character was intended to be representative of the nagging desire for the unattainable, but by todays standards, Jamil is creepy and bothersome.Despite these obstacles, the film has some undeniably merits. Novarro's singing enhances the story with a lovely ballad that strains throughout. The direction by Sam Wood leaves the audience with just enough information to tell the story, but not too much as to be smutty. One shot in particular of Diana after her rape is movingly beautiful.

I have read the previous comments about this movie, and as much as sexual assault is heinous, it is unfair to judge a movie almost 75 years old by our standards in the 21st century. I have just seen it for the first time and I absolutely fell in love with all the characters and the roles they played! All we saw was Jamil kiss Diana passionately, and there is absolutely NOTHING that follows indicating that sex took place between the two characters at that desert scene. I do not think the writers or directors of the movie intended for us to conclude anything - it was a maybe at best as to whether or not they had sex. I have no use for feminazis who want to destroy older movies by assuming that this scene should be the whole basis of this film. It was well done with super talented actors, beautiful cinematography and magnificent costumes. AND, given the divorce rate today, we really have no right to judge or question why two people (fictional or real) fall in love and want to spend the rest of their lives together. These movies are what they are, some are good and some are, well, um, hmm..... overall, better than most of the modern garbage Hollywood puts out for it. I was so awed by this stunning film and I hope it comes out in DVD someday, I will be first in line to buy it!!!