In the early-mid 1920s, the name Valentino became synonymous with sex appeal and desire. Women adored him and in some of his films (especially "The Sheik") he became the sex symbol of all sex symbols. However, here in "Cobra", he plays a sexy man with a bit more depth...and the result is quite satisfying.
The film begins with the young Count (Valentino) creating a bit of a mess of his life due to his playboy ways. Eventually, he's womanized so often that he's ready to leave his native Italy to make a new start. This occurs when he meets an American businessman who wants to hire the Count for his high-class antiques business.
Once in America, he tries to mend his ways--but finds himself gravitating back to the old lifestyle. Now he once again swears off women--as he desperately wants more depth to his rather pathetic life. Eventually, through sublimating his sex drive in his job (Tiger...take notice), he's able to gain his and others' respect.
Unfortunately, there are complications. First, his best friend and partner's wife begins to make the moves on him! Second, he finds himself falling for his secretary---but he's not sure what to do. She's nice and he doesn't want to mess things up by changing their relationship. How all this works out is NOT predictable and this is why I liked the film. It has a lot more depth than his rather silly Sheik character and shows more depth in his characterization than you might expect--and it's certainly worth seeing for this reason as well as exceptional production values.
The film begins with the young Count (Valentino) creating a bit of a mess of his life due to his playboy ways. Eventually, he's womanized so often that he's ready to leave his native Italy to make a new start. This occurs when he meets an American businessman who wants to hire the Count for his high-class antiques business.
Once in America, he tries to mend his ways--but finds himself gravitating back to the old lifestyle. Now he once again swears off women--as he desperately wants more depth to his rather pathetic life. Eventually, through sublimating his sex drive in his job (Tiger...take notice), he's able to gain his and others' respect.
Unfortunately, there are complications. First, his best friend and partner's wife begins to make the moves on him! Second, he finds himself falling for his secretary---but he's not sure what to do. She's nice and he doesn't want to mess things up by changing their relationship. How all this works out is NOT predictable and this is why I liked the film. It has a lot more depth than his rather silly Sheik character and shows more depth in his characterization than you might expect--and it's certainly worth seeing for this reason as well as exceptional production values.