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Great Film overall

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

This is another example of an early sound film that is worth viewing just to get a sense of how advanced film was in the mid-20s with the ability to synchronize a musical score to film. Otherwise, it's not quite up to what we expect of entertainment in a story about DON JUAN and his exploits, which was done years later (in tongue-in-cheek style) with the dashing Errol Flynn in THE ADVENTUES OF DON JUAN.The performances are what one would expect during this transition period from silent film to sound--the acting is stilted, stage bound and overly theatrical. I was never a great admirer of JOHN BARRYMORE as an actor and his performance here left me feeling there was room for a lot of improvement in his screen technique. MARY ASTOR, although young and demure enough, never makes a strong impression as the dewy-eyed leading lady.The prologue seems to set the tone for the rest of the story. It unfolds like a Greek tragedy with Don Juan's father entombing a man he catches having an adulterous affair with his wife. When a woman in his court later stabs him fatally, he tells his son to take his revenge on women by adopting a love 'em and leave 'em attitude.Then the main story begins and the tone becomes playful. Unfortunately, nothing in the story proper has any particular twist on the Don Juan story, at least at the start where the Vitaphone Orchestra busily chronicles his amorous dalliances with three women in a playfully amusing way. But as the story progresses, the constant tempo of background music begins to get on the nerves, never ceasing to stop emphasizing the heavily persistent score.After a good forty-five minutes, I was beginning to resent the background score as much as the paltry scenario which only begins to shift gears when it gets to the Borgias and their involvement with Don Juan.A very youthful looking MONTAGU LOVE sporting a mustache, looks much like Nelson Eddy in his heyday, and MYRNA LOY has a small role as a handmaiden of the court.Summing up: Overall, it's a rather dull version of the Don Juan legend, interesting only as a film of historic value because of its transition via Vitaphone to a sound background score. Silent titles and film technique makes it still a product of the silent period. The story itself is uninspired by the Don Juan legend and, unfortunately, Barrymore is more effete than robust in his manner of portraying the great lover.

Although it may not be too obvious because of all the legendary Roman trappings, this is actually a fancy formula western (Western Europe, that is). The rake-hell gunslinger, uh, swordsman, is changed by the love of a good woman into a law-and-order fighter, who then foils the land-grabbing, or something-grabbing, villains. He then rides off into the sunrise (!)with the lady. Of course, the villains being of the Borgia persuasion, his foiling may be only temporary, but we'll never know, will we. Vigorous sword fighting, not convincingly staged if you know much about fencing, but exciting if you can suspend your disbelief, is part of the mix that makes this an entertaining film. Also, there are lots of lovely ladies and some vigorous scenery chewing as well. When all's said, though, a look at John Barrymore in his mid-prime is the main reason to view DON JUAN. As for this being an important film in the "dawn of sound" process of 1926-1927, that is due to the existence of "sound on disc" to provide the music and sound-effects. First-run theatres of the period usually did the same thing with an orchestra or organ, and a piano equipped with sound-effects "traps". The "sound on disc" made it cheap enough for even small neighbourhood theatres to have sound.

Previous commenters have noted John Barrymore's great acting skills, and the abundance of beautiful women -- and the Costumes!! Stunning women's gowns for the many principals, surprisingly racy outfits for the various dancers and debauchees, and the fashions for the men were mostly kept within the same historical time period. All of this makes for a costuming fan's dream come true. Although I have one tiny gripe: if they were determined to put Barrymore in skintight hose and short jackets, they really should have given the man more, well, support. Rather distracting, esp. during the action sequences, and it made him look rather effete in the love scenes. A small quibble when the overall movie is so astonishing.

In my most humble of opinions, this is one of the greatest silent movies ever made. The story line, the sets, (the set designer deserves special credit) the photography, the rapid pace and hesitation when called for, everything combined made for and hour and a half of pure enjoyment. And it was so enjoyable to see one our great talents at his best. There will never be another John Barrymore. And in this film there was something not too often seen in silent film. There was just not movement, there was ACTING. GREAT ACTING. And wait for the chase scene. Absolutely terrific effects. I recommend this film to anyone who is a real fan of films, silent or sound. And as an added thought, there was that beautiful musical score played so dramatically by the New York Philharmonic.