This silent-era underrated masterpiece was way too ahead of its time.
Even when this film wasn't an entirely faithful adaptation of the epic poem written by Dante Aliegheri, I think that this is the only cinematic version that was able to capture with such magnificence all the horrors described by Dante about the Underworld realm, having a visual style highly influenced by the wonderful paintings done by Gustave Doré.
Of course, there are some scenes that could be considered "dated" or "cheesy" for modern viewers, but personally, I think that the "ancient" look of this film gives it a solemn, timeless tone, that fits perfectly well with the source material, being in that one of the most incredible and ambitious samples of the early years of cinema. A must-see.
Even when this film wasn't an entirely faithful adaptation of the epic poem written by Dante Aliegheri, I think that this is the only cinematic version that was able to capture with such magnificence all the horrors described by Dante about the Underworld realm, having a visual style highly influenced by the wonderful paintings done by Gustave Doré.
Of course, there are some scenes that could be considered "dated" or "cheesy" for modern viewers, but personally, I think that the "ancient" look of this film gives it a solemn, timeless tone, that fits perfectly well with the source material, being in that one of the most incredible and ambitious samples of the early years of cinema. A must-see.