"THE TORRENT."

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17166, 24 March 1927, Page 3

"THE TORRENT."

*A drama of old1 Spain, difFering throughout from the stereotyped i taie of roma lice and the bull ring, ! is the .chief offering in the pro- j gramme presented at Everybody's j Theatre. "The Torrent," an adap- ; tion of the novel by Vincent Blasco | Ibanez, is a great picture both in j its plot and the hair/iling of the plot ; by a competent caste. It is the story 1 of a young man dreamy and plastic, j who had to choose between love : and duty, and who, d'oniinated by j his mother's iron will, chooses the ; path of duty. His life and the life I of his sweetheari . were wrecked, j and although on several occasions ] he almost brings himself to the ! point of disregarding his mofher's wishes, :n the end,, her influnence j prevails. The finale will be a dis- j appointment to the sentimentalists. i There is no dramatic change of pur- ; pose. The picture pnds with the • heroine at the peak of her fame ; as a prima donnat and the hero a inember of the House of Deputies ! with a devoted wife and children. Both of them have evidently all they wish in life, but neither has the love for which both have fought. It is an exceedingly powerful picture, and in paris it rea'ches heights of irony. For its suceess most credit rnust be given to Miss , Greta Garbo, a Swedish actress r.ev/ to the screen., Her performance is one of outstanding merit. Sbe makes the complex character of a peasant girl, who is made a prima donna, ring as true as life, and the picture . would be a great one for her acting ; alone. >