Question

In The Sheik (1921), Rudolph Valentino as Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan represented a new style of manhood that seemed to challenge traditional gender roles—many male viewers were openly hostile to his portrayal of the Sheik in this movie. Yet, women viewers were often quite admiring of Valentino and his stardom in this and other movies. Can you explain why "The Sheik" inspired such contradictory emotions at the time?

Answer 1

Rudolph Valentino's role in 'The Sheik' was emblematic of a new masculinity that appealed to women but conflicted with male viewers' traditional perceptions of manhood, exemplifying the 1920s' cultural tensions and the period's evolving attitudes toward gender and sexuality.

Step-by-step explanation:

In The Sheik (1921), Rudolph Valentino's portrayal of Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan introduced a new style of masculinity that was in contrast with the traditional gender roles of the time. Valentino's character embodied an exotic and romantic appeal that resonated with female audiences but stirred hostility among many male viewers who were uncomfortable with this challenge to the established norms of manhood.

This dichotomy in reception highlights the complexities of early cinema's influence on societal conceptions of gender roles. The contrasting reactions to Valentino's character can be seen as reflective of the wider cultural tensions of the era, especially when considered against a backdrop of media portrayals of masculinity, such as the heroic depictions of male entertainers serving in the armed forces or the allure of romanticized exoticism in orientalist art and films.

Moreover, the popularity of the film among women may also be attributed to the rise of flappers and the liberation of women's sexualities in the 1920s, along with the appeal of high-flying romances and the tantalization promised by movie posters of the era.