Mare Nostrum | 1926 | War, Drama

Title: Mare Nostrum | 1926 | War, Drama Director: Rex Ingram Studio: Metro-Goldwyn Corp. Starring: Alice Terry, Antonio Moreno, Madame Paquerette, Fernand Mailly, Michael Brantford Based on: Mare Nostrum by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez Release Date: August 29, 1926 Runtime: 102 Format: Silent, black-and-white, 35mm, 1.33:1, English intertitles Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: War, Drama, Espionage, Romance --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Prologue and seafaring legacy 00:18:00 Meeting in Pompeii 00:38:00 U-boat arrangement 00:58:00 Loss at sea 01:18:00 Betrayal and execution 01:38:00 Final engagement --- Summary: During World War I, Spanish sea captain Ulysses Ferragut falls in love with Freya Talberg, an alluring spy working for the Central Powers. Persuaded to aid a clandestine mission, he unwittingly facilitates a U-boat operation that leads to tragedy for his family and a crisis of conscience. Haunted by loss, Ulysses turns against his former allies, placing his ship in service to the Allies in a bid for redemption. The story blends wartime intrigue with a fatal romance, culminating in sacrifice at sea and a symbolic vision that fuses myth and memory. --- Background: Rex Ingram filmed Mare Nostrum largely in Europe after relocating from Hollywood, using locations in France, Italy, and Spain and working out of studios in Nice. Adapted from Vicente Blasco Ibáñez’s 1918 novel, the production was mounted on an ambitious scale and later edited significantly before its New York premiere on February 15, 1926. Notable sequences include an aquarium-set love scene and a stark execution montage, which contributed to the film’s reputation while also prompting controversy and cuts in some markets. --- Trivia: Mare Nostrum premiered in New York on February 15, 1926, before wider U.S. release later that year. The film’s execution sequence employed military participants for authenticity and became one of Ingram’s most acclaimed set pieces. Future British director Michael Powell worked on the production as a grip early in his career. Imagery from the aquarium love scene later influenced Orson Welles’s staging in The Lady from Shanghai. The film was banned in Germany following its release. Long considered lost, Mare Nostrum was rediscovered decades later, allowing modern restorations and screenings. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: February 15, 1926 Original Studio / Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn Corp. / Metro-Goldwyn Distributing Corp. Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: No --- Hashtags: MareNostrum RexIngram AliceTerry AntonioMoreno SilentFilm WorldWarI ClassicCinema MGM PublicDomain 1926 FilmHistory Restoration Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mare_Nostrum_(1926).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Mare_Nostrum_%281926%29.webm