This is not a silent film - this is an early sound film. Although there is no dialogue, the film has a continuous fully orchestrated score and sound effects. It is rather overlong and could have been trimmed by half an hour without any ill effects. Timings vary - Maltin times it at 102 minutes, the MGM/UA VHS box times it at 119 minutes, but my timing of the VHS itself within that studio release comes to 109 minutes.<br /><br />Garbo is married to an older man, Stone, who neglects her with business duties while on a trip to a tea plantation in Java. A Javanese prince sees his opportunity to seduce the bored Garbo and proceeds apace.<br /><br />SPOILER ALERT - SKIP THIS PARAGRAPH. When Stone finally catches on, he manipulates the Prince into accompanying him on a moonlit tiger hunt, but first empties the Prince's gun of bullets.<br /><br />Garbo is most alluring and gives a first rate performance. Memorable close ups include: her reaction to the servant's whipping, a dolly in as the Prince is introduced to her, in her bed on board the boat. There are other well composed moments, most memorably when she is on her balcony at the palace at right of screen in a shaft of light - the shadow of the prince in the doorway is cast upon her and the camera slowly dollies in with the Prince entering the frame from left when he and the camera are upon her.<br /><br />The sound effects are numerous and well coordinated: traffic, crowd noise, ship's whistle, whipping, triangle dinner call, doors closing, train whistles, hand claps, insects/birds, gongs, gates closing, campfire voices, tigers growls, rifle clicks, rifle shots. There are also two sequences, one a chorus singing a title song, the other an elaborate (overlong and rather boring as well) presentation of native Javanese dancers, complete with a chorus, claps, calls, stomps etc. to illuminate the dances).<br /><br />It is certainly not Garbo's best silent but holds the attention for the casual viewer and is fascinating as an early sound film for the music and sound effects.