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2.2/10
Archivist John
Senior Editor
A definitive 2.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Conquest remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
You should probably watch Conquest if you have a soft spot for those old-fashioned stories where men in leather flight jackets do terrible things to each other. It's a good pick for a rainy Sunday, especially if you like melodrama that doesn't feel too heavy-handed.
If you're looking for a fast-paced action movie with lots of plane stunts, you're definitely going to hate this. It spends way more time on people staring intensely at each other than it does in the air.
The whole thing starts with Monte Blue and H.B. Warner as these two pilots who are both crazy about the same woman, played by Lois Wilson. It's the kind of setup you've seen a million times, but it works because you can tell right away that one of these guys is just not a good person.
Then they go on this flight over the Antarctic. The plane crash itself is actually kinda impressive for 1928, even if the "snow" looks suspiciously like a mix of salt and flour dumped on a studio floor.
The moment where the betrayal happens is the best part of the movie. One pilot is hurt, and the other just... walks away. He doesn't even look that guilty about it at first, which is wild to watch.
He just leaves his friend there to die in a snowbank so he can go home and marry the girl. It’s cold. Literally and figuratively.
The way H.B. Warner plays the villain is interesting because he isn't twirling a mustache or anything. He just looks like a guy who made a really bad choice and is trying to convince himself it was fine.
There’s a scene later where the survivor comes back, and the look on his face when he finds out his "friend" married his girl is priceless. It reminded me a bit of the tension in Phantom Justice, though maybe a bit more frozen over.
Lois Wilson is okay as the girl, but she doesn't have much to do besides look worried or happy depending on who is in the room. It’s one of those roles where the woman is more like a trophy than a person, which is pretty typical for these kinds of movies.
I noticed this one extra in the background of the wedding scene who looks like he’s actually falling asleep. I don't blame him, the ceremony goes on for a bit too long.
The pacing gets a little weird in the middle. It feels like the movie forgot it was supposed to be a survival story and turned into a weird domestic drama for twenty minutes.
Some of the title cards are a bit much. They try to make everything sound so grand and epic, but it’s really just two guys being petty over a girl.
The revenge plot is what keeps it moving though. You really want to see the guy who got left behind get his win.
It’s not quite as gritty as The Desert's Crucible, but the Antarctic setting adds a nice layer of isolation. Even if you can see the shadows of the studio lights on the ice blocks sometimes.
One thing that bugged me was how clean their outfits stayed after a plane crash. Monte Blue looks like he just stepped out of a catalog even after being stuck in a snowdrift for days.
There’s this weird focus on their goggles. Like, the camera lingers on them for way too long in three different scenes.
I guess they were trying to symbolize something about vision or truth? Or maybe they just thought the goggles looked cool.
If you've seen Shadows of Conscience, you’ll recognize that same vibe of a man being haunted by what he did. It’s a classic theme for a reason, I guess.
The ending feels a little rushed, like they ran out of film or the actors had somewhere else to be. It wraps up everything a bit too neatly after all that build-up.
Still, it’s a solid piece of silent cinema. It’s got that raw, slightly clunky energy that makes these old movies feel more human than the polished stuff we get now. ❄️
It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s definitely not a waste of time if you like a good grudge. Just don't expect a lot of logic when it comes to how anyone survives the cold.
IMDb —
1916
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