Watching this today is akin to taking a trip in a time machine. That is, to a time when a snub or a peccadillo had serious social consequences, when an exposed ankle was suggestive and daring, and when the presence of an assertive, sexualized vamp had power to shock us.<br /><br />Sadly, however, this scores low on the scale of cinematic value; whatever luster it once had isn't evident today.<br /><br />The story itself is a simple, if lurid, morality play, and nothing more. The intertitles are designed to lead us to the inevitable "see what happens!" conclusion. Nowadays, we expect a bit of irony, a degree of ambivalence.<br /><br />Likewise with the cinematography...all quite straightforward storytelling, with no narrative games. The filter color changes don't denote anything. In short, this is a depleted asset.