Merian C. Cooper, co-creator of KING KONG (1935), turned his eyes to another long-lost civilization for this epic fantasy whose driving force, however, is not amazing special effects but rather the theme of reincarnation and love spanning several centuries (hence its affinity with THE MUMMY [1932]: screenwriter John L. Balderston had been assigned to adapt the H. Rider Haggard novel around this same time, before the property was sold to RKO). Still, despite every effort on the part of writers Ruth Rose and Dudley Nichols and an interesting cast - Randolph Scott, Helen Gahagan (wife of Melvyn Douglas and whose sole film this was!), Helen Mack, Nigel Bruce (thankfully playing his part straight) and Gustav von Seyffertitz - to wring every ounce of romance and adventure out of its plot, the film's single most impressive contribution is the awe-inspiring production design (courtesy of RKO's in-house genius of art direction during this time, Van Nest Polglase). Max Steiner's score is also notable, evoking both the mystery of an unknown land as well as the dangers and passions lurking within.
A word needs to be said about the DVD: I'm not sure how the film ended up at Kino since RKO titles are currently the property of Warner Bros., but picture quality is quite acceptable under the circumstances. However, the audio is a different matter entirely: it was so low that even when pushed to the limit, one can hardly discern what's being said (particularly during the climax)! I've had some discs whose audio was no more than discreet but never anything like this; it was a very frustrating experience, to be sure, and I wonder whether others who might have SHE on DVD feel the same way...
