Summaries

Synopsis

It is spring in Paris. Elena (Greta Garbo) is in attendance at a masked ball when the Marquis de Fontenoy (Marc McDermott) asks her a question. Elena replies that she doesn't love him and never will, and she then runs from him. Making her way through the crowd of boisterous revelers, Elena goes out to the garden where she encounters the Argentine engineer, Manuel Robledo (Antonio Moreno). They remove their masks and fall immediately in love. They pledge themselves to each other, Robledo gives Elena a ruby ring, and she denies belonging to another man. Unfortunately, it's a lie. Elena is actually married to Robledo's old friend, the Marquis de Torre Bianca (Armand Kaliz), as Robledo finds out the next night when he drops by for a visit.

Robledo, Elena, and the Marquis attend a large dinner party thrown by Fontenoy. As they begin a round of toasts, Fontenoy picks up his glass and toasts Elena, whom he calls "the Temptress", "who asks for nothing -- but takes all a man can give -- and more!" As Robledo looks on in distaste, Fontenoy blames Elena for his financial ruin and pulls the jewels from her neck, claiming that he gave them to her. He then promptly keels over dead from the poison he put in his own drink. Even though he approved of Fontenoy's gifts, the Marquis is now extremely upset with Elena for disgracing his name. When he complains about not being able to pay his "debts of honor" now that Fontenoy's cash flow is cut off, Elena empties her jewelry box in his lap.

Totally disillusioned by Elena, Robledo returns to his home in the Argentine, where the entire village welcomes him back, including his four best friends -- Canterac (Lionel Barrymore), Pirovani (Robert Anderson), Timoteo (Francis McDonald), and Rojas (Hector V. Sarno) -- and the sweet and demure Senorita Celinda (Virginia Brown Faire). Robledo throws himself into the work of constructing a dam, made difficult because the sinister bandit, Manos Duras (Roy D'Arcy), keeps stealing his horses and enticing his workers away. Still, the work progresses steadily until, one day, the Marquis de Torre Bianca shows up looking for work. Of course, he brings his wife, Elena, with him, since it was Elena who actually financed the trip with her jewels. Robledo is not pleased that she is there, but he offers to let them stay at his house.

Elena, in her high heels, nylons, sultry eyes, French cloche, and fashionable European clothes, far outshines the local girls with their bare feet, peasant garb, and pigtails. In no time, Elena becomes the center of every man's attention, including Robledo's friends and the not-so-friendly Manos Duras, who comes with his band of caballeros to serenade Elena and to steal a kiss. When Robledo balks, Duras challenges him to a duel using Argentine whips. The confrontation is brutal, with Duras, a master of the whip, trying to put out Robledo's eyes. As Elena watches the two men, bare-chested, sweaty, and dripping in blood while fighting for her, she is certain that Robledo is still in love with her. In the end, Robledo bests Duras. As Elena lovingly dresses Robledo's wounds, he pushes her away and denies that he fought for her, insisting it was for mastery of the estate.

Suddenly, a shot is heard from outside the window. Duras has made an attempt on Robledo's life, but his bullet hits the Marquis instead. Now that Elena is a widow, the men begin vying for her, buying her presents, throwing fiestas in her honor, neglecting their work, even forgetting their own wives and children. Concerned over her disruptive influence, Robledo purchases a ticket for Elena on the next boat back to Paris. Elena tries to convince him to go with her, but Robledo refuses.

On the night before Elena is to sail for Europe, Canterac, forgetting the wife waiting for him in Paris, throws a fiesta for Elena, luring half of the work force to make merry with him. When Canterac takes a few moments alone with Elena to sip champagne and express his love for her, Pirovani surprises them by showing up just as Canterac steals a kiss. A fight breaks out, and Canterac ends up running his military sword through Pirovani. In horror, Elena runs off. Robledo advises Canterac to go away ASAP and goes off to find Elena. In a tirade, Robledo blames Elena for causing Fontenoy's ruin, for the death of her husband, and now for the death of Pirovani. Elena tries to explain that those things happened because of the men's desire for her body and for their own happiness, not for hers. Once again, she tries to convince Robledo that her love for him is genuine, but he scoffs.

Suddenly, a loud explosion is heard. Manos Duras has seized the opportunity to blow up the dam. In the villagers' haste to build a barricade and keep the dam from flooding, Elena is forgotten for the moment. She returns to her room, where she finds a note attached to her door with a dagger. It is from Duras. "My songs could not touch your heart -- perhaps a symphony in dynamite will be more to your taste."

It begins to rain, and the barricade breaks, almost carrying Robledo away in the rushing waters. Robledo returns to his house, mad as a hornet and swearing to never allow Elena to ruin another man. He tries to choke her, fully intending to kill her, but finds that he cannot. He winds up kissing her instead. Realizing that he is still in love with Elena, Robledo collapses in her arms and promises to go anywhere with her. Not wanting to see Robledo discontinue his work or to be the cause of his destruction, Elena slips out of the house while Robledo sleeps and returns to Paris.

Six years pass. Robledo has rebuilt the dam and decided to visit Paris again, this time with his fiancee...sweet Celinda. As the two of them get into a taxi, Robledo notices Elena, tired, haggard, disheveled, drunk, and watching him. Robledo sends Celinda on and follows Elena to a sidewalk cafe. He approaches her and calls her by name, but she denies knowing him, replying only, "I meet so many men." When he asks if there's anything he can do for her, she asks him to buy her a drink and refuses his offers of help. Robledo slips some money into her handbag and walks away. Looking across the cafe, Elena sees a bearded man who suddenly seems to transform into a haloed Jesus. From a little pouch she keeps close to her heart, Elena removes the ruby ring and gives it to him.

Alternate Ending: Six years pass. Robledo has rebuilt the dam and is being honored for his work. As he looks out over the gathered crowd, he sees Elena, beautiful as ever. In his speech, he thanks her for being the woman who provided him with the inspiration and courage that led to his success. He then leaves the dais and takes Elena into his arms. [Original synopsis by bj_kuehl]