Eden

The River, of which the central theme is desire, is the most erotic film of the silent cinema. Wreathed with the laurels of worldwide success and with an Oscar for 7th Heaven, American filmmaker of Italo-Swiss origin, Frank Borzage (1894-1962) conceived this work with complete artistic freedom. The immense natural sets were built in the open-air on a lot at Fox Film in Westwood, Los Angeles.

From the Pacific coast through the mangroves to the tropical rain forests of Costa Rica. In this document you will experience pure jungle. Meets iguanas, venomous snakes and capuchin monkeys - just three of the many thousands of species of animals that can be found here.

British diplomat Robert Conway and a small group of civilians crash land in the Himalayas, and are rescued by the people of the mysterious, Eden-like valley of Shangri-la. Protected by the mountains from the world outside, where the clouds of World War II are gathering, Shangri-la provides a seductive escape for the world-weary Conway.

This is one of Franco's strangest films (which is saying A LOT) in that he seems to be combining various genres, each of which he had previously only dabbled in. Most obviously this is a take off of the popular German "Schulmadchen Report" films. Franco uses at least two of the same nubile actresses from the series and the same "man (and woman) on the street"-style interview filler. The interviews are even more obviously fake and (intentionally?) comical than usual–the interviewer goes around asking young women if they are virgins, for instance..