A commissioned film long considered lost and that reappeared in the mid ‘70s. The mix of genres – characteristic of Hawks – is gradual and surprising in this film. It begins with a caustic, humorous tone (for instance, the beginning where the executioner interrupts killing the convict twice in order to pray), as if Hawks did not really believe in this Arab fantasy reminiscent of Valentino films and wanted to put distance between it and himself. Slowly seriousness is established with the sense of adventure; and Hawks, who increasingly believes in the story, makes the spectator believe in it too, transforming the film in a romantic and tragic drama. It is like a Greek tragedy intruding upon an exotic photonovel for seamstresses. A clever way of tapping the viewer’s interest by first using skepticism. Impeccably classic directing heightens the allure of this film. Hawks, however, truly reveals his skill with the mix of tones, the unexpected seriousness. To him, no story is so worthless that it cannot be enriched and transformed from within.

Jacques Lourcelles, Dictionnaire du cinéma. Les films, Laffont, Paris 1992

Fazil, a melodrama about the impossible love between a sheik and a girl from Paris high society, was conceived as a silent film but distributed with a soundtrack of music and sound effects. The theme song that accompanies the first meeting between the two lovers was obviously already chosen in the silent phase of the production, as one can see the words of the song superimposed on the screen – a not altogether rare artifice in silent films.
The director, Howard Hawks (who always played down the importance of the film) very efficiently recreates the cultural differences between the two races that are “too different”. There are humorous and light breaks in the story of a cruel and inevitable destiny that drags the two lovers to hate and self-destruction, in spite of the love which unites them.
Up until now there was only a 16 mm version of the film which didn’t do justice either to the film’s photographic talents nor to the soundtrack which, even though it doesn’t contain any dialogue, is notably important and of high quality. “Large and liberal doses of good solid box-office sex and sheik stuff predict a dollar sudded future for this Fox production. […] Production is excellent. Especially unnecesssary, however, and rather gruesome was the scene early in the unreeling when Fazil Orders the decapitation of a run-away servant. […] Photography is credited to L.William O’Connell, who has done a first rate job all the way. Howard Hawks’ direction is good. Perhaps a major share of the flowers belongs to the men who handled the script. Sheik thing was done to death a few years ago and it is notable that this story manages to add a few new wrinkles to a seemingly exhausted theme”. (Variety, 6/6/1928)