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George Fawcett plays their approving pastor, and Hertha (Barbara Kent) is Ulrich's younger sister, who has a relentless crush on Leo.
Leo meets femme fatale Greta Garbo at a party. He begins a torrid affair with brunette ivory-skinned Garbo, at least until her husband shows up and catches Leo and Garbo in bed. The inevitable duel follows, killing the cuckold husband and forcing Leo to enlist in Germany's colonial army in Africa.
Before leaving, Leo asks Ulrich to look after Garbo. Garbo learns Ulrich is wealthy and promptly seduces and weds him. Leo returns from Africa, learns of Garbo's deceit, and vows to avoid her. This proves difficult because Garbo is hot and keeps throwing herself at him. The final chapter of the love triangle arrives when Ulrich catches Leo with Garbo in her bedroom.
How others will see it. As it is a romance, it is unsurprising that women enjoy Flesh and the Devil more than men, giving it a full extra point (8.9 versus 7.9) in the imdb.com user ratings. Men are more likely to be suspicious of the close friendship between Leo and Ulrich, will wonder why Leo feels such guilt about his attraction to Garbo, and will wonder why Leo makes no attempt to seduce the willing Herta, who is as available as she is young and attractive.
How I felt about it. This is the film that made a movie star out of Greta Garbo. As such, it is requisite for her fans. It is interesting that she is the villain here. Even her redemption, in effect sacrificing herself to save her two lovers, is not of her own will. Rather, it was compelled by Hertha, who prayed with fervor for Garbo to stop the duel.
The romantic chemistry between Gilbert and Garbo was such that they were promptly paired together twice more by MGM, in Love and A Woman of Affairs. At first, Gilbert was the bigger star, as he had starred in the box office giant The Big Parade (1925). But Gilbert's career soured quickly with the sound era and he died in 1936, two years after his last film.
As for Flesh and the Devil, even the title is scandalous. The plot has elements similar to Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina," where the married Karenina begins an affair with an army officer that leads to her tragic demise. But while Tolstoy cast the blame on the officer, it is clear that Garbo is both flesh and the devil, casting an evil spell on lifelong friends Leo and Ulrich. This makes Ulrich innocent of wanting to shoot Leo, and Leo innocent of agreeing to run off with Garbo and of attempting to strangle her.
Actually, Ulrich is innocent, and the same can be said of Leo for most of the film. He was unaware that Garbo was married, and he did not resume his affair with her upon his return from Africa. But once he agrees to her plan to leave town with him, he becomes as guilty as she is.