ironhorse_iv Review of The Cheat

The Cheat (1915)

The Cheat is a good early silent era movie, but also serves as a reminder of American society's ugly xenophobic and sexually repressive heritage at the time.

[6/10 · 3 December 2013]

The Cheat is a very interesting movie from the silent era. Unlike other films during the time, that rarely show minorities actors in leading men big roles. The cheat, allows a Japanese and American Issei actor name Sessue Hayakawa to become one of the biggest Asian American actors of all time. Not only did this movie, made him into a big star, but also a romantic idol to the female movie-going public due to his handsome heartthrob facial expressing and his use of body language. During the 1930s, his career began to suffer from the rise of talkies film, as well as a growing anti-Japanese sentiment. World War 2 only brought more discriminatory stereotypes roles for Asian actors playing them as dumb-writ under sex, savages. The desexualization of Asian men in American films, even continues in Modern Hollywood.It wasn't until years later, Hayakawa received another big role. This time, as Colonel Saito in his Academy Award Best Supporting Actor nomination role in the 1957's film, The Bridge on the River Kwai. It was too bad, that he was often typecast as a sinister villain with sexual dominance. In this movie directed by Cecil B. DeMille, 'The Cheat', Sessue Hayakawa stars as Hishituru Tori/Haka Arakau, a wealthy Japanese admirer/a Burmese ivory king whom is interested in getting romantic with Socialite Edith Hardy (Fannie Ward). Edith has extravagant tastes and kept using all of her stockbroker husband Richard (Jack Dean), money. In a bad investment, she lost all the money that Richard was saving for the Red Cross. Tori overhears that the money is gone and offers her a loan, if she is willing to pay the price of her virtue by having sex with him. The story is an interesting erotic drama that would obviously, grab one's attention. How DeMille was able to shows the story is what's remarkable. This movie was made before the strict movie codes, and it wasn't shown in a hardcore pornography way like most erotic films of today. This silent melodrama help made Cecil B. DeMille into one of the greatest directors of all time. The film set the standards in its innovative camera techniques such as lighting, frame composition, the use of long pan on the jury members in the trial scene, the rapid alternation of shots, from wide shots to close ups, allows a very dynamic narrative. A good example of lighting is the opening scene of Tori. There is no fill lights, and only lit by diegetic sources. This allows the character to be shade by shadows, silhouettes and darkness. DeMille and the film cinematographer Alvin Wyckoff use 'Rembrandt lighting' AKA chiaroscuro effects, to paint a picture of psychological states. Remind me of the German Expressionist movement without too much of the Gothic overtones. The branding scene was pretty extreme in its days and I'm surprise it was put into film. You can rarely get away with that, even with today's standards. The acting is pretty OK. People who rent or view films from this time period should realize that, almost without exception, dramas are going to be Victorian in their acting. They should also expect that the acting will be over-acting with a lot of body languages, and outlandish facial expressions. I found Fannie Ward's acting really mediocre due to comical over-emoting. She does use way too much stereotypical stage gestures silent films actress are known for. It's been said that she wasn't acting too much, as the arrogant socialite character kinda mirror her life. DeMille chose Fannie Ward as his star after studying her at a party where she put her charm to good use. Anyways her character was pretty unlikable. An irresponsible cheating, stealing, socialite wife is hard to cheer for. It really hurt women rights at the time. Yet, the film says, forget about that. Let's lynch the Yellow Man for branding her. Fannie Ward's real husband Dean play her husband in the film. He is a little better, but he doesn't stand out. Sessue Hayakawa does stand out for all the actors in this movie. He had this zen method acting going on in this film. While, the movie might seem slow, dated and boring at times. For one hour, it goes pretty fast. The characters are a bit of a caricature: the frivolous woman, the greedy and gentleman-like stoke-broker, and the evil Japanese/Burmese, calculating and ruthless are a bit cheesy. Even the original music that plays with it was a bit racist. A lot of modern critics would look down on this film, due to its racism portrayal of Asians. Let's remember, that this was the year that even D.W Griffith 'Birth of a Nation' was popular. Still, not all people were fans of the movie at the time During World War I, when Japan was an ally of the U.S, the Cheat so offended to the members of the Japanese government that Tori's nationality was changed to Burmese and his name became Haka Arakau in the 1918 re-release. I don't think the Burmese people were happy for this. This typecasting was the reason Hayakawa established his own production company in 1918, near the height of his US fame because these movies were giving people a wrong idea of Asians. Hayakawa desperately sought to show a more balanced and fair portrait of Asians. East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet is such horse crap. The Cheat, which was remade several times but never to greater effect. This film was accompanied by a short called A Girl's Folly. There is no correlation between this short and the subject of The Cheat, but it is highly entertaining. The movie now is mostly show with a copy of the 1922's film, Manslaughter in DVDs copies. You probably can find the movie on the internet, as it's in the public domain now. Most video transfer are pretty good with few scratches and speckling. Worth checking out for any silent era fan.