Review of The Cheat (1915) by James C — 07 Jun 2008
Barnstorming melodrama from DeMille, with a society butterfly almost blackmailed into an adulterous liaison with a sadistic Burmese ivory trader. The film is undoubtedly racist and mob-handed, yet there's something in the direction which relishes both the exotic eroticism of Hayakawa's Burmese and his violent sadism - in the central scene, he brands the woman, bringing on screen a suppressed desire in the audience for depictions of S&M.
The film certainly doesn't have a dull moment.
This review of The Cheat (1915) was written by James C on 07 Jun 2008.
The Cheat has generally received mixed reviews.
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