- Actors: Fannie Ward, Sessue Hayakawa, Jack Dean, James Neill, Yutaka Abe
- Directors: Cecil B. DeMille
- Writers: Alice Duer Miller, Hector Turnbull, Jeanie Macpherson
- Producers: Cecil B. DeMille, Jesse L. Lasky
- Format: Black & White, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Silent, NTSC, Import
- Region: (US and Canada This DVD will probably NOT be viewable in other countries. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
- Number of discs: 1
- MPAA Rating:
- Studio: Mongrel Media
- Release Date: Sep 1 2004
- Run Time: 159 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B0000633T0
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Product Details |
Product Description
From the Back Cover
In the silent era, Cecil B. DeMille stood at the forefront of Hollywood directors, a visual stylist who created fashionable fables of women caught in tempests of temptation. Accompanied by a lively score by the Alloy Orchestra, Manslaughter stars Leatrice Joy as a pampered debutante who is forced to confront her irresponsible lifestyle when she causes the death of a traffic cop. To emphasize the debauchery of the Jazz Age elite, DeMille interwove scenes of champagne-soaked parties and Roman orgies, a device that served as a stern warning (while providing a titillating spectacle) to the wayward youth of America.
Mixed messages also abound in The Cheat, in which a society woman (Fannie Ward) allows a wealthy Burmese trader (Sessue Haykawa) to settle a debt for her, not realizing that in exchange he intends to brand her flesh as his own. Highly influential for its dramatic low-key lighting and its frank depiction of extra-marital intrigue, The Cheat tapped into a vein of post-Victorian female masochism, eroticism and Orientalism of the day, exploring the taboo desire to be forcefully seduced and possessed by a man of another (as in Rudolph Valentino's Sheik films several years later).
Manslaughter
From the novel by Alice Duer Miller Photographed by Alvin Wyckoff and Guy Wildy with Whomas Meighan, Leatice Joy, Lois Wilson. Music by The Alloy Orchestra.
The Cheat
Screenplay by Gector Turnball and Jeanie Macpherson. Director of Photography: Alvin Wyckoff. Art Director: Wilfred Buckland with Fannie War, Sessue Hayakawa. Music compiled and directed by Robert Israel. Produced for Video by David Shepard.
Mixed messages also abound in The Cheat, in which a society woman (Fannie Ward) allows a wealthy Burmese trader (Sessue Haykawa) to settle a debt for her, not realizing that in exchange he intends to brand her flesh as his own. Highly influential for its dramatic low-key lighting and its frank depiction of extra-marital intrigue, The Cheat tapped into a vein of post-Victorian female masochism, eroticism and Orientalism of the day, exploring the taboo desire to be forcefully seduced and possessed by a man of another (as in Rudolph Valentino's Sheik films several years later).
Manslaughter
From the novel by Alice Duer Miller Photographed by Alvin Wyckoff and Guy Wildy with Whomas Meighan, Leatice Joy, Lois Wilson. Music by The Alloy Orchestra.
The Cheat
Screenplay by Gector Turnball and Jeanie Macpherson. Director of Photography: Alvin Wyckoff. Art Director: Wilfred Buckland with Fannie War, Sessue Hayakawa. Music compiled and directed by Robert Israel. Produced for Video by David Shepard.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply Brilliant!,
By Barbara (Burkowsky) Underwood (Tumut, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Manslaughter/Cheat (DVD)
I was very impressed and completely enthralled by both features on this DVD and highly recommend it for anyone who values a quality silent drama. Both films are powerful dramas with outstanding acting, great suspense and in "Manslaughter" some deep and meaningful messages. Not everyone might get the same out of this movie, by the sounds of it, but I for one found it exceptionally good. You can take three sides: for spoilt brat Lydia, her desperate maid with a sick boy, or O'Bannon the District Attorney who is torn between love for justice and love for Lydia. There is a theme of soul-searching and finding yourself, getting your priorities right, and the uselessness of a debauched life of parties and booze. There are various things to take away from this great movie, so take your pick!For me, the musical score by the Alloy Orchestra was superb and perfectly suited, esp. the fast, lively Jazz for the party scenes and fast cars. I also found it a very interesting and nice change from the usual standard piano or organ score that faithfully plods along to most silent films, so it might not sound like 'an orchestra falling down the stairs' to everyone! The Cheat is a shorter and even more suspenseful film in some ways, and its picture quality is better than Manslaughter, but I feel they complement each other well on this DVD. Both of them highlight women living a dangerous lifestyle on the edge and its consequences - no different back then than today, no doubt, but despite the age of these movies, still as stark and powerful as if they were new. Definitely rivetting viewing!
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pictures of the period,
By
This review is from: Manslaughter/Cheat (DVD)
Two examples of why Cecil DeMille was a success. The Cheat is a fine film full of subtle touches. The lighting and composition are breathtaking, and it's fascinating to see Sessue Hayakawa far far before his "Bridge on the River Kwai" role.Manhunter is a different item, but no less fascinating. It's a totally commercial film and even shows an artictic and commercial decline from the earlier work. There is hardly a subtle moment in it, it's over the top all the way with the throttle wide open. Leatrice Joy and Lois Wilson, both unjustly forgotten stars, give fine performances and manage to win the audience's hearts. I'm giving this edition only 4 out of 5 stars because of the soundtrack to Manslaughter. The Alloy Orchestra tries hard, but they are more annoying than supporting here. Their sound (it's like a percussion section falling downstairs with a singing saw accompaniment) is well suited to stylized films like Metropolis and Strike, but in my opinion it is a detraction here.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.4 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews) 10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pictures of the period,
By Eric Stott - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Manslaughter/Cheat (DVD)
Two examples of why Cecil DeMille was a success. The Cheat is a fine film full of subtle touches. The lighting and composition are breathtaking, and it's fascinating to see a youthful Sessue Hayakawa far far before his "Bridge on the River Kwai" role.Manhunter is a different item, but no less fascinating. It's a totally commercial film and even shows an artistic and commercial decline from the earlier work. There is hardly a subtle moment in it, it's over the top all the way with the throttle wide open. Leatrice Joy and Lois Wilson, both unjustly forgotten stars, give fine performances and manage to win the audience's hearts. I'm giving this edition only 4 out of 5 stars because of the soundtrack to Manslaughter. The Alloy Orchestra tries hard, but they are more annoying than supporting here. Their sound (it's like a percussion section falling downstairs with a singing saw accompaniment) is well suited to stylized films like Metropolis and Strike, but in my opinion it is a detraction here. 11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Decline of Cecil B. De Mille,
By Richard A Schauer "Jack Shadow" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Manslaughter/Cheat (DVD)
These two films are a very interesting pairing. In the years between the first film: The Cheat from 1915, and the second: Manslaughter from 1922, De Mille went from being a director of quality films to a director of commercial films.Manslaughter is the film that people who have never seen a silent film are expecting to see: a melodrama without subtlety. This is the Cecil B. De Mille who - although derided by his peers and critics - became a great commercial director for the remainder of his career. The Cheat is De Mille at his artistic peak. This is the film that is of interest to silent film fans and students, filmed with attention to detail: lighting, framing, acting, camera movement. A film of lasting quality. Watch the two films and you will see the change in De MIlle. You will also see a De Mille you might not have known. 8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply Brilliant!,
By Barbara (Burkowsky) Underwood - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Manslaughter/Cheat (DVD)
I was very impressed and completely enthralled by both features on this DVD and highly recommend it for anyone who values a quality silent drama. Both films are powerful dramas with outstanding acting, great suspense and in "Manslaughter" some deep and meaningful messages. Not everyone might get the same out of this movie, by the sounds of it, but I for one found it exceptionally good. You can take three sides: for spoilt brat Lydia, her desperate maid with a sick boy, or O'Bannon the District Attorney who is torn between love for justice and love for Lydia. There is a theme of soul-searching and finding yourself, getting your priorities right, and the uselessness of a debauched life of parties and booze. There are various things to take away from this great movie, so take your pick!For me, the musical score by the Alloy Orchestra was superb and perfectly suited, esp. the fast, lively Jazz for the party scenes and fast cars. I also found it a very interesting and nice change from the usual standard piano or organ score that faithfully plods along to most silent films, so it might not sound like 'an orchestra falling down the stairs' to everyone! The Cheat is a shorter and even more suspenseful film in some ways, and its picture quality is better than Manslaughter, but I feel they complement each other well on this DVD. Both of them highlight women living a dangerous lifestyle on the edge and its consequences - no different back then than today, no doubt, but despite the age of these movies, still as stark and powerful as if they were new. Definitely rivetting viewing! |
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