|
 |
Manslaughter The Cheat
|
by Kino Video
Sales Rank: 83716
Price: $26.99
|
|
|
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. <br /> <br />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. <br /> <br />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. <br /> <br />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.
Viewer Reviews
This film is often mentioned in books and documentaries about films, I first heard about it from a documentary called love goddesses so I checked it out and wasn't let down.
Directed by the well respected Hollywood director Cecil B DeMille it tells the Story of a well to do party girl (played by Leatrice joy) who likes nothing but Partying and bombing about in her motorcar, until she accidentally causes the death of a copper (hence Manslaughter) and is put on trial, the rest you'll see for yourself.
The party scenes are interspersed by scenes of ancient Rome as to try and make comparisons between 1922 and Roman times and again in the courtroom scenes. It is obviously an attack on the speakeasies and drinking culture of the times (remember prohibition was well underway by this time and this unlike, Intolerance by G.W. Griffith, is pro prohibition.) DeMille is known for his biblical epics, this can't really be called an epic, but it has got an air of preachyness about it.
This film is defiantly worth seeing, no doubt about it, especially if you are interested in silent film, Cecil B DeMille, or the 1920's in general, which I presume you must be or you wouldn't be on this page.
The only thing I'd say let this down was the soundtrack which is very faint and odd and sometimes nonexistent.
THE CHEAT
The second film on this disc is worth the money alone (which as coincidence would have it was also mentioned in the doc Love goddesses) is The Cheat staring Fannie Ward as a society women who gets into debt and Sessue Hayakawa who plays a wealthy Burmese ivory trader who pays her debts but wants payment in other ways. Infamous for the branding scene which still is disturbing to watch today.
Back To Top
|
Manslaughter The Cheat
Available from Amazon
|
|
NOTICE: All product prices, availability, and specifications
are subject to verification by their respective retailers.
Copyright © 2009, Dominant Systems Corporation
info@HowlingVideo.com
Privacy Policy
Last Modified : 1-8-2009
|
