Forfaiture (1937) - film review

Whilst her husband, the engineer Pierre Moret, is engaged on construction projects, Denise occupies herself with charity work in the Chinese town that has become her home.   Tempted into a gambling den, she soon loses a fortune.  She has no recourse but to accept a gift of money from the wealthy Prince Hu-Long, who has fallen in love with her.  Realising that she cannot accept such a gift, Denise returns the money to the prince, not realising that by taking the money she has become his property…

Forfaiture is a noteworthy remake of Cecil B DeMille’s 1915 silent film The Cheat, with the majestic Sessue Hayakawa reprising the central male role.  Marcel L’Herbier’s approach to filmmaking could hardly be further from DeMille’s, and consequently this film is far darker, somewhat more atmospheric than the original, and with a noticeably greater emphasis on character.  As in many of L’Herbier’s early films, there is striking a sense of scale, reflected in the grand palace interiors, the bustling Oriental street scenes and widespread use of location sequences, more than satisfying the public appetite for adventure-melodrama in exotic locations.  This contrasts with use of confined, under-lit shadowy interiors, which help to convey a sense of trauma and imprisonment, reflecting the increasingly desperate mood of the film’s heroine.   Most memorable is the harrowing death sequence at the end of the film – a scene that is filmed with an almost visceral relish, and which still has the power to mesmerise and shock its audience.

© James Travers 2006

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