Charges of racism permeate the other reviews of this title, which left me confused when I saw the film, which is a superior silent drama. The only way to conclude racism here is to declare that any time an Asian is cast as a villain, it's inherently racist. This film transcends such simple-mindedness. Sessue Hayakawa is brilliant and fearsome as the avaricious villain, and what's more, he brings subtlety to a profession (silent film acting) that sorely needed it.
But let's really test "The Cheat" for racism: Imagine a Caucasian actor in Hayakawa's role: the charge of racism evaporates because his character doesn't need to change. No racial insults need be edited out, nor any stereotypical behavior, because Hayakawa is burdened with none. The one clearly Asian incident in the film, when Hayakawa brands the leading lady with his official chop, could as easily have been, say, an American cowboy branding a woman. Same effect. And it's hardly racist to refer to something as traditionally Asian as an ownership stamp.
But let's really test "The Cheat" for racism: Imagine a Caucasian actor in Hayakawa's role: the charge of racism evaporates because his character doesn't need to change. No racial insults need be edited out, nor any stereotypical behavior, because Hayakawa is burdened with none. The one clearly Asian incident in the film, when Hayakawa brands the leading lady with his official chop, could as easily have been, say, an American cowboy branding a woman. Same effect. And it's hardly racist to refer to something as traditionally Asian as an ownership stamp.