The Cheat Assignment | The Cheat

ANSWER THREE

1) In The Cheat, how does the mise-en-scene create racialized notions of Arakawa? What symbols and cinematic techniques are used, and what kind of meaning do they create?

2) How is empathy controlled in The Cheat? Who cheats whom? Is there a moral high ground at the end of the film?

3) Sonatine employs two very different settings, urban Tokyo and tropical Okinawa. How do the characters behave in different spaces and how are specific interior and exterior settings used?

4) How are violence and laughter used in Sonatine? Are the characters expressive, if so, when? Does the film achieve a balance between laughter and violence?

Sonatine (CW) (Takashi Kitano, 1993, 94 mins)