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  • Watch Online / Forfaiture (1937)



    Desc: Forfaiture: Directed by Marcel L'Herbier. With Victor Francen, Sessue Hayakawa, Louis Jouvet, Lise Delamare. This version of the story begins with the engineer's wife (Denise Morel) being driven to the site where her husband is building a bridge. The first thing she notices is the mark of the dragon branded on the shoulders of the coolies who are being driven out with her. On the way to the site, shots ring out, and one of the men in the truck with her is hit. The car would have to take the wounded man to the hospital, but, by chance, another car drives up with Prince Lee Lang in back. The Prince volunteers to drive her to her husband's site. She leaves a glove in the Prince's car. Pierre Morel, her husband, is angry about the shooting, and sends people out to take care of it. Apparently, they are having trouble building the bridge The next day, at Prince Lee Lang's house, Valfar, his business partner and Ming, their secretary, are introduced. The Prince is an art collector, and mentions to Valfar that he would like to add Denise to his collection of art objects. Denise meets the British consul and his wife. Denise and the wife become good friends. Pierre shows Denise how to gamble, and has an argument with the owner of the gambling spot, Tang-si. Denise borrows money from the owner of the gambling spot through Ming. Valfar has a discussion with Tang-si and money is exchanged. The Red Cross bazaar is held at Prince Lee Lang's house. Lee Lang offers to buy Denise's glove, and gives her money, which she puts to the proceeds of the bazaar. All the proceeds of the bazaar are in a drawer, and Denise has the key.  Denise goes to the gambling spot, and Tang-si tells her to pay her debt the next day at noon. She takes the Red Cross money out of the drawer and pays Tang-si, but now has to repay the Red Cross funds. Valfar suggests she talk to the Prince. The Prince tells her he will give her the money, if she gives herself to him. She agrees to this and is able to return the money to the Red Cross, but the next day, talks to the wife of the British consul, and gets the money from her, and sends the money to the Prince. The Prince is angry, but Valfar suggests he take his revenge on her husband instead.  On the next day, the bridge is tested, but collapses. It has been sabotaged. Pierre and Denise go to France. Pierre explains the fact of the sabotage to his board of directors. Then goes to a house, where he finds a gun and the Prince dying.  Valfar sees Pierre in the house. The next day, Denise gets her breakfast in bed, and discovers that Pierre has been arrested. Pierre talks to his lawyer and insists that he is innocent.  The trial begins. At a certain point, Valfar puts a piece of one of Denise's dresses, taken from the dying Prince's hand, into Pierre's hand, and Pierre realizes that it was probably Denise that shot the Prince. In court, he confesses that he shot the Prince. Denise says that Pierre is not telling the truth, and is sworn in. She says that Lee Lang had tried to rape her, and had branded her after which she shot him with his gun and run out. The judge demands that she prove that she had been branded, and so she takes off her dress to reveal the brand. Valfar, who had given evidence that Pierre had shot the Prince, is surrounded, and the police release Pierre. Pierre tells Denise that he believes her story.