Broken Blossoms (1919)

The Movie Where DW Griffith Really Addressed Intolerance!

Broken Blossoms actually addressed intolerance better than Intolerance did. It is a smaller film which deals with one story on a heartfelt level. On the docks of England a young 12 year old girl tries to survive her father, a drunken brutal man who beats her and mistreats her. There were not child abuse laws at the time and this film actually created a movement to put laws on the books regarding child abuse. The only sympathy the girl receives is from a young Chinese man who works in a shop near where she lives. He doesn't talk to her just watches her. One day her father beats her so badly she is barely living. The Chinese immigrant finds her and takes her home to care for her. They get along fine until the father finds out and is made fun of by his friends because his daughter's "run off with a Chink". Pride causes tragedy all around. A very nicely realized film and shows how film techniques grew from The Birth of a Nation forward. The extras are great and an introduction by Lillian Gish is not to be missed. She describes the Spanish Flu epidemic and how she had caught it too. We sometimes see silent stars as being something other than human or too old to have been seen talking but that is not the case. Lillian Gish was around until the late 80s. Griffith suffered and died fairly young but it was more tragedy for him. His sound films were not well received and he became alcoholic and living alone in a hotel. Lillian Gish did make sound films though was not a great star in them. Don't forget to buy this DVD. The short story is included too. December 29, 2008

The Greatest tearjerker of all time

I always thought that Imitation of Life was the greatest tearjerker of all time until I seen "Broken Blossums." It touched me in ways that Imitation of Life never could or ever will. October 17, 2008

A towering pastoral epic

"Broken blossoms" was the film which conveyed me to fall in love with this expressive and sensual actress: Lillian Gilsh.

Griffith, the master of masters, bet and won with this Dickensian adaptation about the oppression of a frail and sensitive young street woman desperate to escape from her bleak environment. He will be sheltered by a Chinese missionary who shields from his tyrannical and abusive father.

Griffith anticipated himself respect this genre so many told in decades to come. The contrast of lights and shadows confirms why Eisentein affirmed once that all he kenew about to make cinema was due to David Ward Griffith, a giant of the cinema who has not deserved his place among the supreme master of the American Cinema. .
June 15, 2007

The bitter-sweet story of two lost souls

This film stands out as one of the most beautiful and heart-rending stories ever directed by `the Father of Film', D.W. Griffith, showing that he was versatile and sensitive enough to cover a wide range of films, from poignant and socially evocative short films in early days, to dramatic historical epics such as "Intolerance" and "America". Not only is "Broken Blossoms" a sensitive and deeply moving drama with intense atmosphere and soul-stirring emotion, it also showcases some of the very best performances by the three leading characters who are all perfectly cast in their roles. The 25-year-old Lillian Gish with her girlish face and slender build is ideal in the role of a girl ten years younger but with a "tear-aged" face due to a lifetime of cruel abuse. With the body language of an old woman, Lillian perfectly conveys the frightened bundle of misery that is Lucy, the daughter of an abusive professional boxer who lets his frequent bouts of anger out on his only child. Donald Crisp also uses expressive body language to portray this ugly character very convincingly, but I was most impressed by the transformation of Richard Barthelmess into the role of a Chinese man who is pivotal in this story. With subtle gestures and body language Barthelmess really brings across the gentle nature of this character who is led by Buddhist principles of love and peace, but becomes lost in the harsh world of London's seedy Limehouse district. There he finds another lost soul desperately seeking a ray of happiness and hope, namely Lucy, who stumbles into his shop one day after a severe whipping by her father. Some memorable scenes from this film are Lillian's gesture of forcing a smile onto her face using her fingers because she is unable to smile on her own, and how Barthelmess resists the temptation to take advantage of the helpless Lucy when she is in his care for a few days. Also impressive are scenes of Chinese culture such as some opium dens in the Limehouse district, and the overall solemn mood which feels disturbingly real to the viewer. It is helped along by the original musical score played by a modern full orchestra, and the color-tinting of this very good print also enhances the atmosphere. "Broken Blossoms" is surely a highlight in D.W. Griffith's directing career as well as for the stars, and a wonderful example of silent cinema just before the 1920s era.
May 9, 2007

My Favorite D.W. Griffith Film...

...and one of my favorite films period. It's not D. W.'s best, that distinction belongs to ISN'T LIFE WONDERFUL (not yet on DVD). I much prefer BROKEN BLOSSOMS to Griffith's mammoth spectacles (which are important historically but are overrated when compared to his Biograph shorts and smaller scale films like this one). What I value most about this movie is how it is able to fully create a completely self-contained world and then draw the viewer into it. The soft focus photography of Billy Bitzer, the original score by Louis F. Gottschalk, and the marvelous performances by the three principals enhance the film's dreamlike quality and bring me back again and again to relive the experience much like the opium users depicted in the film.

Criticisms concerning Richard Barthelmess playing a Chinese character miss the point. The important factor is the character's nature not his nationality. The same can be said for criticism of Donald Crisp's turn as the brutal father. His portrayal is deliberately exaggerated for melodramatic effect (he was asked to make the part as apelike as possible) and it later served as the basis for the facial expressions and movements of the original KING KONG. Lillian Gish delivers one of the great silent film performances of all time which clearly shows why she was the first lady of the silent screen.

There are a number of DVD versions of BROKEN BLOSSOMS out there so you must be careful which one you choose. Anything with a budget price should be avoided at all costs. "You get what you pay for" is especially true of silent film video releases. These are public domain copies which are taken from 16mm second generation prints, usually transferred at the wrong speed, and feature a music score that was tacked on without regard to what is happening onscreen. These cheap copies can easily ruin your viewing experience for the reasons listed above.

Right now there are only two releases of the many available which show BROKEN BLOSSOMS the way it was meant to be seen. The Kino version and the Image version. Neither is a complete restoration as none of Griffith's films have been fully restored. The Kino has a slightly better picture quality and a number of extras while the Image features the original color tinting and score composed for the film which adds immensely to its overall effect. Unless you really love film and want all the extra features, I recommend the Image version for its greater emotional impact.

Although no longer available as a new release, there are plenty of good, used copies to choose from and at a better price too. But no matter which version you choose, just sit back and let this nearly 90 year old film work its magic on you. Think of it as a male version of MADAME BUTTERFLY with a healthy dose of Dickens thrown in. It takes a little work to bridge the gap of time, but if you're willing to make the effort then you will be amply rewarded. April 26, 2007

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