Directed by: D. W. Griffith
Released: 1919
Country: United States
Starring: Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess, Donald Crisp, Edward Peil Sr., Arthur Howard, George Beranger, Norman Shelby
Genres: Drama, Romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
Lillian Gish is the heart of D. W. Griffith's ''Broken Blossoms''. The innocence of the female protagonist's face, the tortures she face, her heart becoming so fulfilled after receiving a little gentleness, having received only harshness and cruelty in her life- all these are brought to life by Gish. The film is a poetic film, with a beauty and sweetness and along with that, horror of cruelty ultimately bringing a tragic end.
''Broken Blossoms'' has a romantic genre, but it is not just a romantic film. It is also a lyrical drama that becomes so very touching.
Cheng Huan (Richard Barthelmess) is a Chinese young man. He is gentle, polite, and a religious Buddhist. He leaves China to preach the message of Buddha in the Anglo-Saxon lands. There he becomes the owner of a small shop. He also sees brutality and intolerance around him.
Lillian Gish enters the screen. Gish plays Lily, the daughter of a boxer, Battling Burrows, played by Donald Crisp. Her innocent face without a smile and with sadness in her eyes immediately tell us that something is wrong. She is physically and mentally abused by her father. He treats her as a slave. And often, he inhumanly beats her. She never has the cause to smile. When her father repeatedly tells her to smile, we see her fingers moving her lips to form a smile. And oh- this thing Lily does a number of times in this movie, and this is something that can bring tears to our eyes. As the inter-titles say, Battling Burrows sometimes uses Lily as a ''punching-bag''. There is indeed something in Lillian Gish's performance that, at once, makes her not only have pity for this character, but also makes us feel love for this movie, making the movie more, much more engrossing. Gish is perhaps one of the greatest actresses ever.
One day, after her father beats her like an animal, Lily walks away from the house. She walks into Cheng Huan's store, and then faints.
When Lily regains consciousness, she is immensely rewarded with kindness, gentleness, and nursing from Cheng Huan. Never in her life had she ever got so much gentleness. To her, the world had meant only a place for cruelty and harshness, and now she finds kindness from Cheng Huan. He nurses her, gives her flowers, and also gives her a doll. She finally has a smile in her face.
Does happy times last for long? Battling Burrows comes to know from a friend that about his daughter's interraction with a Chinese man, and now he will do anything brutal, anything terrible, to separate these two people and ultimately...
The most touching thing about this movie is the character Lily herself. I felt so very sad, so very pity for this character. Harshness and cruelty exists in this world. But this girl, as innocent as a child, why she has to face only cruelty? Never she can smile. One of the most touching things about this film was Lily trying to force a smile using with fingers. Why has she no cause to smile?
When Cheng Huan is kind and gentle to her, nurses her back to health, that brings a smile to our face. Her deep pleasure when Cheng Huan gives her flowers and a doll, just like the pleasure of a child, indeed brings a smile and emotions. And then she is brutally separated from the only person who has been kind to her.
The great Lillian Gish is the soul of the movie. She brings the character of Lily to life, contributing to make the picture much more touching and beautiful. Donald Crisp brings the brutality of Battling Burrows to life, making us hate the character, performing as an evil villain in a wonderful way. Richard Barthelmess is similarly wonderful. Cinematography is striking; the editing is excellent; the inter-titles are poetic and their backgrounds were artistic.
Films as sad and as poetic as this one occupy a special place in our heart. Broken Blossoms is a haunting poetry that, after we have watched it, haunts us, fills us with emotions, and lets us think about the movie.
5 out of 5
Released: 1919
Country: United States
Starring: Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess, Donald Crisp, Edward Peil Sr., Arthur Howard, George Beranger, Norman Shelby
Genres: Drama, Romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
Lillian Gish is the heart of D. W. Griffith's ''Broken Blossoms''. The innocence of the female protagonist's face, the tortures she face, her heart becoming so fulfilled after receiving a little gentleness, having received only harshness and cruelty in her life- all these are brought to life by Gish. The film is a poetic film, with a beauty and sweetness and along with that, horror of cruelty ultimately bringing a tragic end.
''Broken Blossoms'' has a romantic genre, but it is not just a romantic film. It is also a lyrical drama that becomes so very touching.
Cheng Huan (Richard Barthelmess) is a Chinese young man. He is gentle, polite, and a religious Buddhist. He leaves China to preach the message of Buddha in the Anglo-Saxon lands. There he becomes the owner of a small shop. He also sees brutality and intolerance around him.
Lillian Gish enters the screen. Gish plays Lily, the daughter of a boxer, Battling Burrows, played by Donald Crisp. Her innocent face without a smile and with sadness in her eyes immediately tell us that something is wrong. She is physically and mentally abused by her father. He treats her as a slave. And often, he inhumanly beats her. She never has the cause to smile. When her father repeatedly tells her to smile, we see her fingers moving her lips to form a smile. And oh- this thing Lily does a number of times in this movie, and this is something that can bring tears to our eyes. As the inter-titles say, Battling Burrows sometimes uses Lily as a ''punching-bag''. There is indeed something in Lillian Gish's performance that, at once, makes her not only have pity for this character, but also makes us feel love for this movie, making the movie more, much more engrossing. Gish is perhaps one of the greatest actresses ever.
One day, after her father beats her like an animal, Lily walks away from the house. She walks into Cheng Huan's store, and then faints.
Does happy times last for long? Battling Burrows comes to know from a friend that about his daughter's interraction with a Chinese man, and now he will do anything brutal, anything terrible, to separate these two people and ultimately...
The most touching thing about this movie is the character Lily herself. I felt so very sad, so very pity for this character. Harshness and cruelty exists in this world. But this girl, as innocent as a child, why she has to face only cruelty? Never she can smile. One of the most touching things about this film was Lily trying to force a smile using with fingers. Why has she no cause to smile?
When Cheng Huan is kind and gentle to her, nurses her back to health, that brings a smile to our face. Her deep pleasure when Cheng Huan gives her flowers and a doll, just like the pleasure of a child, indeed brings a smile and emotions. And then she is brutally separated from the only person who has been kind to her.
The great Lillian Gish is the soul of the movie. She brings the character of Lily to life, contributing to make the picture much more touching and beautiful. Donald Crisp brings the brutality of Battling Burrows to life, making us hate the character, performing as an evil villain in a wonderful way. Richard Barthelmess is similarly wonderful. Cinematography is striking; the editing is excellent; the inter-titles are poetic and their backgrounds were artistic.
Films as sad and as poetic as this one occupy a special place in our heart. Broken Blossoms is a haunting poetry that, after we have watched it, haunts us, fills us with emotions, and lets us think about the movie.
5 out of 5
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