Broken Blossoms (1919)

A frail waif, abused by her brutal boxer father in London's seedy Limehouse District, is befriended by a sensitive Chinese immigrant with tragic consequences.

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writers:

Thomas Burke (adapted from 'The Chink and the Child' by), D.W. Griffith

Stars:

Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess, Donald Crisp

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lillian Gish	...	Lucy - The Girl (as Miss Lillian Gish)
Richard Barthelmess	...	Cheng Huan - The Yellow Man (as Mr. Richard Barthelmess)
Donald Crisp	...	Battling Burrows
Arthur Howard	...	Battling Burrows' Manager
Edward Peil Sr.	...	Evil Eye (as Edward Peil)
George Beranger	...	The Spying One
Norman Selby	...	A Prizefighter

Storyline

Cheng Huan is a missionary whose goal is to bring the teachings of peace by Buddha to the civilized Anglo-Saxons. Upon landing in England, he is quickly disillusioned by the intolerance and apathy of the country. He becomes a storekeeper of a small shop. Out his window, he sees the young Lucy Burrows. She is regularly beaten by her prizefighter father, underfed and wears ragged clothes. Even in this deplorable condition, Cheng can see that she is a priceless beauty and he falls in love with her from afar. On the day that she passes out in front of his store, he takes her in and cares for her. With nothing but love in his heart, he dresses her in silks and provides food for her. Still weak, she stays in his shop that night and all that Cheng does is watch over her. The peace and happiness that he sees last only until Battling Burrows finds out that his daughter is with a foreigner.

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Plot Keywords:

boxer | waif | doomed love | battered child | interracial relationship | 

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Taglines:

tonight- you can enjoy the mystic throb of foreign souls; the flame, the fright, the glory of wondrous scenes. (Print Ad- Bismarck Daily Tribune, ((Bismarck ND)) 19 February 1920)

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Lillian Gish, the film was so well planned and rehearsed that the only editing that D.W. Griffith needed to do was snip off the beginnings and endings of scenes.

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Goofs

While Lucy is looking into the window of Cheng Huan's shop, director D.W. Griffith, in his shirtsleeves and wearing a vest, can briefly but very clearly be seen reflected in the window, briskly walking into the shot and sitting down in a chair beside the camera. This occurs in the shot immediately following the intertitle "The girl with the tear-aged face."

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Quotes

Missionary's Brother: My brother leaves for China tomorrow to convert the heathen.
The Yellow Man: I-I wish him luck.

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood Mavericks (1990)

User Reviews

The best of all Griffith films

Many people believe the best Griffith film is "Intolerance"; some stand by "Way Down East" and still others believe in "Birth of a Nation" despite all its problems. However, I think "Broken Blossoms" is the Griffith film which stands the test of time and still rings true today, over 83 years from its debut.

"Broken Blossoms" is the story of two wounded, abused, seemingly hopeless individuals who find comfort and strength in one another. The Chinaman (played by Richard Barthelmess) and little Lucy Burrows (played by Lillian Gish) are as different as night is to day, however they complement each other and give each other what the other needs; Lucy gives the Chinaman respect as a human being, he in turn gives Lucy affection and love.

What happens to the two souls is, in my opinion, one of the most heartbreaking turn of events ever filmed. The brutal treatment of Lucy by her father and the ultimate sadness of the Chinaman at the end of the film always reduce me to tears.

Those who believe that silent movies are inferior to today's craft really needs to see "Broken Blossoms" and open their hearts and minds to a world that is beyond beauty and beyond pain.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

None

Release Date:

20 October 1919 (USA)

Also Known As:

Broken Blossoms

Filming Locations:

Fine Arts Studios - 4516 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$88,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

D.W. Griffith Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White (tinted screen)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1