A kind Chinese man (Richard Barthelmess--who's white) travels from China to London to teach peace and kindness to white men. Years later he lives in the Limehouse section of London--a real slum. He's depressed but not beaten down. He meets sweet, innocent Lucy (Lillian Gish) who is beaten and whipped by her cruel father (Donald Crisp). She finds friendship with Barthlemess--but her evil, racist father might find out...
For 1919 this must have been pretty racy. Even suggesting a friendship between a Chinese man and a white girl was pretty extreme. Today it's laughably dated and WAY overdone. It's also racist in itself--Barthelmess plays a Chinese man and is constantly referred to as "the Yellow Man" in the title cards. Still, for its era, this was pretty brave. Also this is, for director D.W. Griffith, a small quiet film--he was used to doing epics. It is well-directed and the color filters help.
Gish overacts a LOT as does Crisp--they're hard to take seriously. Barthelmess, on the other hand, underacts like he's afraid to show any emotion. So, for its time, it's daring but it just doesn't hold up. I give it a 5.
For 1919 this must have been pretty racy. Even suggesting a friendship between a Chinese man and a white girl was pretty extreme. Today it's laughably dated and WAY overdone. It's also racist in itself--Barthelmess plays a Chinese man and is constantly referred to as "the Yellow Man" in the title cards. Still, for its era, this was pretty brave. Also this is, for director D.W. Griffith, a small quiet film--he was used to doing epics. It is well-directed and the color filters help.
Gish overacts a LOT as does Crisp--they're hard to take seriously. Barthelmess, on the other hand, underacts like he's afraid to show any emotion. So, for its time, it's daring but it just doesn't hold up. I give it a 5.