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Features
Actors: Lillian Gish
Directors: D. W. Griffith
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dolby, DVD-Video, Silent, NTSC
Language: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 1
Rating: 
Studio: Alpha Video
DVD Release Date: April 26, 2005
Run Time: 75 minutes
Average Customer Review:
  (3 customer reviews)
Reader Reviews
As WWI was ending, it seemed the world had lost its innocence. The director who himself would become outdated within another decade, decided to tackle the subject of child abuse. D.W. Griffith, one of the true pioneers of American film, did so in tender fashion with one of his most simple yet most beautiful films. The Great War may have ended, but something far worse was sweeping the globe and it would take more lives than the war had. Lillian Gish came down with the Spanish flu before filming began but, rather than remain in bed waiting to die, she donned a surgical mask and went to rehearsals for "Broken Blossoms." She would survive, but not before the film itself almost suffered the fate she had feared. Viewed today, this is a somewhat dated but lovely and atmospheric film of great tenderness. It was not met with enthusiasm, however, by Adolph Zukor. He was not interested in art but profits and, perhaps rightly, felt that such a depressing film with such a sad ending would not go over well with the public. Griffith would borrow the money to purchase the film back from him and release it through United Artist. It would be a huge commercial and critical success and prove Zukor wrong. Lillian Gish would have many poignant moments as a girl never shown kindness or love. Left with an abusive father (Donald Crisp) who beats her on a regular basis, her youth is stolen and full of despair. Both Gish and Mary Pickford would continue to play younger than their actual age, and Gish loses herself as a 12 year old with a heart full of hurt. Richard Barthelmess is the Oriental shopkeeper who loves her and will help her escape her dreary lot in life. Once full of hope himself, he has long since abandoned his efforts to bring the ways of peace to this side of the world and lost himself in the opium dens of the Limehouse district where they reside. There is a true tenderness here as he will come out of his haze long enough to show Lucy what love is, while not taking advantage of her. Griffith makes it clear with a couple of "almost" kisses that he loves her but respects her purity. It is ironic that scenes like those, which were the very ones that made him suddenly "out of date," are also the ones which have made films like "Broken Blossoms" survive as art. Gish is really special as a young waif warned against marriage by those afflicted, and warned against free love by those girls in the profession. It leaves her with no place to turn except towards Battling Burrows and the humiliation and pain that comes with him. A hidden ribbon is the closest thing to love Lucy has ever known until she is cared for by Barthelmess after one of her beatings. A scene where she does not have enough tin foil to purchase a flower is not easily forgotten. Donald Crisp is somewhat exaggerated as was the custom in many silents, but it does not detract from the beauty of the film itself. When news gets to Battling Burrows that Lucy is with the Chinaman, tragedy will soon follow. Though I highly recommend either the HBO or Kino version this is a lower priced and attractively packaged option for those just wanting to get a sense of one of the great silent films without having to pay a lot of money. Film buffs, and silent film buffs in particular, cannot go wrong with this film. It is a restful and gentle painting of a heartbreaking scene.
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Broken Blossoms
Available from Amazon
Price: $7.98
Updated on 11-27-2008.
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