Broken Blossoms

Rating:
Summary: A Sensitive Melodrama
Review: This is Webster's definition of melodrama : 'A dramatic presentation characterised by heavy use of suspense, sensational episodes, romantic sentiment, and a conventional happy ending.' 'Broken Blossoms' contains all the characteristics of melodrama save the happy ending. 'Broken Blossoms' is an intelligent film, even progressive, as it focused on a subject taboo for the time, that of a romantic affection that crossed racial lines, in this case between the teenaged Lillian Gish and the older Richard Barthelmess who portrays a Chinese shop owner.

Their romantic involvement was potentially explosive; in the early 1900s the Chinese were more aggressively prejudiced against than any other racial group. In order to avoid the very real possibility of offending audiences to the point of outrage, absolutely no suggestion of anything overtly physical could be allowed between Gish and Barthelmess. Griffith handled the budding romance with the utmost of care, manipulating the interactions between the couple into genuine masterpieces of facial expression, gesture, and veiled emotion.

In addition 'Broken Blossoms' offers up an unflinching look at child abuse and neglect, and alcoholism, topics less against the constraints of popular morality but no less powerful. The 'spare the rod, spoil the child' method of childrearing was encouraged by many in both the secular and religious sectors, and alcoholism if not exactly widely tolerated was blatantly rampant and a highly visible affliction, at least in the major cities.

Gish, as Lucy, plays a battered child who lives in fear of her drunkard father (Donald Crisp, who stepped out of his usual character for this role.) Despite her awful circumstances Lucy tries her best to keep a good home for her father and maintain a happy disposition. Her strong, endearing character and many fine qualities are noticed by Barthelmess and admired most wistfully from afar. When circumstances place Lucy in Barthelmess' care for a time we are treated to a most poignantly charming interaction which ought touch all but the stoniest of hearts. One cannot help but hope for the best for these two, but of course that cannot be.

The double tragedy of the ending is extraordinarily powerful and all too believable, given the finely wrought characters within this film. (There is the famous scene of Lucy trapped in the closet awaiting her fate ~ a fete of superb acting.) Although supremely dramatic and dreadful in scope nothing appears over the top. Everything works exactly as it should without a false step. Without a doubt 'Broken Blossoms' remains one of the greatest and most enduring of silent melodramas.


Rating:
Summary: masterful
Review: Very,very moving silent film from D.W.Griffith.Lilian Gish puts in a marvellous performance in this heartbreaking tale set in the East end of London.A gem from a bygone era.

Rating:
Summary: masterful
Review: Very,very moving silent film from D.W.Griffith.Lilian Gish puts in a marvellous performance in this heartbreaking tale set in the East end of London.A gem from a bygone era.