Rating: 
Summary: A Perfect Melodrama
Review: "Broken Blossoms" is an example of silent film melodrama at its epitome. The elements are in place: abuse, neglect, despair, broken lives, a faint glimmer of hope brutally extinguished. This film explores a topic daring for its time, an interracial love between an older Chinese man (Richard Barthelmess) and a fifteen-year-old English girl (Lillian Gish). As physical interaction between the couple was strictly forbidden due to the morals of the day, director Griffith turned "action" into "emotion." Barthelmess' eyes and facial expressions tell all, and Lillian Gish is absolutely luminous. What she endures at the hands of her father (Robert Crisp) is truly appalling, as it had to be. Child abuse was commonplace and condoned in certain sectors; brutality was a part of life. To watch Lucy suffer is to suffer as well, so when she stumbles into those few short idyllic days with her adoring, idealistic admirer we watch with joy as she blossoms under his love and care. For a small space in her miserable life a young girl is allowed to be a young girl. Thus, the inevitable is that much more tragic. Lucy cannot remain the beloved of a man society forbids her to build a life with, and for this she pays with her life. The violence of Lucy's end is horrific, and Gish's portrayal of helplessness against an insane wrath shattering. This is a girl who truly tried, who did her utmost best to please a man she knows as "Daddy," even to the point of forcing her lips into a smile with the tips of her fingers when asked to do so (these scenes with her drunken father are among the most poignant of the film). Lucy convinces us as supremely worthy of a great love, thus what happens following her death is entirely convincing. Suffice to say it is not a happy ending, merely a perfect one. "Broken Blossoms" is indeed high melodrama, and among the finest such ever put to film.
Rating: 
Summary: A simple but incredibly sentimental classic
Review: "Broken Blossoms" is one of the most sentimental and heartrending films I have ever seen. It couldn't be more uncommercial. Lillian Gish gives such a strong, convincing performance as a frail girl who has struggled under an abusive boxer father and finds true love and compassion through a poor Chinese storekeeper (Richard Barthelmess). Donald Crisp as the father gives reliably strong contrast from Lillian Gish and Richard Barthelmess's characters, which adds to the already strong credibility they give. The scene when Gish being trapped in a closet while Crisp tries to get her out is very intense. Even more intense is the end. But what touched me most was when the Chinese man went out of his way to decorate the girl's room like a princess's, and gave her beautiful clothes to wear. This film is so sentimental it seemed like a dream. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A Perfect Melodrama
Review: "Broken Blossoms" is an example of silent film melodrama at its epitome. The elements are in place: abuse, neglect, despair, broken lives, a faint glimmer of hope brutally extinguished. This film explores a topic daring for its time, an interracial love between an older Chinese man (Richard Barthelmess) and a fifteen-year-old English girl (Lillian Gish). As physical interaction between the couple was strictly forbidden due to the morals of the day, director Griffith turned "action" into "emotion." Barthelmess' eyes and facial expressions tell all, and Lillian Gish is absolutely luminous. What she endures at the hands of her father (Robert Crisp) is truly appalling, as it had to be. Child abuse was commonplace and condoned in certain sectors; brutality was a part of life. To watch Lucy suffer is to suffer as well, so when she stumbles into those few short idyllic days with her adoring, idealistic admirer we watch with joy as she blossoms under his love and care. For a small space in her miserable life a young girl is allowed to be a young girl. Thus, the inevitable is that much more tragic. Lucy cannot remain the beloved of a man society forbids her to build a life with, and for this she pays with her life. The violence of Lucy's end is horrific, and Gish's portrayal of helplessness against an insane wrath shattering. This is a girl who truly tried, who did her utmost best to please a man she knows as "Daddy," even to the point of forcing her lips into a smile with the tips of her fingers when asked to do so (these scenes with her drunken father are among the most poignant of the film). Lucy convinces us as supremely worthy of a great love, thus what happens following her death is entirely convincing. Suffice to say it is not a happy ending, merely a perfect one. "Broken Blossoms" is indeed high melodrama, and among the finest such ever put to film.
Rating:
Summary: By Far One Of The Most Romantic Movies Ever Made
Review: "Broken Blossoms" is one of the most romantic movies ever made.
Love in its purest form. And, a silent film to boot, making it even more beautiful, because wordlessly this screenplay is flawless and completely understandable and touching sans audio.
Synopsis: Broken and beaten by her horrible fighter, prize fighter Battling Burrows, Lucy Burrows is the lovely, innocent, fragile creature that touches Cheng Huan's heart.
She stumbles into his doorstep and he carries her into his home and she awakens from her half starved, half beaten stupor to find herself surrounded by beautiful chinese silk and flowers. Cheng tenderly washes the dirt off Lucy's face, this is a beautiful scene, well done.
Lucy realizes that this is the first and only person that she has encountered in her life who has made an attempt to care. Lucy is touched and becomes the principal object in Cheng's life. He showers her with love and kindness.However, the bliss does not last long after Battling Burrows finds out about her encounters with the enamored chinaman. In a dramatic, frantic scene, Burrows kills Lucy, and Cheng shoots Burrows dead.
The last scene made me cry. The expression on Chengs face as he carries his dead love back to his home and lays her down is pitiful, and the last scene ends with Cheng plunging a knife into his heart, and a chinese boat carrying both of their souls to peace.
Very moving, silent performance.
Rating:
Summary: By Far One Of The Most Romantic Movies Ever Made
Review: "Broken Blossoms" is one of the most romantic movies ever made.
Love in its purest form. And, a silent film to boot, making it even more beautiful, because wordlessly this screenplay is flawless and completely understandable and touching sans audio.
Synopsis: Broken and beaten by her horrible fighter, prize fighter Battling Burrows, Lucy Burrows is the lovely, innocent, fragile creature that touches Cheng Huan's heart.
She stumbles into his doorstep and he carries her into his home and she awakens from her half starved, half beaten stupor to find herself surrounded by beautiful chinese silk and flowers. Cheng tenderly washes the dirt off Lucy's face, this is a beautiful scene, well done.
Lucy realizes that this is the first and only person that she has encountered in her life who has made an attempt to care. Lucy is touched and becomes the principal object in Cheng's life. He showers her with love and kindness. However, the bliss does not last long after Battling Burrows finds out about her encounters with the enamored chinaman. In a dramatic, frantic scene, Burrows kills Lucy, and Cheng shoots Burrows dead.
The last scene made me cry. The expression on Chengs face as he carries his dead love back to his home and lays her down is pitiful, and the last scene ends with Cheng plunging a knife into his heart, and a chinese boat carrying both of their souls to peace.
Very moving, silent performance.
Rating:
Summary: A simple but incredibly sentimental classic
Review: "Broken Blossoms" is one of the most sentimental and heartrending films I have ever seen. It couldn't be more uncommercial. Lillian Gish gives such a strong, convincing performance as a frail girl who has struggled under an abusive boxer father and finds true love and compassion through a poor Chinese storekeeper (Richard Barthelmess). Donald Crisp as the father gives reliably strong contrast from Lillian Gish and Richard Barthelmess's characters, which adds to the already strong credibility they give. The scene when Gish being trapped in a closet while Crisp tries to get her out is very intense. Even more intense is the end. But what touched me most was when the Chinese man went out of his way to decorate the girl's room like a princess's, and gave her beautiful clothes to wear. This film is so sentimental it seemed like a dream. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Simplistic and dated
Review: A tender though simplistic effort by D. W. Griffith. Very dated, especially in regards to the oriental stereotypes; the main character is only referred to as the yellow man. This is ironic since Griffith's reason for making this film was to respond to claims that he was racist based on his earlier film The Birth of a Nation.
Rating:
Summary: A poetic, lyrical film
Review: Better than the more famous "Birth of a Nation" and "Way Down East," this is one of the simplest, most heartfelt films Griffith made. Lillian Gish is utterly convincing as a fifteen-year-old waif brutalized by her boxing champ father. Her abject terror before the first beating is heart-breaking: what an actress! Richard Barthelmess also gives a sensitive performance as the Chinese immigrant (audiences of the day would not have accepted a real Chinese actor in the role). The film is more direct and embarks on less tangents than others in Griffith's canon, which makes it more successful in its emotional impact. I can't help but think that this story would have been wonderful for a Puccini opera.
Rating:
Summary: A poetic, lyrical film
Review: Better than the more famous "Birth of a Nation" and "Way Down East," this is one of the simplest, most heartfelt films Griffith made. Lillian Gish is utterly convincing as a fifteen-year-old waif brutalized by her boxing champ father. Her abject terror before the first beating is heart-breaking: what an actress! Richard Barthelmess also gives a sensitive performance as the Chinese immigrant (audiences of the day would not have accepted a real Chinese actor in the role). The film is more direct and embarks on less tangents than others in Griffith's canon, which makes it more successful in its emotional impact. I can't help but think that this story would have been wonderful for a Puccini opera.
Rating: 
Summary: Lillian Gish - the Duse of the Silent Film
Review: D.W. Griffith once characterized Hollywood, with perfectly unintentional irony, as "a Detroit of the mind." Griffith's mind was itself a mini-Detroit, a depressed megalopolis masquerading itself as a genuine human community. And Hollywood, that perpetual dreamworld with some distant connection with the geography of Southern California, was surely Griffith's creation. Yet another reason (as if we needed another!) to consign Griffith to one of the deeper circles of Hell. And yet (and yet!), Lillian Gish makes the film nearly bearable. She is easily America's First Lady of Film.
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