'Lyrical' is a wonderfully appropriate word to describe 'Broken Blossoms.' The picture is almost like a sonnet in its delicate perfection, poignant almost to the point of melancholy, with a running time that seems much, much shorter than its actual eighty-nine minutes. This is one of Griffith's 'small' pictures, unlike the super-productions such as 'Intolerance' or 'Orphans of the Storm,' or even 'Way Down East.' Still, it's difficult to believe that the intricate and detailed and richly authentic waterfront location was a set constructed to Griffith's specifications for the film.Like most other students of film history, I have conflicted feelings about David Wark Griffith and his legacy of racism and intolerance, as is plainly demonstrated in his watershed picture 'The Birth of a Nation.' But still, I don't know that it's fair to ignore or deny or even question his ability to use the cinematic medium to create drama, establish dramatic nuance, and express emotion, particularly in an art form which at the time was necessarily speechless.'Broken Blossoms' as a film was actually suggested to Griffith by Douglas Fairbanks, who'd read the Thomas Burke source material, the short story collection 'Limehouse Nights.' And according to actress Lillian Gish, who like Richard Barthelmess gives probably her career-best performance in this picture, the film's release was delayed after production and principal photography was completed because Griffith was so emotionally devastated and drained by the filming experience that he couldn't face editing the picture. 'Broken Blossoms' eventually became the very first motion picture released by the new United Artists Corporation, the elite production company formed in 1919 by cinematic superstars Griffith, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, and Doug Fairbanks.Should you decide to see the picture, try to find the 'Griffith Masterworks' version with the soulful Joseph Turrin music score, which enhances and augments the sadness of the story. The film was popular enough at the time of its original release that a song entitled 'Broken Blossoms' was composed and recorded and became moderately popular. Turrin located a copy of the original sheet music of that lovely song, and performs it on the piano in one of the 'Masterworks' extras.Those extras also include a filmed introduction by Lillian Gish and the entire text of the original Thomas Burke short story. And as an extra and unintentional bonus, watch closely about twenty minutes into the picture, right after the inter-title which reads, "The girl with the tear-worn face": The shot shows Gish looking into a store window, and reflected in the window glass the viewer can see the ghostly image of photographer Billy Bitzer standing behind his tripod camera and then Griffith himself in a vest and shirtsleeves walking briskly onto the set and seating himself in a canvas chair beside Bitzer. The unintended action was a mistake and a production error and as such the moment violates the illusion and therefore distracts the viewer's attention momentarily from the drama, but still it's a fascinating curio of motion picture history.'Broken Blossoms' is highly recommended. Far beyond a picture which will stay with you for a long time, it's a picture you'll never forget...nor quite ever get over.

Another Griffith's melodrama! It was so hard to get to the end that full of madness film. Even, if its director made lots of interesting films, masterpieces, this, was completely not worth it. Storyline is quite poor. F.e we don't know much about main character's mother. All we can see, is pathology in family. And at the end of film we don't exactly know the reason why the girl ends like that. Also acting is terrible! Especcialy the moves of Donald Crisp are so so cheap or even weird. Lillian Gish is OK, but she is always sad so we can't rate her acting at all. And of course 'the Chinese Guy' who isn't even Asian- he don't shows us nothing special. I saw also, a few completely unnecessary shots- film was too long. ,,Broken Blossoms'' action moves on in the end, in the beginning there was nothing but cruelness. The last thing that shocked me.. main sick love of 20 (or more) year old guy to girl who was a innocent child- the way he looked at her was awful..

. . . who needs enemies? Actress Lillian Gish as the London waterfront motherless waif Lucy, a.k.a. The Girl, is constantly begging her brain-damaged-from-boxing dad NOT to whip her to death, saying in the same breath (subtitled, of course) that he might hang if he does her in (boxing has been known for centuries to cause its adherents to do irrational things, such as practicing public cannibalism and demanding facial tattoos). Taking advantage of the mentally deficient father, a possibly illegal immigrant installs the under-aged female in a love nest above his specialty shop on the sly. The hatred of Londoners for off-islanders can be traced back at least as far as the Roman Invasion, so it is no surprise that Lucy's smashed-noggin father is crazed when he finds out what an older man who should have known better has done with his under-appreciated offspring (a real workhorse around his squalid flat; you never value what you have until it's gone). The addled brained dad quickly whips his daughter to death, and the alleged Buddhist pacifist missionary grabs his revolver (!!) and does in the dad before killing himself. For those of you born AFTER director D.W.Griffith foisted BIRTH OF A NATION & BROKEN BLOSSOMS upon America, it is important to remember that he cut his movie-making teeth (beginning in 1908 on RESCUED FROM AN EAGLE'S NEST) at the notoriously wrong-headed, racist, and obstructionist Edison Manufacturing movie making muck hole.

D.W. Griffith is a genius. A clear innovator to the art of motion photography. D.W. Griffith is probably one of the most important filmmakers in the history of film and this astonishing silent, Broken Blossoms is a clear indication of why. The style of acting portrays the young stages of conveying emotion and mood through a camera narrator. This film is by far one of Griffith's finest. The decor looks incredible, the costumes are superb and the mise-en-scene is very sophisticated, especially for it's time. This film really demonstrates the beginning of cinematography as well. Every shot from this wonderful picture if paused would look like a conventional photograph from that time period. But being played out as a film makes it that much more intriguing. This silent masterpiece was incredible to watch.