Broken Blossoms (Silent)

A woman's love for a spiritual Chinese man is thwarted by her bigoted father in this silent masterpiece.
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Format:  DVD-R
item number:  DQ94
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DVD-R Details

  • Rated: Not Rated
  • Run Time: 1 hours, 15 minutes
  • Video: Black & White
  • Encoding: Region 0 (Worldwide)
  • Released: April 26, 2005
  • Originally Released: 1919
  • Label: Alpha Video

Performers, Cast and Crew:

Starring &
Performer: , , , , , , &
Directed by
Edited by
Music by
Composition by
Cinematography by
Produced by

Entertainment Reviews:

Fresh95%

TOMATOMETER
Total Count: 22

Upright71%

AUDIENCE SCORE
User Ratings: 3,797
Very much on the credit side, though, are stretches of pure Griffith poetry, marvellous use of light and shadow in cameraman Billy Bitzer's evocation of foggy Limehouse, and a truly unforgettable performance from Gish.
Time Out
Jun 24, 2006
Rating: 4/5 -- One of the screen's greatest symbioses of performance and photography. Full Review
Goatdog's Movies
Aug 5, 2008
...It's Griffith at his most lyrical -- and sentimental...
Sight and Sound
Nov 1, 2000
Rating: 4/5 -- Definitely a silent drama fighting against the traditional limitations of the form and the strict social mores of the day. One of Lillian Gish's most moving performances. Full Review
Empire Magazine
Aug 8, 2011
Rating: B -- This mawkish Victorian melodrama rises above its faults with a stylishly beautiful film that also brings real tragedy to the screen. Full Review
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
May 28, 2007
May be [Griffith's] simplest, most affecting work. Full Review
Combustible Celluloid
Sep 21, 2014
Rating: 4/4 -- Films like this, naive as they seem today, helped nudge a xenophobic nation toward racial tolerance. Full Review
Chicago Sun-Times
Jan 1, 2000

Description by OLDIES.com:

Lucy's miserable life is devoid of beauty, and she is constantly beaten by her father, an alcoholic boxer. In the same hopeless slum, a recent Chinese immigrant who runs an import shop helplessly watches the waif's struggle. When Lucy's father thrashes her within an inch of her life, the shopkeeper takes her in and nurses her back to health. As her condition improves, Lucy begins to show a new interest in life, thanks to all the beauty that her new friend has shown her. The young girl's father, outraged at her new relationship, is determined to separate the two forever, no matter what the consequences.

D.W. Griffith's most intimate and lyrical film, considered by some critics to be his masterpiece, Broken Blossoms was determined to be too grim by his studio and the director was forced to buy it back and release it himself. The film is also one of the absolute highlights of Lillian Gish's career. She is perfect as the wretched waif, so defeated she is unable to smile without using her fingers to turn up the corners of her mouth.

Product Description:

This strangely beautiful silent film from D.W. Griffith is also one of his more grim efforts; an indictment of child abuse and the violence of western society. An idealistic Asian (Richard Barthelemess) travels to the west in hopes of spreading the Buddha's message of peace to the round-eyed "sons of turmoil and strife." Instead he winds up a disillusioned, opium-smoking shopkeeper in London's squalid Limehouse District. Down the street, a poor waif (Lillian Gish) suffers horrific abuse at the hands of her boxer father (Donald Crisp). When fortune delivers the battered girl into the Asian's tender care, a strange and beautiful love blossoms between them, a love far too fragile to survive their brutal environment. Griffith directed with his unique blend of poetry and realism, and Miss Gish delivers a typically first-rate performance as the girl; the result is a work of art that's both eloquent and crushing. The film was originally presented with color tinting and a musical score composed by Griffith, both of which may vary in different video and film versions.

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This product is made-on-demand by the manufacturer using DVD-R recordable media. Almost all DVD players can play DVD-Rs (except for some older models made before 2000) - please consult your owner's manual for formats compatible with your player. These DVD-Rs may not play on all computers or DVD player/recorders. To address this, the manufacturer recommends viewing this product on a DVD player that does not have recording capability.

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MOTHER OF ALL TEAR JERKERS Movie Lover: from Fort Wayne, Indiana -- July, 13, 2005

before there was "Imitation of Life" there was Griffith's "Broken Blossoms." If I were to rate this by number of hankies you'll use, I would suggest that before you watch this movie, you invest in the kleenex Corp.


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Product Info

  • Sales Rank: 27,992
  • UPC: 089218474193
  • Shipping Weight: 0.25/lbs (approx)
  • International Shipping: 1 item

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