Broken Blossoms

Director: D.W. Griffith D.W. Griffith

Overview

"Considered one of D.W. Griffith's best films, the silent Broken Blossoms comes to DVD with a standard full-frame transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Supplemental materials include a filmed introduction from lead actress Lillian Gish, D.W. Griffith revealing his opinions on working with different actresses, and a recording of the 1919 song ""Broken Blossoms."" This is an excellent disc for anyone with an interest in the earliest days of film."

Product Details

Release Date:	12/10/2002
UPC:	0738329019624
Original Release:	1919
Rating:	NR
Source:	Kino Lorber
Language:	English
Time:	1:30:00
Sales rank:	47,169

Special Features

Filmed introduction by Lillian Gish including excerpts from Gish's film Romola (1925 MGM); The complete text of Thomas Burke's original story; A recording of the 1919 song "Broken Blossoms" ; D.W. Griffith on leading ladies; About the score

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Richard Barthelmess	The Yellow Man
Lillian Gish	Lucy - The Girl
Donald Crisp	Battling Burrows
Edward Piel	Evil Eye,Actor
Arthur Howard	His Manager
André de Beranger	The Spying One
Norman 'Kid McCoy' Selby	A Prizefighter,Actor
George Nicholls	London Policeman
Moon Kwan	Buddhist Monk
Edward Peil Sr.	Evil Eye
Ernest Butterworth Sr.	Actor
Kid McCoy	A Prizefighter
George Nichols	London Policeman
Karla Schramm	Actor
Wilbur Higby	London Policeman
George Beranger	Actor
Ernest Butterworth	Actor
Fred Hamer	Actor
D.W. Griffith	Composer
Louis Gottschalk	Composer,Composer

Technical Credits

D.W. Griffith

D.W. Griffith	Director,Producer,Screenwriter
Hendrik Sartov	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

Despite the great expense taken to recreate its London Limehouse-district setting, Broken Blossoms is one of D.W. Griffith's most intimate films, and some critics consider it his masterpiece. The director used his vast soundstage to tell the story of a young woman (Lillian Gish) whose love for a spiritual Chinese man (Richard Barthelmess) is thwarted by her abusive boxer father (Donald Crisp); the studio deemed the results too grim to be commercial, and Griffith was forced to buy Blossoms back and release it himself. The film is literally darker than anything the director had previously attempted: the controlled, non-location shoot allowed him to be more expressive with low light and shadow. In a pre-screening, the projectionist accidentally left on one of the theater's colored house lights, and Griffith liked the effect so much that he applied colored tints to subsequent prints. Aside from its technical achievements, Blossoms also features some of Gish's most evocative work. The actress' skills of gesture and pantomime are at their height, and her delicate, fragile performance deflects some of the attention away from Griffith's typically charismatic villain.