Student Film Reviews

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1. Vee Rice 03.21.09 / 8am

   I agree with you. Lillian Gish gives such an amazing performance as Lucy. Doesn’t it just pain you to watch how her father treats her? I genuinely care for the characters (quite unlike my response to many movies out now). And it really made me realize how violent we are. People everywhere are so violent for little to no reason at all. I really wish more movies nowadays were filmed as well as Broken Blossoms. This film is exquisite. I am just in such amazement that a film almost 100 years old is still touching and engrossing. It is absolutely poetic. From the title cards to the storyline, this film is so beautiful and simple.
2. Linda Witfoth 10.13.09 / 7pm

   While I agree that the story of Broken Blossoms is touching even after nearly 100 years, I would have to disagree that it is a warm and charming story.

   Lillian Gish’s portrayal of Lucy, combines Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet and The Little Match Girl. She is valued so low as to be pitied by the poor, over-worked mothers, the prostitutes and the opium users. Much of the imagery she brings to the screen is her waif-like frailness and utter hopelessness. Her most notable scene is when she realizes she is trapped in her life, as she is trapped in the closet.

   I also agree with the reviewer, that the portrayal of Battling Burrows by Donaald Crisp is well done. Although I feel no empathy for him — I do not see any build to his character to lead him to his brutality.

   Dispite the overt racial Chinese stereotypes (money, opium, facial features), Cheng Huan, played by Richard Barthelmess, shows the only kind character in the film. His character show a stark contrast to Battling Burrows’ aggression. Because of this opposing good force, he earns the goodwill of the audience. Having such a stereotypical protagonist is an odd sort of racism.

   I found the cinematography (photography, as billed) to be inviting. The use of tinting on particularly series of frames, mostly outside, transition scenes, to provide visual interest and a mechanism to help propel the storyline. Particularly significant was the purple tint on the opening and end of the film (signifying “The orient”), and the red tint of the sequence between Cheng Huan and Lucy as strong emotion, perhaps even love/passion. Tinting the streets outside the market and Lucy/Battling Burrows’ home as transition elements to the storytelling was a successful convention for this film.

   I would agree with this reviewer that Broken Blossoms is a very good example of a touching, well-told story from the silent movie era.
3. Hannah Borroel 10.16.09 / 2pm

   I disagree that the tale of “Broken Blossoms” was warm and charming, however, it was, and still is, a very powerful story. Lillian Gish’s performance as Lucy, with the direction of D.W. Griffith was really the first step towards “acting.” Griffith had Gish study facial expressions, body language and the like, in order to become a better actress. She portrayed the horrific life of an abused young woman very well because of her studies. I have to disagree, then, that Battling Burrows and Cheng Huan stole the show as the good guy and the bad guy. Each was a fair enough actor, but their stories are not the stories being told in this epic tale.
4. Alisa Egecioglu 06.02.15 / 8pm

   Indeed, Lilian Gish proved her amazing acting ability in Broken Blossoms. She also represented the lives of quite a few American women during the early 20th century, before the social emergence of flappers. As the reviewer noted, the use of lighting is very important in this movie, as it is used to highlight certain characters’ emotions. Tinting is also used to set the mood for particular scenes, such as those in which Lucy and Cheng exchange affectionate glances. Donald Crisp perfectly portrays Battling Burrows, using his stance and confidence to show the violent nature of the angry boxer. The movie is charming regarding Lucy and Cheng’s relationship but extremely dramatic concerning the conclusion and Cheng’s despair.
5. Noemi Quinones 06.04.17 / 12am

   I agree! Dogma 95 produced an amazing, socially relevant, film without the glitter and lights that hollywood relies on. It wasn’t until I watched this film that I came to realize that a film can use a low budget to its advantage. The bad lighting, abrupt camera transitions and the unstable orientation of the camera mirrors the state of mind of the characters. However, I enjoyed The Celebration, because the film brought attention to issues such as rape, suicide, racism, classism and domestic abuse. Ultimately, The Celebration helps us understand that no-one –not even the wealthy– is exempt from these matters.
6. Noemi Quinones 06.05.17 / 1pm

   Although Broken Blossoms is a silent film, the performance of the actors, in combination with the cleverly chosen mise-en-scene create a heart-wrenching movie. In this film, there is an excellent use of costume, makeup, lighting and props to portray the state of mind of the characters. For example, in Cheng, we most explicitly see a decline in motivation through the change in the setting that surrounds him. In the first couple of scenes of him in London, we observe him indulging in some sort of drug with, what appear to be, other immigrants. Yet, these people have poor hygiene, hopeless expressions, tattered costumes, and flaccid body language. The fact that Cheng is comfortable lounging in this poorly lit area means that he identifies with them. This is a stark contrast from the bright, outdoor market and sacred Buddhist temple in which the audience first encountered Cheng. From this shift, it is safe to assume that the change in location has changed Cheng for the worse.
7. Brenna Valenzuela 03.10.22 / 8pm

   Broken Blossoms (D.W. Griffith, 1919) is quite an interesting film because it is a silent film, which can be difficult to demonstrate one’s character on the screen through body language/expressions. However, as you mentioned, these actors produce high quality acting to demonstrate their characters perfectly. Furthermore, the excellent acting is not enough to “cover up” the clear stereotypes we see throughout the film. For example, the supposed “Asian” man is clearly a white man portraying stereotypes of the Asian community, which is very offensive. Although, as you stated, this film may be deemed as a “classic of the silent era,” the message of the story is taken away by the constant stereotyping and the brutal catastrophes of the plot.
8. Kirsten Milliron 06.04.22 / 9am

   Byron,

   I enjoyed reading your analysis. There is a multitude of interpretations that can come from this very emotionally charged film. It has become offensive to some viewers, but when you are creating a film with this narrative, it can be complicated. Every character, I believe, did an excellent job. Without the blend of acting styles, and the lighting of the mise-en-scène an entirely different feeling would have been taken away from the film.

   It is easy to be critical. I find the challenge is untangling all the layers of each character and understanding what their purpose is and why the director decided to produce it in the way done. Some do not agree with your opinion of Battling Burrows deserving more recognition, and while I can understand their reasoning, I understand yours a bit more.

   Had Burrows been more cliche, as you mentioned, his character would not have fit the narrative. He acted masculine, yet unrealistic in his facial expressions. For the overall theme of the film, his persona was ideal.

   Best,
   Kirsten

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