Broken Blossoms

6/19/2022

I have only recently seen the original silent version of this film from 1919, and although this certainly lacks the intensity of that Lillian Gish/Richard Barthelmess adaptation, it is still an engaging film to watch with a really effective last fifteen minutes. The story of "Chen" (Emlyn Williams), a peace loving Buddhist who comes from China to London bearing his gifts of spirituality and kindness. Needless to say, he is met with cynicism amongst the bigoted and hard-nosed East Londoners and has his work cut out. "Lucy" (Dolly Haas) lives with her brute of a father "Burrows" (Arthur Margetson) - a boxer who drinks and then takes his frustrations out on his child. After one such beating, "Chen" takes her in and restores her to health before her father, and a band of misfits intervene - wi