Broken Blossoms (also called The Chink and the Child, Scarlet Blossoms and The Yellow Man and the Girl) is a 1919 film which tells the story of a Chinese man who goes to England to enlighten Christians about the teachings of Buddha. Battered by intolerance, he opens a small shop. When he takes in a brutalized English girl and takes care of her, the racism of his English neighbors turns violent. It stars Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess and Donald Crisp.
The approval of peaceful race relations as presented in this film stands in sharp contrast to Griffith's earlier The Birth of a Nation, and many have interpreted it as his apologia for the earlier film. However, it should be noted that despite the positive representation of interracial romance, Griffith followed convention in casting a white actor, Richard Barthlemess, in the role of the Chinaman.
The film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
Audiences were justifiably surprised when Griffith released BrokenBlossoms; its fragile and sensitive nature was in sharp contrast to the brash, almost overblown, spectacles for which the director had become renowned for.
BrokenBlossoms is presented in its correct aspect ratio of 1.33:1.
BrokenBlossoms seemed to lay to rest the insinuations that D. Griffith was a confirmed racist.
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