Broken Blossoms

(1919) Directed by: D.W. Griffith; Written by  Thomas Burke; Adapted from a story by D.W. Griffith; Based on a short story by Thomas Burke; Starring: Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess and Donald Crisp

Available on DVD and Netflix Streaming

Rating: ****

“Well, when I came to play the scene in front of the camera, I did it as I planned – spinning and screaming terribly...When we finished, Mr. Griffith was very pale.” – Lillian Gish (on her climactic closet scene – excerpt from Lillian Gish: A Life on Stage and Screen, by Stuart Oderman)

Today’s post covers two events in one!  Although I planned Silent September almost a year ago, I just recently learned about the Gish Sisters Blogathon, and instantly knew I had to participate.  Special thanks go out to Fritzi at Movies, Silently and Lindsey at The Motion Pictures for hosting this blogathon and letting me join the party.  While I don’t profess to be an expert on Lillian or Dorothy Gish, stepping outside my cinematic comfort zone is what my blog (and especially this theme month) is all about. 

Compared to Griffith's earlier features Birth of a Nation and Intolerance, Broken Blossoms is decidedly less epic in scope, but no less noteworthy.  Similar to the controversy surrounding the first film, the specter of racism raises its ugly head with Broken Blossoms (aka: The Yellow Man and the Girl).  It’s easy to ridicule the film as an artifact from a less enlightened time, and it’s just as easy to side-step the issue entirely, with the usual argument: “It was from a more innocent time when institutionalized racism was the norm in the film industry.”  While neither stance is invalid, adopting either point of view exclusively is to deny the film’s formidable virtues, along with decades of movie history, where racial insensitivity was an unfortunate byproduct.  It’s important to point out that Broken Blossoms, in its own well-intentioned way, contends with topics of racism, the clash of Eastern and Western cultures and xenophobia.

Lillian Gish is captivating in her role as Lucy, and is arguably the best reason to watch Broken Blossoms.  Her character was changed from 12 years old to 15 (Gish was 26 at the time), with silk placed over the camera lens to soften her facial features.  Gish masterfully conveys a combination of innocence and anguish, as someone who is conditioned to expect the worst, and is rarely disappointed.    In one of the film’s most memorable scenes, Lucy locks herself away in a closet, screaming uncontrollably at the fate that awaits her outside the door.  I felt myself cringe as she pulled away from her sadistic father (Donald Crisp), helpless to avoid the inevitable beating.

Richard Barthelmess plays Cheng Huan (listed in the credits as “The Yellow Man”) an opium-smoking shop owner, who takes in the battered Lucy and helps aid her recovery.  Barthelmess' character, as portrayed in the film, is significantly older than the 15-year-old boy dictated by the original story.  The age disparity between Cheng Huan and Lucy creates some uneasy implications, but it’s never fully explored.  Barthelmess’ character is probably the most difficult for modern audiences to accept, but it’s important to keep perspective.  In an age when it was standard practice for a Caucasian actor to play non-Caucasian roles, the opportunity for an actor of Asian descent to play the lead role simply didn't exist.  What stands out is his compassion for Lucy – he’s the only person in her short life that ever demonstrated kindness toward her.  It’s no surprise that nothing good will result from their chaste relationship, which is doomed from the start. 

Crisp is genuinely frightening as Battling Burrows, Lucy’s father.  He’s a boxer with a short fuse, who routinely takes out his anger on the closest individual to him, namely his daughter.  You can feel the tension rise in their scenes together.  Even when he doesn't lay a finger on her, the feeling of unease is palpable.  At any given moment, he's one step away from violence.

In contrast to the epic scope of some of Griffith’s previous efforts, Broken Blossoms is presented simply.  The set pieces are relatively spare and confining, but used to great effect.  Like Lucy, we feel trapped in this little borough, set in the Limehouse district of London.  Griffith utilizes rose, yellow and blue tinting to further set the mood.

In her book, Romance and the “Yellow Peril,” Gina Marchetti discusses Lucy’s pathetic life of abuse at the hands of her father.  She explores themes of implied pedophilia and incest in the film, and suggests less than noble intentions from Cheng Huan.  While Marchetti presents a strong argument, it ultimately dilutes the power of the central story, and dismisses Gish’s stellar performance.  It’s easy to feel conflicted, due to the cognitive dissonance generated by the more unsavory aspects of the film, which perpetuate a naïve, simplistic view of Chinese society.  By the same token, it’s impossible to deny that Griffith was a gifted filmmaker, who created a beautiful, tragic piece of art, propelled by the strength of the story and the talent of his performers. 

Classics Revisited: Safety Last!

(1923) Directed by: Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor; Written by Hal Roach, Sam Taylor and Tim Whelan: Starring: Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Bill Strother and Noah Young

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Rating: *****

“…we actually did this, in those days.  I was up just as high as you see me in the film.” – Harold Lloyd (excerpt from interview featured in Harold Lloyd, The Third Genius)

It didn’t take much soul-searching or deliberation to figure out what my first entry for Silent September should be.  What better film than Safety Last! to inaugurate my month-long exploration of silent cinema? 

Compared to Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd was the most commercially successful, yet today, compared to his contemporaries, he’s probably the lesser known comic performer.  One possible reason is that Keaton and Chaplin had established their stage personas early on, while Lloyd took longer to find his comic voice.  Lloyd started out in a variety of dramatic and comedic roles, but first gained prominence in several shorts featuring his slapstick character Lonesome Luke (a virtual knock-off of Chaplin's Little Tramp).  He eventually donned his trademark round horn-rimmed spectacles to become “The Glasses Character,” a likeable everyman whom audiences could readily relate to.

Safety Last!, Lloyd’s third full-length feature, was shot in the summer of 1922, but wasn’t released until the middle of 1923, undoubtedly due to the lengthy editing process, dictated by Lloyd’s perfectionistic tendencies.  Lloyd was one of the first filmmakers to utilize preview audiences for his movies, which enabled him to fine-tune his movie.  After gauging initial audience reaction, he would adjust the film’s pacing and ensure the timing of the gags was just right.

The film begins with one of the most brilliant opening scenes in silent comedy.  If you haven't seen Safety Last!, I don't want to give too much away, but suffice it to say that it perfectly illustrates how a scene’s interpretation can be altered by toying with the audience’s assumptions.  Reversing the shot to watch the same scene unfold from a different perspective changes the story and tone change entirely.

Lloyd and his real-life fiancée Mildred Davis play archetypal characters “The Boy” and “The Girl,” respectively.  Alternatively, the main characters go by the actors’ real names, Harold (his full name appears on a paycheck) and “Mildred.”  This creates the impression that they are portraying themselves, even if their film personas are fabrications.  There’s some clever interplay between Lloyd and Davis as The Boy perpetrates an elaborate charade to convince his girlfriend he's a well-to-do general manager at the De Vore Department Store instead of a mere fabric salesman.  There are some big laughs as we watch our hapless protagonist endure the cutthroat world of sales, uppity management and persnickety customers.  As my wife (Twitter: @ElaineRadley1) is fond of observing, working in retail always sucked.  One of the many joys of Safety Last!, is seeing how Lloyd takes a relatively innocuous incident such as trying to get to work on time, and escalates it to a point where it becomes a complicated ballet of errors.  In one early scene, he’s accidentally locked away in a delivery truck, and frantically races against the clock and 1920s Los Angeles traffic to reach the department store before it’s too late.

After his girlfriend pays him an unexpected visit from out of town, he’s desperate to find some quick money.  When Harold overhears the store’s general manager proclaim he’ll pay $1,000 to anyone who can find a way to bring in more customers, he steps in with an outrageous idea for a stunt.  Harold offers his equally penniless friend, played by Bill Strother,* half of the bonus if he’ll agree to climb the department store building.  Naturally, things don't quite go as planned, and Harold is forced to make the ascent himself, with every conceivable obstacle in his way.  While the climbing scenes involved a modicum of trickery, it was still dangerous to pull off the illusion effectively.  A platform was built on the roof of a building, featuring a façade that could simulate the department store.  Strother appeared in the long shots, filmed from the side of a building, while Lloyd climbed the façade, which was elevated to the dizzying heights portrayed in the movie.  This added a level of realism impossible to duplicate with modern-day green screen effects.  The efforts of Lloyd and Strother were even more remarkable, considering the former only had one complete hand* and the latter was recovering from a broken leg.

* Strother, a daredevil stuntman, was no stranger to climbing high structures.  Lloyd’s observation of one of his performances allegedly inspired this film.

** Lloyd suffered a serious injury from an explosive prop during the filming of the short “Haunted Spooks” in 1919.  As a result, he wore a special glove to conceal the fact that his right thumb and forefinger were missing. 

It’s hard to believe that 90 years have elapsed since Safety Last! debuted.  Modern audiences can readily identify with his misguided attempts to impress his girlfriend, or the perils of working retail.  Watching Lloyd traverse the vertiginous heights of the office building or his iconic clock stunt (witness Jackie Chan’s affectionate homage in Project A) never fails to create a visceral, cringe-worthy sensation.  Although Lloyd attempted to top the gags and stunts in subsequent features, Safety Last stands as Lloyd’s masterpiece, ranking among the best comedies (silent or otherwise) of all time.

August Quick Picks and Pans

Errors of the Human Body (2012) Michael Eklund plays Geoff Burton, an American researcher in Germany, searching for the secrets to human regeneration.  Spurred by the death of his infant son from a rare genetic abnormality, he’s compelled to isolate the factors that help the body repair itself.  Errors of the Human Body is a hard science fiction story, wrapped in a drama about loss.  Those seeking fast-paced action scenes and gore-drenched visuals should look elsewhere.  Eklund plays his character almost too well as the grief stricken Dr. Burton, numb to the rest of the world while trying to save it.  His performance is a bit distancing, but appropriate, considering the magnitude of his personal loss.  His estranged wife has moved on, while he’s stuck in the past.  With his first feature-length film, director/co-writer Eron Sheean’s has crafted a fine little melancholy mood piece, reminiscent of David Cronenberg’s work.  It might not be everyone’s idea of a good time, but it definitely leaves an indelible impression.

Rating: *** ½.  Available on DVD and Netflix Streaming.

 

 

Best Worst Movie (2009) Ex-child actor/documentarian Michael Stephenson provides a glimpse into the making of the monumentally bad Troll 2, and its ensuing cult following. We get the idea making this documentary was a form of therapy for him, as he re-lives memories of the production and tracks down the responsible parties, including fellow cast members and crew responsible for the film.  One of the key personalities featured in the documentary is Troll 2 star George Hardy, who now runs a successful dentistry practice in Alabama.  Hardy seems ambivalent about his ironic stardom, which has made him a household name in cult circles.  While he was greeted by throngs of admirers at Troll 2 screenings in the U.S., his U.K. tour was met with apathy.   It’s amusing to hear from delusional director, Claudio Fragasso, who insists he made a good film and takes offense at those who would tarnish its reputation.  Best Worst Movie is an affectionate examination of a schlock masterpiece and its Rocky Horror-style following.  While the material is a bit thin for a feature-length documentary, it’s an amiable, mildly engaging film.

Rating: *** ½.  Available on DVD and Netflix Streaming

Thale (2012) This Norwegian horror/fantasy from writer/director Aleksander Nordaas starts with an intriguing premise – two men (Jon Sigve Skard and Erlend Nervold, as Leo and Elvis, respectively) discover an old laboratory where a female creature from Norse mythology (a huldra), is being kept alive in a bathtub.  Silje Reinåmo is good as the frightened, unpredictable huldra named Thale.  We’re never quite sure what she’ll do next.   Nordaas chooses not to play up the sexual possibilities of the story, but focuses on Thale as a caged creature out of her natural element.  Most of the film is uneventful. We brace for something to happen, but to no avail.  It’s more of a rough sketch than a fully realized story.  Even at 77 minutes, the film drags, but it’s still worth a look for Reinåmo’s performance and tense atmosphere.

Rating: ***.  Available on Blu-ray and DVD.

Wrong (2012) Writer/director Quentin Dupieux presents another head scratcher with this sporadically amusing follow-up to his existentialist comedy Rubber.  Unlike the former movie, this foray into absurdism wears out its welcome due to a lack of focus.  Jack Plotnick stars as Dolph Springer, deep in the throes of depression after he loses his dog.  He hangs onto his tenuous grasp of sanity by continuing to show up at work (where the fire sprinklers are constantly running), even though he was fired weeks ago.  On his quest to find his missing canine companion, he encounters several quirky supporting characters: Master Chang (William Fichtner), a self-professed guru who intentionally kidnaps pets so he can witness them reunited with their owners, a perpetually confused gardener (Eric Judor), and a ditzy pizza restaurant employee (Alexis Dziena).  Unfortunately, the random elements that made Rubber work don’t quite achieve the same ends with Wrong.  All of the bizarre bits seem to be thrown together arbitrarily, and nothing really gels as a whole, as if Dupieux had fewer tricks up his sleeve this time.

Rating: ** ½ .  Available on Blue-ray and DVD

Blog Update: Fall Preview

Fall is shaping up to be one busy season.  My output over the next few months might be a bit sporadic, but rest assured, I’m still alive and blogging.  Here’s a sampling of what I have in store:

Silent September, my month-long tribute to silent movies, is just around the corner.  As a result, or byproduct, it only seems natural that I’d take part in the GishSisters Blogathon, sponsored by the inimitable Fritzi of Movies Silently.   

On the heels of Silent September, will be October’s annual Horror Month (not to mention Cinematic Catharsis’ third anniversary!).  As usual, I plan on covering an assortment of familiar classics, personal favorites and new reviews from one of my favorite genres.  I’ll also premier a new feature, “Double Take,” with a comparison of Psycho and Psycho II for Backlots’ Hitchcock Halloween blogathon on October 31st.

On a personal note, I’m looking forward to teaching my first college course (gasp!).  Yep, the future of America is in my hands.  Hmmm… that’s a little scary when I put it that way.  

As always, your comments and feedback are welcome and appreciated.  See ‘ya next post…