"Broken Blossoms"

Paper Summary:

This paper explores the symbolism used in this silent film, unlike other films of its time. A summary of the story is presented, followed by an examination of character, plot, setting and props. The analysis reveals the film to be a highly complex examination of many controversial issues that continue to affect today's society, namely racism, child abuse, drug misuse, and social injustice.

From the Paper:

"Richard Barthelmess plays the young Chinese Buddhist, whose downhill spiral is charted, from his initial dream of spreading spiritual enlightenment and harmony to the inhabitants of London, through the years of disenchantment and opium addiction, to his eventual suicide, resulting from a doomed relationship with an English girl. The introductory scenes of the movie present him as a highly educated man, and one who is universally recognized and respected by Chinese society. In contrast, his status as an immigrant is symbolized by his utter anonymity; a man who is denied even the basic acknowledgment of a name, and is known only as the "Yellow Man". "

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