New-York tribune., 1919-05-25
By Virginia Tracy

has risen during the ages to quite
sop,e s, several lips, we admit, but never
sem, a fuller heart Lately we have
hsaI,. hearing of apprehensive Senators
skfuc themselves: "In saving the world
have we lost our republic?" For some
louo while now ardent volunteers in
the motion picture ranks have been
ouaking: 'ln achieving Broadway
theatres and orchestras de luxe and
sterilzed air and settings a la Ballin
and lingerie up to date, in gaining the
world have we lost our Griffith 2" And
Il so, mightn't we indeed weep, weep,
and tear our hair" over the monstrous
barrain? Earnest picturies have run
toehis every new offering, their hands
clutching their palpitating hearts
those of us earnest picturites, anyway,
who have excitable dispositions!- long
ing for the opportunity not to criti-
elze, appraise or withhold, but once
more simply to salute the captain of
the host. That opportunity has come
We, quite as we'll as Candida's poet,
know the hour when it strikes. We
had not followed Griffith's new ad-
venture three minutes before we knew
that what we were adventuring into
WAS new epoch in pictures. For the
day after Broken Blossoms" was ex-
hibited the screen was at least five
years ahead of where it had been the
day before.
This was so from the technical
standpoint of course, since it was true
at all, but also from the standpoint
of dramatic intention The technical
innovations are but a means to this
end; the end of putting over picture
without regard to any stereotyped reg
ulations in subject or construction;
above all, in length. The programme
picture-detestable phrase must be
just five reels. If the subject is too
long, cut off its head; if too short,
pad it with footage! No other single
condition so accounts for the poverty
and monotony of our scenarios. To be
sure, special features" of ten reels
or so may be specially produced if
bolstered by immense battles or prop
Rganda or by being historical or taken
firm the Bible or because they give
exhibitions of swimming. But no spe-
eial feature has dared to produce a
mere intimate story about human be-
ings which continues so long as it has
something to say and ceases when it
has said it. This has long been the
prayer OF our heart, and in "Broken
Blossoms s'-adapted from "The Chink
and the Child" in Burke's "Limehouse
Nights"-this Is exactly what Griffith
has done.
With cast of six characters, only
three of whom are more than sketches.
and without as much as q rope or a
ball dress to sustain it, it runs, per-
haps, seven and half reels, so that
it's neither programme feature nor
special feature; nor can whole fam
lies say they attend In order to show
Georgia how Lincoln was assassinated.
or how Salome danced. The pictures
beauty is in and of itself. 1t is a
tragedy pure and simple-exuuisitel
simple and exquisitely pure. Its maker
Has taken his own time to saturate his
MIND with the story, and then to satu-
rate the story with his own vision of il.
conceived and projected in q mood
Jealously honorable, it has made no
concessions whatever. 1t has the Sc
rene accomplishment OF an artist who
has exacted from himself nothing but
perfection.
The first novelty made US start wild.
y. The huge expanse Of screen. which
uslm'n does not break by any device
OF picture frame or slate, dawned upon
Us IN deep rose. theoretically, W.
'oa'ne definite colors in pictures, and,
iHoeeo' the eye Guails before the
enrorno blows and bashes that may now
sssail 1t in injudfcious hands; but
}hese was no resisting this field Of
rosy palpitating light, which seemed
40 oe drawing us through it into the
pa"n' And so, indeed, 1t was; 1t faded
pS IN = TO China, China OF pale bronze,
ssgainse background of dim, dense
p'ue' irradiated whenever the sun
ss'ock IT, with washes Of hot cold
fnese shades OF rose and bluo and
orange and bronze are the only colors
s7eu, oue there Is more of the Orient
an them than in hundred solidlv
puiis Chinese streets, swarminc with
siid animals and foreigners, to show
~" mucn they cost. The shadines
never wabble and hop nor show an
Y0''ne Of strange prismatic zigzaps.
occasionally splitting red and green IN
spur 7ace, as the professedly coloreJ
p'p'ures do, and the scenes change
e." melting smoothness, in which
haShes" have at last wholly disan-
pesred; the dim blue. or later, the rich
s'o"n' simply dcepcns up like mist
,o'n 'ne FAR borders Of the screen
D'''''hg out what we are not now
s.'S@'' , 70 see, or enhancing by it's
y'"'sing cioudbanks the closeup, which
S3 esoien upon us unawares.
Guy "hen the Chinese priest has
f''"cS the sacred bell and his nephew
young poet and philosopker who
p9st seek his fortune in the new
sM''''' but hopes also to carry to ita
s.ung barbarians the ancient mcxaayc
seaceiul contemplation has made