Broken Blossoms

I recently rediscovered this lovely, poetic silent film starring Lilian Gish and directed by D.W. Griffith.  I first saw it as a teenager, back in the 1970s.  It tells the story of two outcasts, a Chinese man settled in London and a poor, abused English girl and what happens when their paths cross.  You may wonder why the part of the Chinese man is played by a White actor.  In 1919, when this film was made, there were misogyny laws (and strong social custom) that would not permit a romance (however chaste) between a White woman and an Asian man, so, as one commentator has said, we have to be totally aware at all times that the role of the Chinese man is really played by a White man.  Fortunately, this sad reality (and probably also the need for a bankable star in the male lead) does not diminish the beauty of the film.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06m6aqHwUiw