Analyzing Broken Blossoms Movie

In the silent film Broken Blossoms, the lighting, setting, and color change drastically. D.W. Griffith manipulates the mise-en-scene, altering the lighting, setting, and color change drastically not only connecting scenes but also to creating clear separations. The film breaks Cheng Huan’s first encounter with Lucy Burrows into three different colored segments: yellow, blue, and purple. These tints paired with other elements of mise-en-scene convey a seemingly dichotomous message regarding the nature of kindness and of their relationship.

Mise-en-scene includes everything that appears in front of the camera. The director generally controls these elements. The mise-en-scene affects if the audience perceives the degree of realism or fantasy in the film. Broken Blossoms clearly aims for realism, however, the actors needed a more expressive style in order to portray their characters without sound.

The initial interaction between Lucy and Cheng Huan at the store creates an interesting dynamic of uneven attraction. Objects and figures within the frame emphasizes this fact, such as an unconscious Lucy in the center. The organization of objects, and set-pieces in the shot is referred to as the setting. As an integral component in mise-en-scene, setting helps locate the actors and even control how the story is. The one-sided adoration prevalent in this scene exemplifies the possible alternative motivations behind Cheng’s kindness. In these shots, Lucy’s face always points towards the camera so that the audience can see both characters clearly, and while Lucy sleeps, Cheng stares at her with considerable intensity. By acknowledging his lust, many of his actions can be interpreted in a completely different way. At (46:22) Cheng ...

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...kindness towards Lucy. Prior to this scene the narrator, recalling this shot, questions if Cheng even remembers his initial purpose for coming to London. The color change acts as a visual realization of Cheng’s newly reinvigorated spirituality and Buddhist belief.

The sudden change in luminance, occurring as Cheng lights the lantern, also conveys the effect that light has on a scene. A key part of mise-en-scene, directors utilize lighting to emphasize certain emotion or aspect of the scene (127 Bordwell and Thompson). In the case of the third segment, the use of low-key lighting emphasizes the contrast between lighter and darker areas, drawing even more attention to Lucy. Paired with the change in filter color, the lantern also represents Cheng’s newfound spiritual inspiration. Covering the room in colored light as it illuminates, the lantern mimics Cheng Huan.