Broken Blossoms: A ghost of a remake

Should you watch this?

If you have a thing for black-and-white melodrama that feels like it’s been left in an attic for eighty years, then sure. People who hate slow-burn misery or anyone looking for a brisk, modern pace will probably find this thing a total chore. It’s not exactly a Saturday night popcorn flick, you know?

There’s this heavy, suffocating atmosphere throughout the whole thing. It doesn’t have the grand, aggressive energy of some other classics, like Traffic in Hearts, which felt a bit more alive. Here, everything feels muted, like the film itself is afraid to make a sound.

The vibe check

Dolly Haas is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Her face tells the whole story without her needing to say a word, which is good because some of the dialogue feels like it was written to just take up space. You can tell she’s really trying to sell the sadness, and sometimes it works, but other times it feels a bit like she’s acting for the cheap seats at the back of a theater.

The father character is… well, he’s a lot. He’s the kind of villain who sneers in his sleep. I found myself checking my watch when he was on screen, just waiting for him to either do something or finally leave the frame. It’s not subtle. At all.

• The lighting in the room where the girl hides is surprisingly moody.
• The street scenes look like they were filmed in a shoebox.
• That one scene with the tea? It went on forever. Like, I made a sandwich and came back, and they were still talking about the tea.

There’s this weird disconnect. You’re watching these people suffer, but because the pacing is so uneven, it’s hard to stay locked in. It’s not as punchy as Grit Wins, which knew exactly when to cut a scene short and keep moving. This one lingers, stares, and then lingers some more.

I don’t know. It’s a strange movie. It feels like a cover song played by someone who remembers the original melody but forgot the lyrics. Not necessarily bad, but definitely not essential viewing for anyone who isn't already obsessed with the era. 🎞️