Rating: 4.5/5
Seedy streets, a woman in trouble, and a man from overseas with a message of peace in his heart, and a hostile world in which to spread it
Pretty bold to make a Buddhist missionary the protagonist, and to point out the contradictions in the Christian missionary’s supposed message of peace and the concept of hell
Lillian Gish is the actual star of this — it’s a treat to watch her discover and practice the subtleties of acting capable only on film and to put that nuance into play among the more stage-oriented actors
Richard Barthelmess seems to be following Gish’s lead in giving a quiet and subdued performance that could have easily been hammy and (more) offensive
And only 1.5 hours long?
A tragic love story, where love is first and foremost a refuge from the pain of the world