In this film, Griffith abandoned his previous style of pursuing large-scale production and large scenes, washed all the lead and presents a plain appearance, and created a pure and beautiful taste with a simple and sad story. The rise of the Republic of Germany, Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland "indoor drama" played an important role. The Chinese who traveled to the West became the protagonist of the story, and talked about the alien love with Lilian Gish, a popular Hollywood girl. However, the morbid image of Chinese young people squinting and crouching is also a kind of prejudice against China by foreigners.
Although there is no big scene, the film still demonstrates Griffith's extremely high artistic attainments. The composition of the picture is rigorous. The withered slums, misty streets and dilapidated shops are photographed with soft light, rendering a strong atmosphere and making the environment become Part of the story. And Lilian Gish's delicate expression of the fear and sorrow of the devastated girl is also unforgettable.
The film is like a vivid presentation of Dickens' novels. Many scenes of atrocities are expressed in the realistic style of Le Naturalisme , which makes people feel chilling. The flexible use of large features makes Lilian. Gish was able to present Lucy's most detailed expressions on the screen in a profound and powerful way, touching people's hearts from childlike joy to helpless panic. Recognized as her best performance since filming. Griffiths dealt with the whole film in a gloomy and painful atmosphere, betting on the people in the play with deep feelings. In terms of technique, there was a direct flashback (FLASHBACK) shot to confess the past shortly after the opening of the film, which was quite a bold innovation back then. At the same time, when the film is being shown, it is also very novel to project some colorful light in some special segments to enhance the emotional effect.
