City Lights

It must have been a daunting task for Charlie Chaplin to make City Lights in a time when silent pictures were already a thing of the past. (Richard Attenbourough's biopic on Chaplin decades later shines a light on this conundrum.) No one thought that such an endeavor would work. But Chaplin knew it would.

Admittedly City Lights has a premise that could easily cheapened (Chaplin's tramp falls for a blind flower girl) but he makes sure that doesn't happen. (A hard task for anyone, let's be honest.) And in under ninety minutes, Chaplin creates a story for the ages.

Between him and Buster Keaton, Chaplin is the winner when it comes to story. (Keaton, however, is more victorious when it comes to stunts.) As Chaplin would later do with the likes of Modern Times and Limelight, he depicts a sense of nostalgia for bygone era, yearning for a time no longer there.

Chaplin also shows with City Lights is how he utilizes sound in an otherwise silent film. Using a self-composed score and some well-placed sounds effects, he displays a knowing sense of the evolving medium but would prefer to adhere to old methods. Only Chaplin could do such a thing.

City Lights could've reached sappy levels that could rival your average 1950s melodrama but Chaplin ensures that doesn't happen. As proven by the final scene, he displays so much poignancy and heartbreak with a gentle flicker in the eyes. After all, one picture is worth a thousand words.

My Rating: *****

Monsieur Verdoux

When we're first introduced to the titular character of Charlie Chaplin's Monsieur Verdoux, it's clear that he's a far cry from Chaplin's famous Tramp character. Yes, he does do a number of pratfalls and double takes normally found in Chaplin's silent films but it's certainly a new role for the comedian. Obviously so since Henri Verdoux is based on a real-life serial killer.

As if that couldn't tarnish Chaplin's previous image enough, Monsieur Verdoux was released when his career was beginning to dwindle. The was after his paternity suit, which put a sizable dent on his public image. Then to immediately follow it up with a film like Monsieur Verdoux? It's a miracle his career didn't end right then and there.

Much like The Great Dictator several years earlier, Monsieur Verdoux came under scrutiny because Chaplin expressed some of his political views in the film. After all, both films were released during a time in history where certain beliefs could ruin one's personal life. Chaplin was no exception. (The same year Monsieur Verdoux was released, Chaplin was subpoenaed to appear before the House of Un-American Activities Committee. And just five years later, he was denied re-entry into the United States.)

Another noticeable difference between the Tramp and Henri Verdoux is how they view and treat women. The Tramp practically worships any woman he comes across; Verdoux meanwhile has an almost misogynistic nature to him. No wonder Monsieur Verdoux wasn't so well-received upon its release.

That said, however, all of this information doesn't reduce Monsieur Verdoux to an unwatchable dreck. It's a nice departure from Chaplin's more optimistic films. It would be some time before his best film Limelight would be released but one has to wonder: what would his career during that time be like had Hollywood not kicked him out?

My Rating: ****1/2

Limelight

One of the first images in Charlie Chaplin's Limelight is of a young woman sprawled on her bed, a small bottle clutched in her hand. Who is this woman and why did she try to kill herself?

We find out she's Thereza (Claire Bloom), a ballerina struggling to find work after a bout of illness. The man who saved her is in a similar situation. He's Calvero (Chaplin), a once-great music hall performer now in his twilight years. She recovers and manages to find work, but his career continues to dwindle.

Limelight is certainly Chaplin's most somber film. After all, this was made not long after his popularity started to fade. (In fact, on his way to the London premiere, he was denied access back into the United States.) And parallels between Chaplin and Calvero are intentional.

Chaplin doesn't sugarcoat any aspect of Calvero's downfall. When we're first introduced to Calvero, he's drunk. Not comedic drunk; it's more of a pathetic drunk. And any promise of a career kick start getting shot down is truly devastating. Sad clown, indeed.

Limelight quite quickly became my favorite Chaplin film. Granted, I did enjoy the bittersweet comedy of Modern Times and The Gold Rush, but what Chaplin did for Limelight is something that must be seen. Just the poignancy and sadness about the film...it's lovely.

My Rating: *****

The Gold Rush

I had seen two Charlie Chaplin films prior to The Gold Rush. Both were essentially social commentaries (Modern Times, The Great Dictator), but The Gold Rush provides pure entertainment.

What's best about The Gold Rush is that the simplest of gags can still be funny even after almost ninety years. Not many films can boast a feat like that.

Such gags include Chaplin eating his shoe, the cabin on the edge of the mountain an d my personal favorite, the dinner roll dance. Just watching those gags makes it clear as to why they're so iconic.

What The Gold Rush also captures is heart. Bear in mind this was made several years before City Lights, a film I am in dire need of revisiting. Still, Chaplin was and always will be one of the few names that could have comedy and tragedy in one film, and make it work.

The Gold Rush is one of those films that will always stand the test of time, as with many of Chaplin's other films. If you haven't seen it, you are most definitely in for a treat.

My Rating: *****

The Great Dictator

Satire is always tricky to tackle. It can either work or flop. Most times it doesn't work. It's only those rare examples that stand out.

In this case, it's Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator. It's clear early on that it's a jab towards Hitler and Nazism, and yet it's still amusing. No surprise that it got banned in Germany and other Nazi-occupied countries.

This was also Chaplin's first sound film. And boy, does he use it well. Whether it be Hynkel's gibberish German or the barber's impassioned speech, Chaplin knew how to capture the essence from a good scene.

The Great Dictator, although not my favorite Chaplin, provided enough amusement for me. Chaplin wanted to make a statement with this film and he succeeded in doing so. A film that has stood the test of time.

My Rating: *****

Modern Times

Being the classic film freak that I am, you'd think I've seen a number of silent films. In reality, that's the one area I'm lacking in. Well, I saw City Lights several years ago, but I barely remember it.

That doesn't mean I'm not trying to watch them. After all, I continually hear how excellent they are. But considering there are so many out there, it's hard to choose which one to watch first.

So I chose to watch Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin's last silent film. I do love a good laugh every now and again. Most comedy I like is verbal (ie, Billy Wilder), but then I realized the best comedy is physical.

Afterwards, I realized that I should venture into Chaplin's films more. After all, when discussing comedy, Chaplin's one of the first names brought up. Modern Times captures the struggles of the Great Depression but adds humor to lighten the mood. In short, comic genius.

My Rating: *****