City Lights (1931)

4.9/5

Charlie Chaplin's City Lights is a marvelous film, filled with cutesy charm and sharp wit. The story follows Chaplin's lovable tramp, who meets a blind flower girl (Cherrill) and falls in love with her. He also meets a drunken millionaire (Myers), who proceeds to forget their nights out together the next morning when he sobers up. That is, for the most part, the extent of the plot. Most of the movie feels very episodic in nature, with vaudevillian set pieces interspersed here and there with little connection or relevance to the story. And yet somehow it all flows together fluidly and expertly.

Yes, it is a silent film. But to me that seems an arbitrary distinction that sheds no light on how good the movie is. It's like describing The Godfather as a 2D movie, or Casablanca as a black and white movie. More importantly, it is a ceaselessly entertaining film that delights and surprises at every twist and turn, even today. Chaplin possesses an impossibly precise sense of comic timing. Every joke is just the right length, straining the scenario to the breaking point without every going past it and delivering on all its promises. It does not have the same social imperative as Modern Times or The Great Dictator, but it has a tenderly human element that just makes your heart melt.

And yet, for some reason, I remembered this movie being funnier. Maybe I am just coalescing all the good parts of all his movies into some imaginary perfect film, but I was expecting even more than what this movie provided. Still, this is an impeccably-made film by a true auteur and one I cannot recommend highly enough.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021749/

Modern Times (1936)

5/5

Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times is both an uproarious comedy and a searing indictment of technological advances. The humor, while not as strong or as flawless as in City Lights, is still light years ahead of 90% of what you see in any contemporary comedy. The message and thematics, on the other hand, are where the film really excels. They are not only better than 90% of what you see in any contemporary drama, but also better than what you see in any of his other work. It is altogether fluid, consistent, and powerful without being glossed over, annoying, or blunt. This may be the most entertaining and enjoyable movie I have seen that managed to be equally thought-provoking and intelligent.

The movie follows our lovable tramp and a vagrant girl as they get tossed around by the randomness and injustice of the world. Both fight against conformity and the overwhelming pressures of a herd mentality. Of course the movie uses the factory as a representation of our loss of individuality and humanity (expressed perhaps most vividly in the now famous scene where the tramp is physically propelled through the cogs of a machine) but it is easily updated to our own modern times. How many people do you see surfing the internet on their laptops in coffeeshops? How many people do you see walking the streets with bowed heads typing out emails on their BlackBerrys? We are often forced into such a technological behemoth to live and function, but the movie urges us to escape: to sacrifice our chance at success in order to live a more fulfilling life.

Technically, Chaplin is still a master. The music is reminiscent of greater works (Rhapsody in Blue, for example), but tweaked just enough to properly set the stage. His camera movements are natural and evocative, his compositions superb. The pacing and editing are immaculate; so much is said in so little. The acting is pitch-perfect. Chaplin effortlessly walks the line between expressive and over-the-top. He brings a love and tenderness to his character that makes us empathize with him to the point where we want to jump into the picture itself and hug him. And then he makes us explode with laughter. Here we see a genius and a true auteur at his creative peak, and we are in awe at what he is able to accomplish.

The movie is not without a few minor flaws. As I said previously, it is not his funniest work. Much of the plot seems to wander between scenes with little coherence or relation to each other, although that is perhaps its point. And while I like the message for the discussion it can bring up, I don't completely agree with its implications. Maybe I am in denial and just don't want to agree. Still, this is a must-see classic that I cannot imagine will be soon forgot. Unless, of course, it doesn't get re-transfered onto the latest generation higher-definition video discs.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027977/

Monsieur Verdoux (1947)

4.9/5

Charlie Chaplin's movie are always sublimely entertaining from start to finish, and Monsieur Verdoux is no different. It is, however, extremely different in style from his silent comedies. There's no real body humor to speak of, which is certainly Chaplin's strongest aspect. But who would've thought that the silent master was also so adept with words? The wit in this movie shines--it is on the same level as Kind Hearts and Coronets. The plots are also very similar, but being a Chaplin movie, Verdoux has an important message as well: the world is tumbling downhill, but a little kindness can make it all seem worth it. The two most important scenes arise from the same plot device, the first being one of the most tender, delicate scenes of emotion I've seen in any movie, the second being the most side-splittingly hilarious scene I've seen in a long time. The way Chaplin is able to pull this off with such ease in the same movie is a testament to his ability as a filmmaker.

It starts off a little wobbly; it just sort of sets the stage without really being very funny. The movie also feels a little bit jumpy, moving from one story to the next in a sometimes erratic fashion. M. Verdoux's real family is introduced somewhat suddenly and ignored almost equally abruptly. To be more nitpicky, it was a bit bizarre to see Chaplin with a French mustache instead of his signature stubby one, but I thought it worked well and was incredibly funny. It was also a little off-putting to see so little physical humor in a Chaplin movie, and not something you'd expect, but Chaplin is able to make the change with style and panache, and is equally able to ensure that you don't regret it.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0039631/