First Word » chaplin

Movie. The Great Dictator, 1940. (HIx: 1)

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 02:35:38 +0000

This movie intersperses funny and shocking. The former derives from Charlie Chaplin’s parody of the fascist leader “Phooey” (= Führer), which is quite funny even if not entirely fair; the latter is the sudden violence of storm troopers breaking things up in the ghetto. Even these scenes often have comic relief in the second Chaplin figure, the amnesic Jewish barber.

There is one self-deprecating scene that shows at least an attempt at even-handedness. A bunch of Jews are sitting around the table, about to eat, with the knowledge that the one with a coin baked into his biscuit is chosen for a suicide mission against the state. As each one discovers the token of death in his biscuit, he tries to sneak it in to one of the other Jews’ biscuits; it is excellent slapstick.

A curious line is put into the mouths of the fascists: “We’ve just discovered the most marvelous poison gas. It will kill everybody.” Recall that this movie was released in 1940, at least two years before the date usually given for the onset of the death camps.

Paulette Goddard is cute in her role as feisty ghetto Jewess.

Movie. Modern Times, 1936. (HIx: 2)

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:33:07 +0000

Though done in 1936, almost a decade after talkies had come into their own, this is essentially done as a silent, thus falsifying my claim about City Lights. However, there are voices here and there where syncing is not necessary, and lots of synchronized sound effects; the music is also well integrated with the choreography, which with the graceful, almost artsy movements of the cast (even several of the secondary ones) gives the film a ballet-like quality at times. According to IMdB, the original music was composed by Charlie Chaplin himself.

The opening is in a factory reminiscent of Metropolis, complete with video-screen-omnipresent capitalist and machines that seem to want to consume the frantically working men. Salesmen even bring over a new machine that will feed the men at their lunch break with septic efficiency; the machine goes berserk to great comedic effect.

The whole situation brings nebbish Charlie Chaplin to a nervous breakdown, causing him to lose this job as the first in a long string; nothing ever seems to go right, landing him quite often in jail, which at least provides a decent place to live. In parallel is the story of orphan Paulette Goddard, who with street cunning gets by as a classic gamine. They meet up, and love causes both lives to transcend the dire circumstances that continue to haunt them both.

The subtext seems to be the little guy caught in the impersonalism of a society dominated by machines and cops. It is thus edgy and occasionally quite tense. There is even a gag involving cocaine. One has the feeling that he is critizing American society of that era — there is even a subtle dig at commie-baiting — but the humor keeps the critique under control. Though at one level nothing goes right, he muddles through somehow, gets the girl, and as poor but happy is ready to move into the next adventure.

Movie. City Lights, 1931. (HIx: 1)

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 23:07:23 +0000

Last silent by Charlie Chaplin. He is the Little Tramp who thinks he may have a chance with a pretty flower girl, because she is blind! Seeing her threatened with eviction, Chaplin is motivated to take on crazy jobs, as well as hope for money from an on-again off-again friendship with a rich man; all setting up for lots of slapstick.

There are the hints of debauchery that are usual for films of this era.

Movie. Gold Rush, 1925. (HIx: 2)

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 00:56:16 +0000

A Charlie Chaplin comedy. Originally silent, but was voiced-over in the 40′s and it works well. (I suppose silent-movie purists could turn off the sound if they are willing to give up the music as well).

Many scenes tricked loud guffaws from me. The tipping-house sequence is well-known. This is not a “meaning of life” kind of movie; it’s for when you need to be tickled for an hour and a half at the end of a hard week.

Must like physical comedy to enjoy Chaplin, of course.