Crazy about Chaplin
If you aren't familiar with Charlie Chaplin and the silent movie era, then be sure to go and see City Lights (1931), a movie that combines humorous slapstick comedy with romance. Chaplin plays the Little Tramp, a regular character in his movies and the hallmark of his career.
Although it was made three years after movies had begun using sound, City Lights was deliberately kept silent. Instead, Chaplin chose to poke fun at the new 'talkies'. In the opening sequence we see a politician speaking, but all we hear are unrecognisable squeaks.
Although Chaplin would eventually give in to sound, the Tramp would never utter an interpretable word. Chaplin's physical grace allowed him to communicate better through action.
For instance, by the end of City Lights, the Tramp - who is in love with a blind flower girl - has accumulated enough money to pay for her eye surgery as well as her rent. The tramp gives the blind girl only a portion of the money, pocketing some. But after she kisses his hand, he shrugs and promptly gives her the rest. Without any words, he conveys his devotion.
The key to this film is its subtlety. The attention to detail and the depth of the characters make City Lights a work of genius.
VERDICT: WE LOVE IT!
