Charlie Chaplin (director)
Curzon (studio)
U (certificate)
87 minutes (length)
21 August 2015 (released)
16 August 2015
Bumbling brilliance from the master of comedy as the tramp sets out to help a blind girl see, a rich man be kind and a poor man enriched. The city is the setting for the Tramp to sleep on statues, fall in love under flowers. She is soon to lose here home and so he sets out to make some money to payher back rent. He tries to clean up after horses to make ends meet, when this goes south he joins a boxing circuit. Once he is out for the count, he knows its back to his rich friend but he still has time to have fun with criminal types.
Chaplin always is good at a laugh but he also crafts tender and soulful emotions. Driven often from lifes own events, these true reflections connect with us. Almost all joy is tinged with sadness and Chaplin got this. His films even now can be seen to reflect on a world that is both cruel and caring. Harsh and heavenly. This shows his ability to connect to universal themes. Themes that anyone can experience.Money, love and loss are all critical pieces of our lives and Chaplin knew how to open the door to these. Take the boxing match, which is as funny as he has made. This is still tinged with sadness as he fails. The hero is a loser but we love him for it. Brilliant stuff.
City Lights tells a simple story, in an emotive and gentle way. It looks stunning and sounds just as good. My gripe is, I have been spoiled by Chaplin. Where his former works are content light this feels heavy. This was his most commercially profitable film and I think that was because he puts so much laughs in that he flags. The story is to thin and weak to hold itself up. This is draining on the viewer and can cause that little switch to turn off. In watching any Chaplin films, you will be hypnotised but here the length might make you snooze. Now on the other hean I could just shut up and let you enjoy it....