Charlie Chaplin (director)
Curzon (studio)
PG (certificate)
95 minutes (length)
10 August 2015 (released)
07 August 2015
Setting off into the vast unknown of America, The tramp is looking for his fortune. Sadly it seems so is a mad villain, a bear and a crazy man who prospected for gold but lost it! They all meet in a log cabin in the snow, with bears and bandits all around. Then they run out of food and have to choose someone to set out for supplies and fuel. Pratt fall after pratt fall, tilting houses on the side of mountains and a town with dancing girls. The life of the Tramp goes from strength to strength.
The funny thing about this new release is that almost all of the commentators are complaining about the films narrative. Yes this is the 1942 version that has been often treated with hostility. I agree that it is annoying. The repeated use of the term ‘The little fellow’ is a snag and in a comment made by another reviewer it is like a ‘paper cut on the finger’. Apart from this, the film is as funny and versatile as it ever was. I have seen the original version and the run time is slightly longer and this did add a bit of drag. Chaplin edited this out and I feel the film flows far smoother and as such better than before. So what you get with one hand is taken with another….so to speak. It is missing some of the pathos of The Kid and the set pieces are occasionally over played. The Tramp is an icon and this film in my own opinion is a lower mark on his films.Directing is an art form and Chaplin excelled at his tecnhique. Holding shots for a beat and keeping time as a guide to thoughts. I mean this in the sense that he thinks, we think and we understand. It melds the audience to the events on screen and building a working relationship like this is paramount to why we love something.
I would like to take this opportunity to implore you to watch these releases from Curzon. They have taken the time to open up Chaplins most famous and also interesting films. They have treated them with great extras and great care. Worth as much a watch as many classic films, this will remain in circulation long after I am dead and gone. I hope so at least….
