GRADE: 9.5
Charles drifts through politics, religion and psychoanalysis, rejecting them all. Once he realises the depth of his disgust with the moral and physical decline of the society he lives in, he decides that suicide is the only option.
Director: Charles Chaplin
Country: USA
THOUGHTS:
At first it felt like a live action cartoon to me. And then I realized that was because it’s set pieces and gags have been absolutely pillaged over the years by cartoons, as well as tv shows and other movies. But Chaplin’s precision and charm are what make his jokes so timeless. You don’t have to actually laugh at them to appreciate the mastery Chaplin put into them, and his joyful charm still gets under your skin just fine. By the time the classic bittersweet Chaplin romance story kicked in, I was genuinely involved in the story emotionally, which illustrates another of Chaplin’s gifts: nearly 100 years after he made the film, the pathos still shines bright.
Thing I never knew: the infamous dinner roll dance only occurs in a dream!