CHAPLIN: The Thread

[bankholdup]

This is a thread for Chaplin, and his fans on the board.

One of my 5 favorite directors and actors of all-time. He's one of the funnest people to ever appear on screen, and never ceases to put a smile on one's face. Off-camera, his personal life was a shipwreck; on-screen, he was flawless. Rate his films, discuss, ask questions, etc.

http://www.svestdijk.nl/poezie/chaplin.jpg

Feature Lengths
Modern Times (1936) – 10/10
City Lights (1931) – 10/10
The Great Dictator (1940) – 9/10
The Gold Rush (1925) – 9/10
The Kid (1921) – 9/10
Limelight (1952) – 8/10
The Circus (1928) – 8/10
Monsieur Verdoux (1947) – 6.5/10

Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin - 8.5/10


Essanay
In The Park (1915)
Police (1916)
The Champion (1915)
The Tramp (1915)
The Bank (1915)
Shanghaied (1915)
His New Job (1915)
A Night Out (1915)
A Night In The Show (1915)
Burlesque On Carmen (1915)
By The Sea (1915)
A Woman (1915)
Work (1915)


Mutuals
The Immigrant (1917)
The Adventurer (1917)
Easy Street (1916)
The Count (1916)
The Fireman (1916)
Behind the Screen (1916)
One A.M. (1916)
The Cure (1917)
The Rink (1916)
The Vagabond (1916)
The Pawn Shop (1916)
The Floorwalker (1916)


I definitely prefered his Mutuals to his Essanays.



Even the short films that weren't that "great", still contained a special magic that you don't see that often anymore. Chaplin could take you to another world as soon as the title card appeared.

[randythetool]

1. City Lights, ****
2. Modern Times, ****
3. The Great Dictator, ****
4. The Kid, ***1/2
5. The Circus, ***1/2
6. The Gold Rush, ***

Oh, and I caught "Charlie" last night - quite excellent...

Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin, ****

[Trinity]

I'll only rank the feature lenghts. I've only seen a few of the shorts and didn't really like them (which is why I didn't go on to watch the rest).

1. Modern Times (10, in my top 20)
2. City Lights (10/10, in my top 30)
3. Limelight (9/10, in my top 100)
4. The Kid (9/10)
5. The Circus (8/10)
6. The Great Dictator (8/10)
7. The Gold Rush (8/10)
8. A Woman of Paris (7/10)
9. Monsieur Verdoux (6/10)

Oh well since you said 'discuss' - I haven't found any of Chaplin's films particularly funny. They just don't work as comedies for me. What I love about them are the simple, human stories that are just incredibly beautiful and touching. Modern Times is my favorite for this reason, not for the laughs.

I have a question too - I've been kind of reluctant to rent his later films (everyhing after A Great Dictator). Can someone tell me how they compare to his earlier work, and are they worth seeing on their own (and not simply for being completist)?

[Hannibal21]

One of cinematic's geniuses, I simply ADORE Chaplin. :)

http://imdb.com/mptv1.gif

1. City Lights - 10/10
2. Modern Times - 10/10
3. The Gold Rush - 9.5/10
4. The Great Dictator - 9/10
5. The Circus - 9/10
6. The Kid - 9/10

I don't really see Chaplin's films as 'comedies' either. Sure, they do have very humorous moments but they're mostly stories about society, human interactions, struggles, adventures, etc. What's even better is that with Chaplin's genius to make them entertaining and at the same time, warm and beautiful, the simple delicate stories give us audiences lots of memories.....memories that stay with you. Through a little Tramp's eyes, we see the bittersweet side of humanity, as well as how beautiful (and dark) the world could be. The Little Tramp, more than just a comedic character.

The Gold Rush is one of the few Chaplin films that I consider to be a the funniest. Simple, but fun filled Adventure/Drama with some of the most memorable comedic scenes (I especially liked the part where Chaplin was facing off with the bully :cool: ) and easy to fathom. It's one of those movies that is just perfect for any occasion, especially when you're in a bad mood and are in desperate need of some cheering up; or when you're sick, and just want something to warm your heart with delight. It never fails to put a smile on audiences' faces around the world, and it's winter like atmosphere works even more when you watch it on Christmas. Absolutely worthy on simply every level of a silent classic.

But his best film IMO is City Lights.......I'll simply say that it's one of the most heartwarming, endearing, moving films of all time. It's further proof that movies do not necessarily need words to communicate to the audience in telling the story. The sentimentality is one of the film's most recognizable strengths. Tis 20% comedy but 80% passion, and explains more about true, unselfish love than many other romance films. It starts off as a cute, sweet comedic like Silent film but later evolves into a powerful story of the deep relationship between The Little Tramp and a blind flower girl. The tenderness, sadness and happiness that exists between the two is something so beautiful that words cannot describe. I remember watching it at a very young age and crying like a baby by the time the film ended. It's the sentimental value that affected me very much.

[bankholdup]

Originally posted by Trinity
I have a question too - I've been kind of reluctant to rent his later films (everyhing after A Great Dictator). Can someone tell me how they compare to his earlier work, and are they worth seeing on their own (and not simply for being completist)?


Limelight, which is the only post-Dictator film of his I've seen so far, is great (8/10). I didn't think I would like it much, since he's not exactly The Tramp in it, but it's still a great comedy (sad ending though) with a strong heart.

[bankholdup]

Anybody catch the Chaplin documentary (part 1 of 3) tonight on TCM? If not, it was great, and it covered his Mutuals days. Next tuesday (17th) and the one after (24th) will air parts 2 and 3, respectively. Check it out.

[MickeyKnox]

Modern Times-10/10
City Lights-10/10
The Great Dictator-9.5/10
*Chaplin is as awesome as they get a caught some of the Turner Classic Movies marathon featuring Chaplin, and to this day i am astounished by his acting abilities, and the way he composes himself when it comes to light hearted affair or comedy, The Great Dictator has to be one of my favorite movie satires every made and he fit very well for the part, but Chaplin was an actor that was in a league with the also brilliant Buster Keaton, with a kudos for doing a good bit of his own stunts on film. All in all Charlie Chaplin, is a movie legend plain and simple, and I wish there could be more actors like him but an actor like Chaplin is a rare thing nowadays.

[Narst]

I've always been more of a fan of Keaton than Chaplin but then again I haven't seen many of Chaplin's feature length films so I can't judge too comprehensively. Out of some of his short films I've seen, The Immigrant, The Rink and A Woman were all hillarious. The Bank was a bit uneventful though.

[osklen]

Can i say that i hate Chaplin and find all of his movies boring as hell and bad as The Postman without being criticized ?


C ya :)

[bankholdup]

Originally posted by osklen
Can i say that i hate Chaplin and find all of his movies boring as hell and bad as The Postman without being criticized ?


C ya :)


Oh how I wish I had the power to ban people...;)

[bankholdup]

I just set my background to another Chaplin one, so I decided to bump this thread back up.

[bankholdup]

http://www.brooksartprints.com/chaplin.jpg

In honor of TCM's Summer Under The Stars, I shall bump ye olde thread up. Anybody been watching?

[randy ze tool]

"Monsieur Verdoux" is a sublime piece.

Check it out.

[Trinity]

So... I just finished Chaplin's autobiography. It's a fantastic read and I'd reccomend it to all his fans. He describes his childhood and his early years in Hollywood in great detail and only leaves maybe one fifth of the book for the post-1940 period. You can really get a lot of insight into the man and his work, but it's so well written that at times it almost reads like a novel (especially in the beginning before he starts throwing a lot of famous names around). Has anyone here read it?

[A.J. Hakari]

I've only seen three Chaplin films: THE KID, CITY LIGHTS, and MODERN TIMES, all of which I give 10/10.

But thanks to the all-day Chaplin fest, I've come away with plenty of viewing material that I taped:

A WOMAN OF PARIS
MONSIEUR VERDOUX
LIMELIGHT
A KING IN NEW YORK
THE GOLD RUSH
THE CIRCUS

And I just set a tape for THE GREAT DICTATOR and TILLIE'S PUNCTURED ROMANCE. Gotta love TCM. :D:cool:

[bankholdup]

Haven't read that, Trinity. I'll probably get ahold of it after I finish with the Wilder book I'm on. I heard he doesn't go into anything dealing with The Circus though. Is that true?


Also, I just finished up City Lights for the second time. I've upped my former 8.5/10 to a 10/10, and it's at #25 on my all-time list.

[Trinity]

I don't remember him saying anything about The Circus. He doesn't go into Modern Times as much as I would've liked either (one short chapter).

What's the book you're reading on Wilder? I've been wanting to read something on him, but the only thing I found at the book store didn't look too promising (a "more pictures that text" kinda deal).

[bankholdup]

I'm reading "Conversations With Wilder" by Cameron Crowe. It's a series of interviews (not unlike Hitchcock by Truffaut). It has tons of pictures, but they're great to look at, and the information put into that book is enough to fill a...well, a book.

[thedudeman69]

just watched City Lights on TCM, that is a beautifully made film. I have a question?Did he direct this? I get the idea that he did.

[bankholdup]

Of course he directed it.

[thedudeman69]

Originally posted by bankholdup
Of course he directed it.

then he is a brillant director

[AngelEyes]

made some digging...to say that Chaplin is one of my 5 favorite directors..and one of my favorite actors as well..a genius..with timing out of this world..among other things

[Castro]

As great as Chaplin was, he wasn't above other silent film clowns like Buster Keaton or even Harold Lloyd. Yet he now seems to be the most famous one of the three. So in a way, I think he's overrated (or the other two underrated, depends on how you look at it I guess).

[zeppelin]

Originally posted by Castro
As great as Chaplin was, he wasn't above other silent film clowns like Buster Keaton or even Harold Lloyd. Yet he now seems to be the most famous one of the three. So in a way, I think he's overrated (or the other two underrated, depends on how you look at it I guess).

I haven't seen any Harold Lloyd movies, but I myself do prefer Chaplin to Keaton. Buster Keaton might actually be better at pure comedy, I'll give you that, but to me, he doesn't have near the emotional resonance that Chaplin has. Chaplin is funny, but he's also one of the great humanists in movie history. That's why I think he's more beloved nowadays. Even people who don't like slapstick or silent comedy can easily enjoy his movies.

[AngelEyes]

Originally posted by zeppelin
I haven't seen any Harold Lloyd movies, but I myself do prefer Chaplin to Keaton. Buster Keaton might actually be better at pure comedy, I'll give you that, but to me, he doesn't have near the emotional resonance that Chaplin has. Chaplin is funny, but he's also one of the great humanists in movie history. That's why I think he's more beloved nowadays. Even people who don't like slapstick or silent comedy can easily enjoy his movies.

exactly my thought..the emotional aspect..that's why I prefer Chaplin..but Keaton was a genius as well..

[RandalGraves]

Modern Times was my fav Chaplin flick by far, but City Lights and pretty much anything else this guy touched was brilliant. Has anyone seen the flick "Chaplin" with Downey? I was thinking of picking this up, is it worth it?

[jin4154]

yes!!!

I love Chaplin.

My two most favorite movies are 1. City Lights 2. Modern Times

Actually I have a film class this semester and I am going to write about

Modern Times. I would be exciting

[bigred760]

I saw Limelight a few months ago and thought it was awesome. Chaplin and Buster Keaton in the same movie. I also like Chaplin's classics, of course, including The Great Dictator. I remember seeing Gold Rush many, many, many, many years ago as a kid. I remember thinking it was hilarious. I should probably rewatch it now since I don't remember much of it now.

[zeppelin]

Originally posted by bigred760
I saw Limelight a few months ago and thought it was awesome. Chaplin and Buster Keaton in the same movie. I also like Chaplin's classics, of course, including The Great Dictator. I remember seeing Gold Rush many, many, many, many years ago as a kid. I remember thinking it was hilarious. I should probably rewatch it now since I don't remember much of it now.

I still haven't seen Limelight, actually. I'm glad to see that a few people in this thread have good things to say about it. I have a question for you, but try not to spoil anything for me in your answer: do Chaplin and Keaton only have one scene together? That's what I've been led to believe, and the idea sounds sort of interesting. Kind of like the Robert De Niro/Al Pacino in Heat scene, for their day.

Either way, I now want to see the movie more than I already did. The other two full-length Chaplin movies I still haven't seen are The Circus and King of New York. Any opinions on those?

[AngelEyes]

Originally posted by zeppelin
I still haven't seen Limelight, actually. I'm glad to see that a few people in this thread have good things to say about it. I have a question for you, but try not to spoil anything for me in your answer: do Chaplin and Keaton only have one scene together? That's what I've been led to believe, and the idea sounds sort of interesting. Kind of like the Robert De Niro/Al Pacino in Heat scene, for their day.

Either way, I now want to see the movie more than I already did. The other two full-length Chaplin movies I still haven't seen are The Circus and King of New York. Any opinions on those?

one scene in Limelight yes..more or less :)

The Circus is brilliant..A king in New York is decent/good..nothing more..