I am appalled
that it has taken me until the year 2004 to see
the artistic beauty of Charles Chaplin's "City
Lights."
"City Lights" was filmed in 1931, four years
after the beginning of "talkie" films. Chaplin,
however, maintained his commitment to silent
films and with "City Lights" creates a
delightfully honest, silly, romantic and magical
film experience in a way that is so seldom
captured on film today even with the myriad of
technological advances available in this modern
time.
"City Lights" is the story of The Tramp, played
by Chaplin, who struggles to help a blind flower
girl he falls in love with, played by Virginia
Cherrill.
In an age where films seem to be ruled by
distraction and chaos, "City Lights" is a
remarkable breath of fresh air. Without a single
uttered word, Chaplin (who also wrote and
directed this film) creates a film of such
warmth and compassion that I found myself in
complete awe of the vision I was watching. I was
captivated by Chaplin as he saved the
millionaire, fell in love and struggled to
remain hopeful and fully alive.
Cherrill, who Chaplin reportedly fired near the
end of the shooting of this film when she
arrived late one day (only to re-hire her when
he realized re-shooting with a different actress
would bankrupt the film), is simply mesmerizing
here and maintains an innocent yet uniquely
romantic chemistry with Chaplin that radiates
across the screen. Watching the two of these
performers unfold throughout the film is simply
a hypnotic and joyous occasion.
"City Lights" is filled with laughter and light,
hope and desperation. It is a film with one of
the most singularly powerful, emotional and
timeless endings of any film in any era,
regardless of the technology available.
Charles Chaplin didn't, to my knowledge, make a
bad film during his career. Chaplin was a gifted
actor, director and writer who manifested
cinematic magic onscreen. Without a word, he
captivated the movie screen unlike the vast
majority of actors today. "City Lights", a
member of the National Film Registry since 1991,
is Chaplin at his most human...his most
hopeful...his most enchanting. "City Lights" is,
without a doubt, one of the brightest films in
cinematic history.
© Written by
Richard Propes
TC Candler's Comment
A
magnificently touching film from the master of
physical comedy. Chaplin plays a kindly tramp
who falls in love with a blind flower girl. This
is a lovely story with moments of utter
silliness blended seamlessly with a heartfelt
romance. This gem from the silent era is one of
the very best films of all time. It has the
ability to evoke tears in two ways... through
humor and through happiness.
Jacob
Hall's Comment
N/A
