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Without exaggeration, Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) is considered one of the best directors of the XNUMXth century. He himself created a cinematic image of a wandering Chaplin, which became his hallmark. Chaplin contributed to the development of cinema, and did an excellent job with roles without words. Everyone admired his talent, which he demonstrated on mise-en-scenes. Charlie Chaplin is one of the few who took on several functions at once: he was both an actor and scriptwriter, director and producer of his scenes. All of his films are author’s works, while Charlie Chaplin produced films that were understandable to everyone, regardless of age, gender and nation.
Charlie Chaplin loved everything connected with the cinema, but the beginning of his career did not work out. However, the resourceful man was able to prove to everyone that he was worth something, and soon films with his participation began to make a profit. Let’s take a trip to the world of film works of the genius of cinema – Charlie Chaplin? These films are worth your time to watch.
1. Pay Day (1922)
Excellent author’s work from the series “Another day in the life of a loser.” In the comedyPayday”, directed by Charlie Chaplin, is a hilarious and witty picture of the gloomy life of the American worker: humiliated, deprived, but not complaining about anything.
Every day of the protagonist is groundhog day. He wakes up early in the morning, rides in a crowded tram to work, and after receiving his salary, he is left with nothing … After all, this gentleman has a wife, and she takes all his salary from him for her needs. The protagonist drowns his sadness from bleak everyday life in alcohol, which is waiting for him at home every evening with his grumpy wife…
Interesting fact: Charlie Chaplin told the story of a hard-working construction worker with a sharper sense of modernity. It seems that his hero has no reason to be happy at all, but this is not so. He knows how to enjoy pleasant little things: the smile of his daughter or a delicious sandwich.
9. Circus (1928)
Against the backdrop of absolute sincerity and genius “circus» any modern film, even a stunningly shot one, seems to be a temporary phenomenon. In “Circus” there is no cruelty, bloodshed and computer graphics, but there is something that catches – the theme of deep loneliness, hidden behind laughter.
In the center of the plot is a tramp who, while running away from the police, accidentally ends up in the circus arena, and with his fuss with the guardians of the law delights the audience. The director of the circus, noticing how the audience rejoices, concludes a contract with the tramp. You might think that The Circus is a comedy, but it’s more of a tragicomedy. There is a lot of life truth in the film, and, unfortunately, not the most joyful one.
8. Monsieur Verdu (1947)
Charlie Chaplin in his filmMonsieur Verdu“demonstrated the terrible life of a man who is entangled in new times. This film may seem strange to many, because it differs from the old work of Chaplin. The actor and comedian has had many sad films, but Monsieur Verdoux is the saddest of them all.
Verdu is an endearing petty bourgeois. Due to the economic decline, he is deprived of the opportunity to earn an honest way, and the man found a way out – the bourgeois marries rich widows and then kills them.
Interesting fact: The idea for the film belongs to Orson Welles (1915-1985), and Chaplin bought it for $5, though with some adjustments. Welles wanted to make a docudrama about serial killer Henry Desiree Landru (1869-1922).
7. Dog Life (1918)
«Who will you hang out with…“- such a preface can be made to the film” A Dog’s Life. This is a story about a faithful dog and his owner – a tramp and a mongrel, wandering through the garbage heaps. But a good chance comes up, and the main characters of the picture get out of the garbage dumps. Once a tramp finds a wallet full of banknotes, but the main character is an honest man, and therefore begins to search for the owner of the purse. It’s just that they don’t lead to anything. Hunger makes itself felt, and the tramp decides to use the money found … “A Dog’s Life” is the first film of the cinema genius. And also the first and last film where the dog Mutt appeared.
6. Parisian (1923)
Chaplin, despite his success, felt tired of his role. In 1923 he made a very worthy dramaParisian“, but he did not appear in it. At the time when the audience came to the cinema to watch the film, they were deeply disappointed by this circumstance.
The film “Parisian”, according to critics, he shot not for himself and not for ordinary people, but for one actress whom he always loved and respected, her name is Edna Prouvins. Chaplin gave her the film, and Prouvins gave her the best performance of her career. Chaplin presented to the audience the cruel and immoral world of high society. Marriages of convenience, immodest fun, drinking – all this is hidden behind external carelessness. The modern viewer may be shocked by the abundance of smokers – in “Parizhanka” everyone smokes and a lot.
5. Lime Lights (1952)
Charlie Chaplin felt that his career was coming to an end, he had lost touch with the audience (it seemed to him), and suggested that he would no longer make films. The comedian wrote the storyramp lights”, the plot of which subsequently laid the basis for the script for the film of the same name.
An aging clown saves a neighbor from suicide – the girl lived in ballet, and could not imagine that one day she would stop doing it. But the dancer had to leave the group due to illness. After the rescue, a friendship begins between Calvero and the girl, which, according to the aging clown, cannot develop into love – the age difference is too big …
4. The Great Dictator (1940)
The brilliant anti-war comedy of the great Chaplin has retained its relevance to this day. Somewhat naive and idyllic, but not without truth and cruelty. Charlie Chaplin dared to honestly tell through the screen in the film “The Great Dictatorabout what Hitler’s calls are fraught with.
The protagonist of the picture is a Jewish barber. He fights in the ranks of the army of his state of Tomania. During the battle, he saves the pilot Schultz, but as a result of an accident, he loses his memory. After the end of the war, Adenoid Hinkel comes to power, who clearly hates the Jews. Hinkel intends to get the whole world, and at this time an ordinary barber returns from the hospital, and is trying to regain his old life …
3. New Times (1936)
What are new times? These are the times of alienation of man from himself, which Chaplin hated. These times have come, humanity is mired in them, and it is not known how to get out … “New Timesis a protest against social injustice. Chaplin did not like the new times – he did not recognize either color in cinema or sound, and he hated assembly line production.
The little tramp doesn’t want to be a cog in the system. The protagonist of the film fights with the police, stupid rich people, soulless heads of assembly line production. In the final frames of the picture, the main character sang, which symbolized farewell to silent cinema.
2. The Kid (1921)
«Babywas Chaplin’s first feature film. The film can be described as follows: “A comedy with a smile, and maybe with a tear …” Charlie Chaplin found a 5-year-old actor for the role on stage, where the kid coped with the game as deftly as adults. Jackie Coogan (1914-1984) did an excellent job in the role.
The woman left her child immediately after birth to the mercy of fate, but he, fortunately, fell into caring hands. The kid was found by a tramp from the slums and took custody of him. When the child grew up, he and the tramp became clever swindlers, and traded in petty theft for the sake of the survival instinct – not to die of hunger.
Interesting fact: Jackie Coogan entered the history of cinema as the first child movie star in history. He went on stage from an early age with his father and starred in silent films.
1. City Lights (1931)
motion picture “City lights“It will soon be 90 years since its premiere, but it is still able to delight more modern films, which, at first glance, should be closer to us, but many are disgusting. And Little Tramp melts our hearts even now.
City Lights is one of the best films of the cinematic genius. He is kind, touching and amazingly funny. Some of the scenes have been borrowed from contemporary comedians such as Jim Carrey, Jackie Chan and Pierre Richard. In the center of the plot is the Little Tramp and the flower seller. The girl is blind and mistakes the Tramp for a rich duke. Having learned that the operation can restore the girl’s vision, the man goes in search of money.