Review of City Lights (1931) by Derence R — 16 Jul 2011

> > > So far, year 2011 has been friendly for making me really generous in accepting great, and not so great, works of cinema. It's already the second-half of the year, yet I have been glorious for watching some of the great films ever. I'm a fool for not recording seen-films for the first two months of the year. By that, I've totally forgotten what I watched. But since the succeeding month which was March, I make sure to record films I've seen monthly. And of all the best cinema-related things I encountered so far this year, nothing may top an actor with a vast repertoire. A legendary figure who was gone many years ago, but will still lingers within the cinematic world forever. A remarkable man who was once Charlie Chaplin.

- "City Lights" is a wonderful, heartfelt, funny, romantic, memorable, and other suited-adjectives it may be movie made for heavenly viewing. The undisputed greatest character in motion picture history known as "The Tramp" is pure excellent in every way. Here, he's still the usual cane-holding, penguin-like walking, smirking dweller who finds surroundings as stage for whimsical showings. Equally divided into zany scenarios, The Tramp finds himself in situations such as saving a suicidal friendly-whenever-drunk millionaire; Doing catastrophic antics in a restaurant; Sleeping on a ready-to-be-publicly-revealed statues; Being falsely accused of theft; Joining a winner-takes-all boxing bout; And ultimately falling in love with a beautiful blind flower vendor.

- As much as I love his other three masterpieces namely, "The Kid", "The Gold Rush", and "Modern Times", "City Lights" may be the most endearing. He showcased his immortal character as an everyman who found his life's direction when he saw the "Flower Girl". He made it very clear that his main goal is not for himself, but to help the lady to be able to see again. As for the comedy aspects, it's all here; And it may has the fullest of his trademarks among his features. And as for technical matters, the musical score is brilliant and uplifting throughout. This film just ousted "Roman Holiday" as the best romantic film I've ever seen. As I conclude, "City Lights" is a classic in every sense, and is the kind of film you have to see to officially declare yourself a true apostle of the cinema.

> BestMoment:

- The ending when The Tramp smiles as Flower Girl says she can see now.

> BestQuote:

- The Tramp: "Can you see now?".

Blind Girl: "Yes, I can see now.".

(Since it's a silent film, I chose a dialogue that popped to the screen.).