Review of City Lights (1931) by Paul P — 12 Mar 2008

City Lights is the highest form of cinema art, it's perfect and works on every level to which Chaplin aspired: the comic, the dramatic, the asethetic and the profound. I screened it with two pre-teens and they were rapt, so the fact that it's silent, black and white and has weird old costumes and cars was not a deterrent for their enjoying this masterpiece. It's a film that never leaves the consciousness once it's been seen.

The story is an elemental fairy tale, a little tramp falls in love with a blind flower girl and becomes her guardian angel, and give up what little he has to save her and get her an operation. Somehow, when handled by Charlie, we buy in to this over the top melodrama, because of total commitment and honesty and superb execution, that holds back just enough to not wallow in bathos.

Watch for the balletic comedic set pieces, every deft move rehearsed by Chaplin and his supporting cast to perfection, yet all looking spontaneous. Watch for this film dealing honestly with human cruelty, (poverty, violence, class wars) but showing the goodness and kindness we all have latent in ourselves.

Most of all, watch for the most emotionally wrenching last scene ever shot, done simply with close ups of Chaplin and his costar Virgina Cherril as the Blind Girl. As one of the reviewer has already stated below, you'd have to be dead inside to not be moved. 2011's The Artist was a terrific acheivement at recreating silent film, but if you want to experience what silent film can truly acheive, take out City Lights. Interestingly, CIty Lights, like the story of The Artist, was made during the talkie era of 1931 and no one missed sound at all.