Review of City Lights (2014) by Joe C — 09 Aug 2015
Noses have been bloodied debating which of Chaplin's films is the greatest. It is in the opinion of not just myself, but Woody Allen, Andrei Tarkovsky and even Chaplin himself that City Lights reigns supreme.
Here Chaplin tells a sentimental story about a tramp who falls in love with a blind girl, but does it so brilliantly that you don't care about the cliché. The tramp's trademark brandy-legged slapsticks are in full stock here, courtesy of his tumultuous friendship with a generous when drunk/parsimonious when sober millionaire as well as the most iconic boxing match in cinema history.
Unlike his other films there is no social commentary hidden under the goofball antics. Underneath it all is just a love story, albeit one so beguiling and genuine that even time cannot diminish. Never has the gift of a flower brought a stronger spell of the happy-cries.
Orsen Welles went so far as to call City Lights the best film ever, and are you really going to argue with Welley?
This review of City Lights (2014) was written by Joe C on 09 Aug 2015.
City Lights has generally received very positive reviews.
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