City Lights (1931)
Directed by Charlie Chaplin
[Rated G] 1hr 27min
★★★★★
City Lights is a silent comedy film that follows Charlie Chaplin’s Tramp character as he falls in love with a blind woman who sells flowers on the street. Shortly after meeting her, the Tramp unexpectedly becomes friends with a rich man, which then leads the blind woman to believe that the Tramp himself is wealthy as he continues to do his best to support her.
This movie is a comedic masterpiece, not only because it’s incredibly funny but also due to its strong emotional resonance. Rather than just presenting a variety of silly scenes to make the audience laugh, the film also incorporates a touching love story that drives the comedic moments and elevates them to a much more meaningful level. As a result, this creates an entertaining and engaging story that is simultaneously hilarious and genuinely moving. Even without verbal dialogue, Chaplin is able to convey so much with his expressions that the lack of dialogue is almost unnoticeable. The limited use of intertitles also allows the slapstick comedy to flow very well. They only provide information that is absolutely necessary to the story since the actors are able to effectively convey meaning through their performances without the need for dialogue. Everything in this movie comes together perfectly, and it clearly demonstrates the strengths of silent films even after the advent of synchronous sound.
I highly recommend City Lights for anyone looking for a extremely humorous yet touching story. Chaplin is an incredible auteur filmmaker, as he is the writer, director, producer, composer, editor, and lead actor of many films including City Lights, and this is arguably his crowning achievement. This movie is also an excellent introduction to silent films for those who haven’t seen any before, as both the comedy and overall story can appeal to many viewers.
City Lights is currently available to stream on Max. Click here to watch the trailer.
– Review by Will Hopper