WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE MOVIE:
1) It stars Charlie Chaplin.
2) According to AFI, it's the #1 greatest romantic comedy ever.
LET ME EXPLAIN...
Once I watched The Gold Rush and learned I was a Charlie Chaplin fan, I've been looking forward to seeing "City Lights". Not only is it the highest rated Chaplin film on the AFI List, but the American Film Institute also says it's the greatest romantic comedy ever. Needless to say, there was quite a bit of hype going into this, and my wife and I were both excited to finally watch it.
Unfortunately, that hype made this film a bit of a disappointment to both of us. Unlike "The Gold Rush" and Modern Times, there was no particular scene or gag that really stood out to me (the shot gun struggle, the dinner rolls, and the cabin in "The Gold Rush", and the feeding machine in "Modern Times" were all terrific). Yes, the suicide attempts and the boxing scenes were funny, but I laughed more during his other movies.
I was also expecting more in the end upon first viewing. It's definitely a romantic story throughout the film, but as a first watch, I felt underwhelmed at how it ended. HOWEVER, during my search for a video clip to add to this post, I found the final scene on YouTube and watched it again. With the hype no longer there, I have to admit that the ending IS extremely good (particularly the subtleties in the acting) and really "makes" the whole story. By simply watching the ending one more time, I've bumped the entire movie up from a Kind of Liked It rating to a Liked It.
What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
I pretty much just talked about it, but the story is about as sweet and beautiful as it gets.
Complaints
Again, there was no one particular scene or moment that really stood out to me as hilarious, which was a little disappointing.
LET ME SUM UP...
The #1 romantic comedy in American film history, according to AFI. It wasn't the funniest Chaplin film, but it's definitely a very sweet and romantic story.
MY RATING: 6/10
TOTAL # OF FILMS WATCHED: 89
1 comment:
"When Chaplin made this film, silent movies were already outdated. Pretty much all movies had sound at that point, and audiences had embraced it. The film, though, was a huge success. Wikipedia says that it was 'one of Chaplin's most financially successful and critically acclaimed works.'"
Albert Einstein and his wife appeared at the premiere: http://commons.wikimedia.org/w...
"To his delight, enthusiastic crowds had formed, which gave him hope that the public was still very interested in his films. 'The main street was packed with people for several blocks,' recalled Chaplin. 'Police cars and ambulances were attempting to plow through the crowds, which had smashed in the shop windows next to the theater.'
With his special guest Albert Einstein seated next to him, Chaplin settled in to see how this new audience would react to his latest effort. 'The picture started,' he said. 'It showed the credit titles, to the usual first-night applause. Then at last the first scene opened. My heart pounded. It was a comedy scene of the unveiling of a statue. They began to laugh! The laughter increased into roars. I had got them! All my doubts and fears began to evaporate. And I wanted to weep. For three reels they laugh. And from sheer nerves and excitement I was laughing with them.'"
"The audience was on Chaplin's side. They began stomping their feet, calling out, and eventually booing the poorly timed intrusion. Finally getting the message, Gumbiner stopped and the film started back up. However, Chaplin wondered if the film could recover from such an incident. 'It took a reel before the laughter got back into its stride,' said Chaplin. 'Under the circumstances I thought the picture went well. During the final scene I noticed Einstein wiping his eyes -- further evidence that scientists are incurable sentimentalists.'"
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