Film Review: City Lights (1931)
Greatness of the great men can be seen not only through their great deeds, but also through adversity that they had to face while achieving. Charles Chaplin, the greatest star of the silent film and the most iconic figure in the history of cinema, demonstrated his greatness through 1931 silent comedy City Lights, which is considered to be his magnum opus.
Chaplin in the film reappears in his iconic character of the Tramp. The plot represents series of Tramp’s misadventures that lead to his encounter with blind flower girl (played by Virginia Cherrill). He is smitten with hear and falls in love, while she, due to series of misunderstandings, believes that the Tramp is actually a millionaire. If Tramp were indeed rich, he could have helped flower girl and her grandmother (played by Florence Lee) evade the eviction. In the meantime, the Tramp meets an eccentric millionaire (played by Harry Myers) who wants to commit suicide by jumping in the water. The Tramp rescues him and, as a sign of gratitude, Millionaire allows him to enjoy luxury of his home and accompany him to wild parties. Problem for the Tramp is that his benefactor does so only when drunk and doesn’t want to do anything with the Tramp while sober. The Tramp must find the way to help Flower Girl by himself.
Chaplin began the work on City Lights in 1928, in a time when the audience, following premiere of The Jazz Singer, began to demand sound on screen. Despite thei growing popularity of sound films or "talkies," Chaplin considered them a passing fad and decided to make City Lights a silent film, which proved to be a significant risk. City Lights, on the other hand, isn’t silent film in strictest of sense. The sound was pre-recorded and featured not only some sound effects, but also memorable music score composed by Chaplin himself. The risk, however, ultimately paid off, resulting not only in raving reviews but also in excellent results at box office, with City Lights becoming the most successful of all Hollywood films in 1931.
Chaplin's skills as a physical comedian and pantomime artist are on full display in City Lights. The film's well-choreographed and often hilarious scenes showcase Chaplin's comedic talent, which had been honed over years of experience in silent cinema. One of the film's most memorable scenes is the boxing match, which proved to be the most challenging during production. The scene combines comedy with pathos, tragedy, and realism, firmly establishing Chaplin's iconic Tramp character in the realm of reality.
The Tramp's existential woes also serve as an opportunity for Chaplin to provide social commentary, particularly in the scene featuring the drunk Millionaire. The character, who lives in luxury and doesn't have to worry about hunger like the Tramp or being expelled from home like the Flower Girl, is repeatedly prevented from committing suicide. This scene highlights the absurdity of wealth and the emptiness of material possessions.
Chaplin's performance in City Lights is exceptional, and the same can be said for Virginia Cherrill. Relationship with Chaplin during production was antagonistic, with Cherrill having little patience for Chaplin’s perfectionist way of making films. Chaplin actually had her fired from the set, but, after realising that he would have spend too much many on reshooting her scenes with another actress, decided to re-hire her. This proved to be right choice because her and Chaplin had great chemistry together, especially during the simple and emotional final scene that, among other things, made Alfred Einstein teary-eyed during film’s 1931 premiere.
City Lights benefited from its long production, which allowed it to be released in the early years of the Great Depression. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 put the Tramp and the film's plot in a new and relevant context. The impoverished masses were now more likely to view the Tramp as one of them rather than an eccentric outsider. The film's ending, where the former "millionaire" reveals himself as a street bum, was also more in tune with the times when real millionaires suffered the same fate. Even the scene at beginning, which features monument to “Prosperity” being revealed by gibberish-talking politicians (actually voiced by Chaplin in the first instance of his speaking on screen), which begins the film, is given new ironic meaning under the new circumstances.
City Lights became a massive hit and allowed Chaplin to continue making silent films for almost a decade. The film was instantly recognized as a masterpiece, featured prominently in prestigious Sight & Sound polls of best films ever made, and has been named as a favourite film by many renowned directors, including Orson Welles and Andrei Tarkovsky. Its simple but believable plot, combined with Chaplin's comedic talent and likeable music, make City Lights an undisputed classic that can be enjoyed by modern viewers who may not be fans of silent films.
RATING: 9/10 (+++)
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