Lady and the Tramp

#11—City Lights

During the early days of cinema, movie-goers had to rely on how well the actors on screen could ‘say’ what they wanted to say. Sound in movies did not happen until the late 1920s. Even so, due to the technology being so new, some actors/directors found it easier to just add the music instead of the actors’ voices. One director that felt this way was Charlie Chaplin.

City Lights tells the story of The Tramp ( Chaplins most recognizable characters) and his misadventures to help a blind girl. Tramp first notices her when she is selling flowers near a park. After buying one flower and immediately taken by her kindness, the Tramp does just about anything to help the girl earn some money.

Like most of Chaplins films, this is a very simple story, but a very heartwarming story nonetheless. I will admit that this is the first time that I have seen a silent film and I enjoyed it. I think I enjoyed it because of the way Chaplins actions speak volumes. Chaplins movements and facial expressions translate very smoothly to the audience.  In this modern time, I strongly believe that Chaplin is not recognized more for his acting brilliance.

Due to Chaplins acting ability, this is the reason I believe City Lights is on this list. On the same token, Chaplins acting ability is the only reason I think this film is on the list. Chaplin doesn’t break ground directorially or visually. Chaplin did add music to the film with the help of the technology at the time, however this is it. As said before, Chaplin was a comedic genius and I am not here to take that away from him. I just wonder the criteria for ranking some of these films so high.

Verdict: Worth Your Time (Branch out and try a different kind of film)