Wednesday, September 21, 2011

57. City Lights

City Lights
1931

Wow.  The last silent film on the list.  I used to whine all the time for these movies to end.  Of course, when things really end we never want them to.  I know I am being overly dramatic (I am allowed to watch silent films still after all) but I have had to say goodbye to a lot of things recently and it has been hard.  Rip off the band aid, Amanda, and let's review this bitch.

So the reactionary Charlie Chaplin insisted on still doing silent movies and ended up making AFI's  #11.  I didn't really like it.  I expected to be blown away because even some Chaplin haters liked this movie.  I thought this was extremely dull.  The gags weren't funny at all.  The spaghetti?  Really?  Gold Rush was infinitely better.  I really feel like the Tramp character didn't work here.  So bye silent films.  Kind of a rough send off.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

At least this made the transition easier.

Ranked number 1 in AFI's top romantic comedies.  What?!?!  When Harry Met Sally should win!

Set was visited by Einstein, Churchill, and Shaw.  Oh my goodness!

Available on YouTube:

2 comments:

  1. Agreed. I never really liked Chaplin from the clips I'd seen, but when the book lead me to watch The Gold Rush I really liked it so conceded that I was wrong. But this film was pretty average to me. Like you say, the spaghetti. And although the sequence where they keep falling and almost falling by the water's edge was well done, by modern standards at least it's something I'd associate with silly children's entertainers.

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    Replies
    1. Exactly, he seems like someone you would hire for a party.

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