Director Richard Attenborough who is no stranger to film biographies, who won an Oscar for direction Gandhi, brings the life of Charlie Chaplin to the big screen. Chaplin is a one of those bio pictures that tries to show the man behind the comedic icon. Robert Downey Jr. successful fills the shoes of the comedian from his early silent screen days until his death in 1977.

Chaplin is a story about a flawed human being trying to find perfection in his craft and in turn is imperfect in his personal life. His story starts in poverty growing up in London. He eventually is sent to the workhouses in south London after his mother is committed to the Cane Hill Asylum. In his early years, he proves he has a natural talent in the theater and eventual travels aboard to the states. Eventually he is invited to Hollywoodland to work for film producer Mack Sennett, famous for the Keystone Cops films. It is here where one day he creates the character “The Tramp” and the rest is history.

However, Chaplin is a victim of the times. From the changing of silent films to the “talkies,” to the era of McCarthyism with people being accused of being a communist, Chaplin is in the middle of it all. All the while Chaplin continued to make his films the way he wants to make them. Chaplin might have been a comedian but his stories went beyond the slapstick. His stories had heart, they were windows into the hardships that were happening in the world. He used his “Tramp” character to help us laugh so we didn’t cry. Yet most often a moral and a message lied within all of the pratfalls and silliness.

The key challenge of a bio pic, is finding the right actor to play someone we are so all too familiar with. Recently studios have found great success with biography pictures about Ray Charles and Johnny Cash. The key to these films was the portrayal by the actors. Chaplin is no exception, the film works because we believe Robert Downey Jr. is Charlie Chaplin. Without his flawless performance of Chaplin both as the man and the comedian, this film would fail miserably.

Now for the 15th anniversary, Chaplin has been re-released with a few bonus materials for everyone to enjoy. One wonders if there could have been a director’s cut and extended edition hiding somewhere in the works as well. The film just over two hours seems a bit short on a life that was full of success and drama. The film seems to gloss over much too quickly on Chaplin’s life and seems needed to slow down and expanded on some of these events. Perhaps someday we will see if there exists extra footage and scenes that were filmed but never made the final cut.

In the meantime, we are offered a few quick featurettes and some even show footage of the real Charlie Chaplin. It is interesting to note, that Robert Downey Jr. is not involved at all in any of these featurettes and makes you wonder why? Regardless, these little shorts give us a brief insight in the making of the film. There is also a home video of the real Chaplin clowning around on a boat in 1933. It’s a throwaway but once again gives us a brief look at the real Charlie Chaplin.

Charlie Chaplin was truly an extraordinaire and unique man and his films will live on forever. In the film, the aging Chaplin says “I didn’t change things I just cheered people up.” Probably one of the biggest understatements ever stated. Charlie Chaplin’s films will live on forever and be discovered by every generation to come. Chaplin changed cinema forever and will continue to inspire.

Comments

Amazing Written by Guest on 2008-10-15 20:39:03 His performance was absolutely amazing. Great movie

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