'Chaplin', directed by Richard Attenborough, is a film which follows the life of Charlie Chaplin, whose genious comic performances and inspiring contribution the the film industry has influenced the way we look at cinema to this day.
Chaplin is played wonderfully by Robert Downey Junior (this film has sparked a tiny obsession with him within the whole class..) I think he manages to portray the character very well and gets all his mannerisms just right. I enjoyed watching the start of the film where he is taking off his make-up and the picture turns from black and white to colour. To me this symbolises Chaplin uncovering his true self - not just the character he portrays.
I also enjoyed the music in the film. Especially when we hear the song 'Smile' which is written by Chaplin himself. It is played when he finds out that his first love has died. I think it is a very powerful and moving scene as he is surrounded by strangers, yet feels isolated and is forced to keep up his personna as the character he has created, despite how he feels inside.
I know the film lacks a storyline as such, and I am aware that it tries to tell a million stories about the one person within a limited amount of time, but I feel that isn't necessarily a negative thing as I was really engaged in the film. While watching it, I wanted to know more and more about Charlie Chaplin and I believe this film manages this extremely well.
I was really interested not only in Chaplins personal life, but also the way he worked. It is clear he was very determined and focused and even willing to forfit his relationships for his work. It was clear he was extremely intelegent - managing to make an audience aware when a blind woman thinks a poor man is rich. How do you do this without the use of sound? You shut a car door behind him. Genious.
We see him struggle in his early years growing up in London. His mother struggles to provide a stable upbringing for her children, causing her mental illness - a brilliant performance by Geraldine Chaplin (Charlie Chaplins actualy daughter! So she was playing her real life grandmother which is pretty interesting.)
I can see how his own childhood links to one of his films 'The Kid'
The film deals with a little boy who is abandoned by his mother as a baby and is brought up and loved by Chaplins popular character The Tramp. There is a scene, which is also shown in the film 'Chaplin', where the boy has been taken away. The Tramp ultimately becomes the hero when he saves the boy and they are reunited. I found this very emotional as it was hard to watch the look of desperate sadness on their facs when they were torn apart. I could imagine the audience reacting in this same way, only even more extreme, when the film was first released in theatres. By watching 'The Kid' I have really learned to appreciate Charlie Chaplins performance. The way he moves and his expressions are not only funny because of the 'stupid' things he does, but also because he has a scense of gracefullness and has perfect comic timing. No wonder Charlie Chaplin is such an icon even today.
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