Rating: 
Summary: the most poignant ending in screen history
Review: thousands of word have probabaly been written about this ending, which compares to the thousand plus word written on the ending of mahler's ninth.
both are works which startled us with the power that human expression can take in the form of art.
one is visual, one is music.
chaplin was nearly the sole survivor of the silent cinema
(if chaney had lived he too would have triumphantly made the transititon).
chaplin survived because he realized that silent film was an altogether different art form than sound film.
silent film is the quintessential example of expressionism in film because silent film was and remains visual storytelling.
the ending of city lights still brings a lump to your throat, regardless of how many times you have seen it.
only dreyer's passion of joan of arc posseses a comparable power.
those last few moments in lights when the once blind flower girl realizes that her benefactor is actually a tramp evoke a plethora of emotions and senses.
this, along with chaplin's the kid and easy street, remains his most timeless work.
Rating:
Summary: An emotional masterpiece, both comedic and touching.
Review: City Lights is widely recognized as Charles Chaplin's masterwork, and for good reason. It epitomizes Chaplin's blend of pathos and slapstick, grounding his physical comedy in real human feelings, taking the viewer on an emotional rollercoaster.Though the setup may be considered overtly sentimental -- the Tramp's budding relationship with a blind flower girl -- the film's treatment of the relationship is heartfelt but never corny. Smart character details and interactions are the key: The scene where she mistakes a stray thread from his vest for a ball of twine, for example, or the beautifully orchestrated chain of events which leads to the incomparable ending, the greatest in the Chaplin canon. He never forgets the laughs as he takes you along, and it pays off handsomely in City Lights. There are plenty of great gags in this film, my hands-down favourite being the centerpiece boxing match, an outrageous piece of slapstick with a great rhythm. Watch this after Raging Bull, for good measure. The botched suicide attempt by the drunk millionaire is also priceless. Like the other releases in this series, the City Lights DVD is filled with extras, the best being an extended scene, edited out of the film, that features the Tramp locked in a battle of the wills against a wood shim lodged in a metal grille! The sequence features a hilarious turn by an actor playing a clothing-store employee exasperated by the Tramp's efforts. There's also remarkable screen-test footage of Georgia Hale, the luminous actress who had been in The Gold Rush, shot because Chaplin had been unsure of City Lights star Virginia Cherrill's abilities. Longtime fans of the film like myself probably can't see the point -- Cherrill's sweet face, expressive and disarming physical actions, and convincingly vacant eyes (according to the Chaplin biography, she was seriously nearsighted, a trait which had won her the role) were perfect for the role. Still, the shock to me was to see that Hale, when out of film makeup, looked very contemporary. It's amazing to see a Chaplin actress out of character like that. A classic film in a package with all the trimmings. While this series has made some gaffes (the sound work on The Gold Rush, for example, and the Chaplin Revue disc actually mislabels the two discs!), it's obviously the work of people who are trying very hard to do justice to these films, and for the most part, they're succeeding in a way I haven't seen outside of the prestigious Criterion Collection. Congratulations and respect are in order.
Rating:
Summary: WHATTA ENDING
Review: I LOVE CHARLIE CHAPLIN AND BUSTER KEATON AND HAROLD LLOYD AND THE MARX BROTHERS AND WC. FIELDS AND LAUREL AND HARDY AND THE 3 STOOGES AND,YOU CAN GET MY DRIFT?CHAPLIN IS A GENIUS SO GET ALL HIS FILMS.THE LITTLE TRAMP IS IMMORTAL.CITY LIGHTS STILL HAS THE GREATEST TEARDROP ENDING IN MOVIE HISTORY!BY THE WAY,TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES IN MARCH WILL PRACTICALLY BE SHOWING EVERY CHAPLIN SHORT AND FEATURE IN THEIR MONTH LONG SALUTE TO HIM.I WILL BE DOING SOME SERIOUS TAPING OF TCM NEXT MONTH.
Rating:
Summary: City Lights DVD
Review: Quite simply one of the all time great motion pictures. I'm always baffled when people refer to Chaplin as "overly-sentimental" because all of the sentiment is so carefully balanced with humor. A perfect example of this is in City Lights when the tramp first encounters the blind flower girl. He pretends to leave, then sneaks back to watch her. For a moment this seems like a charming sentimental moment as he stares entranced by her, until she (not knowing he is there) throws a vase of water in his face and he is forced to foolishly slink away. This moment has always perfectly summed up Chaplins brilliant use of sentiment. A stunning film and DVD release.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Chaplin Film I've Seen!
Review: I admit, So far, I've only seen Modern Times, The Great Dictator, Limelight, The Gold Rush, City Lights, and a few of his short films, but HANDS DOWN City Lights was the best. I took this film to work one day knowing that my co-workers would think that such old fashioned humor couldn't possibly be funny or entertaining. I fast forwarded the tape to the boxing scene and THEY WERE ALL TRULEY LAUGHING FROM THEIR GUTS! The boxing match is so well done. It's not only hilarious, but the choreography it self is impecable.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant and Moving!
Review: While generally known as a film comic, Charles Chaplin often told stories to make the audience think, and occasionally weep. "City Lights" certainly fits that description.
Though shot in the early days of talking pictures, "City Lights" was silent. Chaplin still held onto his immortal character, the Little Tramp. Outwardly appearing as a bum, the Tramp has a heart of gold and is rather self-sacrificing. He encounters a blind flower girl. Determined to pay for a surgery to restore her sight, Chaplin performs several jobs (such as street sweeper and boxer) to secure funds for the operation.
The end of the picture, which I will not reveal, is a true gem, among the most memorable and touching climaxes in screen history.
I strongly recommend "City Lights"!
Rating:
Summary: city lights
Review: I wanted to start to like Jackie Chan. I saw Shanghi Noon. I liked it so i saw Shanghi Knights. Charlie Chaplin was a character so I saw City Lights. That was the first Chaplin movie I saw. Then I saw monsieur verdoux, modern times,and the gold rush. Im going to see limelight. So far I loved every chaplin movie i saw!
Rating:
Summary: city lights
Review: ... Charlie Chaplin was a character so I saw City Lights. That was the first Chaplin movie I saw. Then I saw monsieur verdoux, modern times,and the gold rush. Im going to see limelight. So far I loved every chaplin movie i saw!
Rating:
Summary: Chaplin is Timeless
Review: This movie was well recieved in a time when sound was new and silent movies were being brushed aside for the new wave. This movie stands the test of time. Of all the silent movies I have seen, this music score suits the movie best, probably because Chaplin took the time to write it himself. The jokes are still funny, the characters are still likeable, and the end is still satisfying. I definitly recommend this marvel. You will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: no dull lights here!
Review: once again chaplin at his best just get it and add it to your collection of great movies-enjoy
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