Rating: Summary: Cute But Unfunny Review: »City Lights« tries to turn pathos into comedy, or is it the other way round? Well, the pathos does seem to work because of the trick of letting the heroine be blind (at first), and therefore she doesn't know that her love is a tramp. But there is very little to laugh about in the film.Admitted: Chaplin is a great film maker, kind of very visual. But he simply is not funny.
Rating: Summary: Hilarious, then transcendent Review: Chaplin's Tramp, always down and out, undertakes a quest to grant a young woman's fondest wish: to be whole, to be in charge of her life. Through turns, never thoroughly planned out, always narrowly successful, under cover of the caprice of circumstance, the Tramp succeeds. Finally, his identity is revealed to the healed woman, and the movie reaches that sweet moment, unreachable in a thousand movies that came after: a pure heart shows itself to the viewer. How will anyone ever top this film?
Rating: Summary: Silent Classic, has ultra-beautiful final scene! Review: Charlie Chaplin's legendary tramp, determined to help a poor blind flower girl, finances her sight-restoring eye operation. This silent classic gives the audience a view inside the hearts of the characters; it restores our faith in the good within all human beings. There is no price-tag on kindness, compassion and generosity. -- Charlie Chaplin is a cinematic genious. "City Lights" is only one of the many brilliant accomplishments in a career untouched by any other film maker.
Rating: Summary: A CLASSIC Review: Charlie Chaplin is still the man.His Vision&Expressions are still way better than anything that's out here now.He was Truly Ahead of His Time.His Genius is Amazing.Filmed In Black&White it has More Color&Imagination than many films.He is One Of The Few Entertainers Ever that you can say is Peerless&Not Question yourself.What A Mind This Man Had?
Rating: Summary: Chaplin Is The King Of Comedy...And This Proves It! Review: The AFI announced this as one of the greatest films ever made and also one of the funniest. Guess what? They were right! I've been watching Charles Chaplin's movies since I was 3 years old. When I was younger I watched Chaplin because as a boy he made me laugh,when I watched movies like "Modern Times" or "The Great Dictator". When I got older and decided that I would like to become a film maker I looked at his films in a different respect. I saw the true genius of his work. He(to me)is one of the few film makers who was able to combine comedy and drama so well. That was his unique gift. I cannot think of a comedian in his day who could match his talent(including Buster Keaton!)to the present day. And this film does nothing but prove my point. Watch how Chaplin is actually able to make you cry(the very famous ending scene) and make you laugh(the very clever boxing scene). Everyone who is a wanna be film maker and filmbuff should watch this movie! Because you will see a true genius at work or as I and many other people refer to him as...THE KING OF COMEDY!
Rating: Summary: Timless title best appreciated on the DVD format. Review: What more can I possibly say that hasn't alredy been said? This movie is in my top 5 favorites of all time.(there is no #1 or #5, they are all perfect movies beyond comparison of eachother) I highly recommend(sp?) the DVD or LaserDisc format if you can find it. The film is greatly enhanced most noticeably by the "windowbox" format which preserves the perfect "square-aspect-ratio" of the film that get croped and distorted in the sides and corners more or less depending on your tv. The picture is as close to perfection as one can get and the soundtrack is avalible in the original mono composed and put in perfect synch by Chaplin or the more expansive and elegant (but poorly in synch with the film at times) rendition of Chaplin's score by a full orchestra. Afilm with this much heart and hope in humanity will never age.
Rating: Summary: Timeless entertainment Review: Since I saw Chaplin's Modern Times more than 30 years ago now, I have been eager to watch anything that this man has made. In high school there were several showings of his movies and I went to all of them. City Lights has been the most memorable movie - it has everything a Chaplin movie should have. When viewing this movie nowadays, you can spot the man's vision on camera positions and even a camera move now and then. Very peculiar for the time it was made. The closing scene of the film brings almost everyone to a tear and is, as some film critics mentioned, one of the highest moments in time.
Rating: Summary: Brilliant masterpiece. Review: This film, on AFI's Top 100 list, is one of the best comedies ever made, and Chaplin's greatest masterpiece. Although this film is rather quite funny (the boxing match had me in stitches), Chaplin's brilliantly ends this film with one of the most touching scenes in cinema. Imagine spending 90 minutes laughing uncontrollably, only to be brought to your knees in tears as the tramp and the blind girl reunite. Surely this emotional transition is one of the greatest feats in the history of film.
Rating: Summary: Uplifting film from a true original Review: A masterpiece, with some of the most hilarious sequences Chaplin ever filmed, interspersed with what was undoubtedly his most touching story (Roberto Benigni had to have had this film in mind when he wrote "Life is Beautiful") - a great film on the meaning of true love. The message is as fresh as if it were filmed yesterday, and the ending of this film is one of the best surprises Chaplin ever bestowed upon his viewers (normally his films had rather pessimistic or ambiguous finales). Virginia Cherrill is also touching and memorable as the blind girl who steals the little Tramp's heart. Not counting the ending, the best sequences in my opinion are the boxing sequence and the street cleaner vignette (his expression when he sees the circus coming into town is priceless). I've seen this film close to 10 times since watching it for the first time 3 years ago and I've never gotten tired of its message - nice guys DON'T finish last. This is also a great film for a day when you've had it with the general cruelty and apathy of people (I would have thought Depression era audiences would have flocked to it, but unfortunately such was not the case). Well worth the buy.
Rating: Summary: hold on -- where's the kleenex? Review: Guaranteed to melt the heart of the most die-hard cynic (like me).
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