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Monsieur Verdoux

Monsieur Verdoux

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A charming, yet disturbing cinematic experience by Chaplin
Review: Monsieur Verdoux (Charles Chaplin) is a sad story about Monsieur Verdoux who is a swindling murderer that charms women whom he marries for their assets which he sells after he has murdered a newly acquired wife. Monsieur Verdoux is driven to commit murder as he feels determined to provide the best possible life style for his family. However, Monsieur Verdoux is lost in his determination as it clouds his moral decision making, which he recognizes. Monsieur Verdoux is the darkest of Charles Chaplin's films, and as in his other films it offers a social message. This ominous message becomes apparent from the beginning of the film as Monsieur Verdoux's gravestone is depicted in the initial shot with Chaplin's voiceover that embarks on how he ended up here. Chaplin's direction offers both tragedy and comedy which in the end leaves the audience with a charming, yet disturbing cinematic experience.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A TRIUMPH
Review: Monsieur Verdoux is Chaplin's unsung masterpiece. A very dry film, it lives in the shadow of the much broader 'The Great Dictator'. The humor is subtle (the Martha Raye scenes aside) and one has to think to get it. Example: Verdoux is tending to his rose bushes while the incinerator is finishing up one of his wives in the background. He's just murdered a woman yet he refuses to step on a little catepillar. In picking it up and moving it to safety, he becomes very squemish at touching the little creature! This character is as far away from the Little Tramp as one can get. They are the same though; both long for love however, Verdoux uses love to his 'business' advantage whereas 'Charlie' was ususally scorned by it. This is his best written talky (any viewer of the over preachy 'Limelight' would concur) while it looks technically cheap at times (a not too uncommon area of some of his later productions). Such criticism is small though and the 'speech' at the end fits well into the narrative, not to mention that with the passing of over five decades....it still makes sense. Chaplin should be commended for putting out such a daring film at a time where America didn't want to hear such things. Not for everyones tastes but still a film that should not be ignored.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Chaplin changes - can you?
Review: That was the campain in the 40's, when the public didn't want to accept this film. After a few weeks of running, it was abandoned in all cinema's. The people expected a Little Tramp, instead, they got a Bigamist Lady Killer. En mass they decided to boo the film and stay away.
However, this is not what Monsieur Verdoux deserves. In every scene you see Chaplin's quick brain, keen eye and swift feet at work. Some of the love scenes are absolutely hilarious, even in this day. Martha Raye (the wife who refuses to me murdered) is a scream. The film is intended as a parody on Society prior to WWII; if you watch it with this in mind you'll be able to enjoy it tremendously.

Before Chaplin decided to make this film, he had just gone through one of the most turbulant periods in his life. His divorse with Paulette, being harrased by a neurotic former love, meeting Oona and soon to be banned from the States, accused of being a Communist had taken it toll. Chaplin fought back in the only way he knew how: by making a comedy to tackle the present cruel (at least to him) society.

This DVD quality is as good as you can get; there a no evidence of film aging. However, the text on the back of the cover is a great disappointment. I happened to read it before I watched the film (as most people do to see if the film is what they were looking for), and not only was this the dullest description of a film I ever saw, but worse, it actually managed to give away the entire film including the FINAL scene! If you decide to give this film a chance (which won't be a disappointment, garantueed), avoid reading the back of the cover at all costs.

This is a five-star film, but one star off for the cover. Shame on Image Entertainment!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Unwatchable
Review: The low point of Chaplin's career. His never-ending quest to be taken seriously led him to load his films with what he thought was SIGNIFICANCE. He thought that by making lots of badly written speeches he could make a serious statement about mankind's inhumanity.

Sorry, Charlie. It takes a little more than mere speechifying. And if that wasn't bad enough, he is so busy working on the SIGNIFICANCE of the story that he forgets little things like character, plot, and even comedy. This is one of the least funny films ever made. The attempts at black humor remain attempts, as none of them ever gets off the ground.

All in all, a travesty. Avoid it at all costs.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Good morning priest what can I do for you?
Review: This is simply an incisive and acid story superbly told by Charlot . A mature film and the humor becomes irony all along the film .
Verdoux is a moral fable placed just after the stock-market crash with vivid notations about the rise of the fascism and bitter reflections . He is a clerk bank who turns in murderer for one goal .
To my mind this one of the four immortal aces of Charlot with the other three works the Gold Rush , Modern times and Lights of the City ;
For many cult movies lovers this is the winner .
A must all the way!


Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An underrated masterpiece.
Review: This was probably Chaplin's last great masterpiece. This film shows what a talented actor and director he was. I doubt Woody Allen ever could have pulled this off. Chaplin gets a terrific performance from Martha Raye. Some maybe put off by the sermonizing at the end, but this does not undermine the film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: charlie you have a dark side
Review: Wow did he actully do that wow this is a good movie if you want to see a very good black and white killing movie watch monsieur verdoux. The movie has violence for its time but it knows its limits. Fired bank clerk Henri Verdoux makes money after that by well real estate, stock market, And oh yeah marrying wives and murdering them. With these violent actions no one liked it when it came out in April 1947 because charlie is a murderer. It feels a little bit better now but some people like me really like it. Charlie was a communist supporter with him being a murderer in this movie he had to leave the us with the start of the cold war. In 1952 on a ship with his 4th and last wife oona going to england for the premire of limelight(I also gave that 5 stars) 2 days after the ship left he found out he cant come back to the us. he only went back to america for an honorary oscar in 1972. Other than that He lived in swissaland until his death on Christmas day 1977


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