Abstract The first part of the paper deals with Charlie Chaplin, focusing on his movie, "City Lights", and his persona of "The Little Tramp". The second part compares Chaplin and Jim Carrey, and argues that Carrey does not have the comic genius of Chaplin.
From the Paper "Film critic Roger Ebert characterized Charlie Chaplin'sc haracter the Little Tramp as the most famous image on earth in the early ..."
Tags: Film, Charlie Chaplin, Jim Carrey, Comedy, City Lights
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that Charlie Chaplin was one of the most successful performers of the silent era of film. The writer discusses that two of Chaplin's most famous film comedies show that wealth does not always equal success. The writer notes that even when his famous character, The Little Tramp was poor, he still had great compassion for others, and a sense of humor that enabled him to survive against all odds. The writer concludes that both of Chaplin's films show that when people are poor, cold, and hungry, they are always thinking about becoming wealthy, comfortable, and well-fed, but that does not mean that money and success are as necessary as love. The writer maintains that the films demonstrate that without love, happiness is impossible.
From the Paper "Amongst the discarded trash that no one else wants except poor people like the Tramp, Chaplin finds a treasure--a baby. The baby has been thrown in the alley by thieves, who value an expensive car more than a human life. The baby's wealthy but unwed mother left the child in her car with a note pleading to take care of the child. She went off to commit suicide, but could not bear to do it. When she returned to where she left her baby, the child was gone. The image of Chaplin's character finding the baby in the alley shows that the Tramp has found real, human riches that have been discarded like garbage because he is always able to spot treasure amongst trash, like good cast-off gloves. Afterwards, everyone mistakes the baby for the Tramp's child, and the boy and the Tramp become inseparable."
Abstract This paper explores the different techniques and worldviews of the silent era's two favorite comedians, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. Examining three of each of the comedians' films, the paper explains the differing worlds created by Keaton and Chaplin.
From the Paper "Great comedic actors of today owe a great deal to the silent comedians who came before them, most notably Charles Chaplin and Buster Keaton. While the two comics geniuses of the silent era have totally dissimilar styles, both revolutionized humor as it made the transition from vaudeville stage to the projector screen in a cinema. As moviemakers found new ways of showing comedy in the new era of silent films, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin emerged as the comedians of their era and left a lasting impression on cinematic comedy that lives on today. Whether it be Johnny Depp paying homage to Chaplin's The Gold Rush in Benny and Joon or the Keaton-esque physical humor of Jackie Chan, Hollywood remembers the two film greats and consistently "borrows" from their comedic technique in movie after movie. These two very different actors left two very distinguishable styles behind : Keaton relied on the chaos of life and his surroundings to bring comedy, while Chaplin struck an emotional chord by evoking humor from the plight of modern life and misery of dire situations."
Abstract A presentation and examination of a Charlie Chaplin Film 'Modern Time' and Robert Lynd's book called "Middletown" which describe the struggle against the dehumanization of the proletarian man by machine and the Industrial age. The author finds that the industrial age, while profitable from a financial standpoint for those who were in charge, dehumanized the proletarian man as well. The machine knocked him out of the running and sent him home to explain to his family that he was no longer able to provide.
From the Paper "The Industrial Age was one that moved mankind ahead in leaps and bounds. Within the few years of its explosion and growth the ability to use technology to speed up tasks and to get them done with precision allowed the world to concentrate on other expansions and needs. The Industrial Age was a boon to those who rode the top of the age to success, however, for many millions around the nation and the world the age actually set them back. The Industrial Age, while profitable form a financial standpoint for those who were in charge, it dehumanized the proletarian man as well. The machine knocked him out of the running and sent him home to explain to his family that he was no longer able to provide. There are two classic examples of what the Industrial Age did regarding the proletarian man. The movie by the late Charlie Chaplin called Modern Time (1956) and the book called Middletown by Robert Lynd both illustrate the ways the machine replaced the man. "
Abstract This essay traces the ideas that influenced Charlie Chaplin and modern times. It uses the theoretical ideas of reification to explain state control and mechanization of the popluace in a dystopian modernism. The main focus is on the movie "Modern Times".
From the Paper "Reification is "the act (or the result of the act) of transforming human properties, relations and actions into properties, relations and actions of man-produced things which have become independent"of men and govern his life?. In other words when man, the subject, loses what defines him as man to his own creation, and begins to act as his own creation does. This is the fear of the modern. What happens when man comes closer to being a machine? Be it social, industrial or technological. What happens when man becomes indistinguishable from the machine? In Charlie Chaplin's film "Modern Times" we see a society that is becoming not only more mechanized in its mode of production but also on a social scale. The film illustrates a society heading towards state control, where the subject loses their identity to the machine. When Chaplin and the Gamin head off down the road at the end of the film, we realise that this road will not lead them or us to a better place but "we know now with certainty that we are on the road that does not lead to anywhere" . The road that the pair plan to travel on metaphorically leads us to the idea that is representative of Singapore and the literature of a modern state controlled society, the unavoidable by-product of reification. I will examine Modern Times and the short story "Beginning" by Ah Leong, in the light of Michel De Certeau's work on the navigation and incarceration created by the railway . I will use De Certeau's work as a symbol of our modern times and an identifier of the plight of the subject in Modern Times."
Abstract This paper examines the way that Chaplin was treated by U.S. officials and the American public as a result of his political views, focusing on his work in 'City Lights", "Modern Times", and "The Great Dictator".
From the Paper "Chaplin was an essential element in the life of the early 20th-century cinema. The earliest films shown in the United States (where so many of all early films were shown) were meant to be seen and laughed at by audiences made up of immigrants speaking a dozen different languages and with as many different cultural traditions of what was funny and what was sacrosanct. Chaplin at least initially created a comfortable place for himself in this world by using the universal language of slapstick to communicate with his audiences. As Chaplin (as well as other early comic actors in the then-new medium of film) used it, slapstick provided a common visual vocabulary of humor for these immigrant American audiences. It reminded them of their common humanity and in doing so both gave them something to laugh at and reminded them that, after all, they were not so very different from each other. Politics serves to divide different groups of people from each other, and this was not the intent of the early silent movies. The content of these early films was essentially apolitical, meant to appeal to as wide an audience as possible and meant more as an exploration of the medium of film than anything else."
Tags: modern, times, great, dictator, city, lights
Abstract This paper discusses that Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, gifted actors and early producers, made names for themselves and invented many film techniques used today. The author points out that early American films were in the form of comedy; later, films began to become more complex and innovative. The paper relates that Buster Keaton's 1926 film, "The General", was a remarkable movie for its time because most of the movie was filmed outdoors.
From the Paper "The innovative minds behind some of the early greatest movies like "The General" and ?The Gold Rush,? were Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. Charlie Chaplin came into the movie and acting industry at the age of 17, and began to get involved with acting and writing. He muscled his way up the ranks and later began to make movies and star in them as well. One of his clutch performances was his role in "The Gold Rush" as the Lone Prospector. A scene from this 1925 film that stood out was of the cabin scene that the Lone Prospector finds and enters for shelter during the whiteout blizzard."
Abstract The paper examines the film "Gold Rush" and shows how Charlie Chaplin went against the societal trends of his time by portraying social perspectives and ideals. The paper describes the film that is partially based on the infamous gold rush in Alaska where many men died with hopes and dreams of finding gold. The paper demonstrates how this film presented the hopes, dreams and failures of average working people in America.
From the Paper ""The Gold Rush is the quintessential Chaplin film, with a balance of slapstick comedy and pantomime, social satire, and emotional and dramatic moments of tenderness" (Dirks). It is a film that is partially based on the infamous gold rush in Alaska where many men died with hopes and dreams of finding gold. And, it is also influenced some what by the story of the Donner party, as some of the scenes were filmed in Northern California in the region where the Donner party was headed (Dirks)."
Abstract This paper reviews Charlie Chaplin's 1918 film entitled "Shoulder Arms." It describes the plot and style of the film and discusses the reasons why Chaplin's war comedy was so commercially and critically acclaimed. The paper discusses Chaplin's depictions in the film and how they were used to create a political satire that was revolutionary for the time period.
From the Paper "In conclusion, it can be said that the reason Chaplin's revolutionary war comedy was so commercially and critically acclaimed was that it successfully used comedy to convey a political message. The film said two things at the same time. On the one hand, it was a funny movie that people could laugh at as a deadly war began to wind down. On the other hand, it was a film that spoke of the ridiculousness of war and the idea that heroes are found in war. The result is that Chaplin created a film that spoke loudly, especially when one considers the fact that it was a silent film."
Reviews the life and career of film legend Charlie Chaplin. Focuses on Chaplin's development of his Little Tramp character and his reliance on visual or physical comedy.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 4 sources, 1995, $ 55.95
From the Paper "Charlie Chaplin was hailed as the leading comic actor of the silent era and was recognized around the world for his Tramp character. He had a number of imitators--Billy West was a silent comedian who used the same Tramp character, the same clothing, some of the same mannerisms, and only by close observation can one be certain which actor one is watching at times. Chaplin, however, was far more talented than his imitators and maintained his position far longer than they. He also wrote and directed most of his films after a certain point, and he made better use of the comic Tramp character as a social commentary. Buster Keaton is also notable in this era for his unique and humorous screen persona, and the way in which he utilized it for social commentary.
These characters relied very heavily on facial expression and physicality, which transcends language, to convey their humor and ..."
Abstract This paper looks at comedians from the silent era such as Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, the early talkies such as Mae West and the Marx Brothers, as compared to actors such as Jim Carrey in "Dumb and Dumber" and Kevin Spacey in "American Beauty" and attempts to analyze why comedies from a long time ago may not be considered as funny by modern audiences.
From the Paper "In the past hundred years, the comedic motion picture industry has gone through a drastic change in the way movies are written, acted and structured. What began as silent black and white shorts has turned into colored films with sound, lasting up to three hours. While most of these changes came about with improved technology, changes in the way these films have been written have come about with a change in society as a whole. What people found to be funny and comedic in the past has dramatically changed from what people find funny today. Despite this, comedic critics today still consider works of Chaplin and Keaton and such to be masterpieces, even though the majority of "general" audiences today wouldn"t find them as funny as a Jim Carrey. Alas we come across the question of why people have been finding different things funny as the times go by, and the main answer to this is that society's idea of what is funny has changed. However, the critics" idea of "good comedy" has not changed, and thus critics still consider the older silent films masterpieces."
From the Paper "This paper will be concerned with the artistry of Charlie Chaplin. Specifically, it will analyze Chaplin's contribution to the art of film as seen in his treatment of the roles of actor, artist and director. Charlie Chaplin was born on April 16, 1889 in London. He became involved in theatrical acting at an early age, and in this capacity he came to the United States when he was only twenty-one. However, once he arrived in America his interests soon changed from the theater to the new film industry which was being established at the time. Chaplin's first work in film was as an actor under the comedy director Mack Sennett. Sennett was known for his slapstick comedies which featured the Keystone Kops and various other characters. After familiarizing himself with the art of comic film acting in a series of Sennett shorts, Chaplin moved on to work for a variety of other ... "
Abstract This paper analyzes special effects in Charlie Chaplin's film "The Gold Rush," noting how some of the effects were done and what effect they had on the audience, enhancing the comedy by making the film more realistic.
Abstract This paper examines how both Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton are often heralded as cinematic comedic pioneers. It looks at how, in both of their respective short films, entitled "The Tramp" and ?One Week,? each comedian makes use of common stereotypes of women and also the common stereotypes of romantic relationships between men and women, to illustrate their comedic creations? personality deviations from the conventional masculine roles of domestic success. It discusses how the men in the two films function as failures in the domestic realm and how this parallels both their failures in conventional life and successes at comedic life.
From the Paper "The film ?One Week,? like ?The Tramp,? revolves around the theme of domesticity and building a home. However, unlike ?The Tramp,? "One Week" is a parody of modernity, and is not sit in a far-off idyllic landscape of the countryside. The newly married couple, receives, as a wedding present, a supposedly easy-to-assemble mobile home. Keaton's failures to find the home so easy to assemble form the crux of the film. If only Keaton were the stereotypical "male" he should be able to do so in a jiffy, runs the subtext of the film. However, Keaton's failure to do so does not necessarily count against him, as the project seems absurd from the beginning and his rival makes things even more difficult by interfering and switching the labels on the packing crates."
Abstract This paper considers the character played by Charlie Chaplin, "the tramp" and whether or not he should be considered "free." The paper analyzes the tramp's freedom from the perspective of him being a male during the depression and his holding a factory job and standing in the bread lines.
From the Paper "In the film Modern Times, the character, "the Tramp," shows many instances of being and not being free. Charlie Chaplin, the character's creator, goes to great lengths to portray his view of freedom and the ways in which men of that era were depicted. The first way in which he is free is that the Tramp is a male. Being this alone gives him the political and social freedom to move within, or up in, society. A man had more rights than women, even though the Women's Movement had taken place and attention to Women's Suffrage was widely debated. Men still held the power to make the rights for women. Second, the Tramp was young enough, and seemingly able enough, to hold a job. In the scene where the warden of the prison gives him a letter, the Tramp becomes able to get a job. But just as soon as he gets one, he loses it for reasons not to be his fault. The poor thing has such bad karma he is put into situations like drinking with his old "buddy" from the factory when he gets the job at the department store. This, in turn, costs him a valuable job when he wakes up in a drunken stupor on a coat table. But the fact is, he is seemingly able to get and sustain work. This makes him free because he is able to get out of the breadlines and into a job. Lastly, the Tramp is free because of his innocence. Not to be confused with ignorance, the Tramp's innocence is child-like. He looks at everything with wonder, and in turn, falls for the young girl of the film. He knows she steals but instead of screaming at her or hitting her for it, he shakes his finger, she smiles, and he takes the smile as reassurance of her innocence. This innocence leaves him easily forgivable and easy to laugh at by his watchers. His freedom lies within these three facts because of the reasons I've stated. But for the sake of argument, there are ways in which his "freedom" isn't freedom at all."
Tags: political, social, move, in, up, society, rights, women, movement, suffrage, prison, letter
