It is so fascinating to see how deeply the work of an artist may
impact people’s imagination, particularly after having crossed
the turnstiles of the time gate. In his run to grab a portion of
eternity, Charlie Chaplin has become ageless. While losing it to
earthly eternity, he claimed it back through the Little Tramp!
As the Little Tramp has gained eternity, our pleasure will last as
long as film exists. What great news for those who enjoy life!
Isn’t it Beaudelaire who once remarked that "Genius is but the
ability to recapture childhood over and over again?" For this
reason, the Little Tramp will not be subjected to the earthly
perils but will stay as young as he has always been.
Thanks to Chaplin's genius, the Little Tramp is still with us in
our life, making us "laugh to tears" and bringing "tears to our
eyes." And if we give ourselves completely in, we may embark
on a realm of happiness.
Now we have the opportunity to relive some of those blessed moments of
happiness by screening several of Chaplin's finest movies in a single DVD
box set, which also includes a new documentary "Charlie: The Life and Art
of Charles Chaplin" and a collection of his early shorts The Chaplin
Revue (including A Dog's Life, Shoulder Arms and
The Pilgrim).
Personally, I enjoyed very much "The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin," a
lively documentary which, in addition to giving a very good idea of his life
and career, allows us to appreciate Chaplin through the eyes of such
artists as Johnny Depp, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Milos Forman, Sir
Richard Attenborough, Marcel Marceau, as well as the commentaries from
his own children: Michael, Sydney and Geraldine.
Did you know that...
it took Johnny Depp three weeks
to perfect the dancing bread roll routine (oceana roll
dance from "The Gold Rush") for the movie "Benny and Joon"?
Listen to him recall how he found it and coordinated his
body and facial language as well as the movement of his
hands. Kind of high coefficient of difficulty, isn't it?
Did you know that...
Sir Richard Attenborough owes his
acting career to Charlie Chaplin, thanks to his portrayal
of the Tramp in "The Gold Rush"?
... "He was able to convey
the most extraordinary thoughts and intricacy of thoughts, and debate
and reaction purely by physical, and not just facial but physical reaction to things. It was an experience
I had never even considered in that here was somebody who could not only hold my attention absolutely, but deny me
the choice of laughing or crying. I mean, he dealt with me
as this figure on the screen. I thought it was the most magical thing
I'd ever seen in my life. And it was that occasion, no question,
I wanted to be an actor. If I could do what he could do
in relation to an audience, I want to be an actor.
That's how it started my love of him. "
Did you know that...
Woody Allen fixes the life span of “Easy Street” to
at least 1000 years and "The Circus"
500 years?? Not yet eternal, but
not so far away. "The Circus" (1928), is a little movie gem in which
Chaplin explores the “art of laughter”. When the Little Tramp, in the
movie, tries to be funny, he is not and it is just the opposite. As
Geraldine Chaplin mentioned, her father said “l have an idea of the Tramp being in a situation
where he can't get out of." She continued, "Comedy is often
a situation of a nightmare. And this was a nightmare situation
of a man on a tightrope. Everything goes wrong.
He's falling off. His pants fall down. He's got a whole lot of monkeys
around him who are biting his nose. And the idea started off
by that nightmare situation."
Then listen to Geraldine talk about the last scene of "The Circus"....a
symbolic scene since the movie was finished just three days after the
premiere of the first talking movie The Jazz Singer. "Sound was about
to revolutionize the movies and everyone, Chaplin included, wondered if the Tramp,
a figure it was impossible
to imagine talking, would survive the revolution." And
at the same time, the Little Tramp, left to himself after the departure
of the circus, stands up, heartbroken, and starts walking, in the dusty
day, towards the horizon and his destiny. And from there he goes directly
and forever into the heart of men and women, regardless of their age,
nationality, language or religion...
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