Others may vote for "The Gold Rush" or "Modern Times," but for me this is Chaplin's masterpiece. Made several years after the dawn of the sound age (1931), Chaplin insisted it would be one last silent epic, leaning only on an original soundtrack and the occasional sound effect. The Tramp falls in love with a blind girl who sells flowers in the park, and moves heaven and earth to raise the money for an operation that will restore her sight. This entails misleading her into thinking he is wealthy, and falling in (and out) with a somewhat schizoid wealthy drunk. The classic prizefighting scene is a painfully funny ballet of Chaplin, opponent, and referee, but there are many other wonderful and poignant laughs in this movie. The final shot, carefully plotted, is heartrendingly tender.
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The review of this Movie prepared by David Loftus
