roverrocks Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Just watched Chaplin's "The Kid" for the very first time. Stunning and wonderful silent movie. Jackie Coogan is so amazing in his Kid role. I can't say enough about this moving film and then the tribute shown after "The Kid". Chaplin was such a genius. I'll quit gushing but I loved the film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misswonderly3 Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 rover, yes ! *The Kid* is a great film, as most of Chaplin's silent comedies are. Chaplin had that touch, a magic touch, that meant he could not merely pull, but yank, at your heartstrings, and yet not veer over into the sticky sweet realm of the maudlin. "Bathos", as some people call it. But Chaplin was able to make the most heart-rending movies, and yet stay on the right side of that balance between truly moving, and manipulative sentimentalism. Some will say he was often guilty of the latter, but not me. I think it's because the emotion in his films feels genuine, not calculated. The scene that shows Chaplin and Jackie being separated by poe-faced overly-zealous "do-gooders" has got to be one of the saddest in silent film. It always brings me to tears. And I don't cry much from movies. And how about that pancake breakfast the two of them enjoy? That's some clever little kid, making pancakes for his "dad" and himself all on his own like that. And Chaplin, as always when he partakes of any kind of meal in his films, assumes a dainty and elegant demeaneour as he begins to eat, at once funny and touching. I think he always takes on this "dainty", formal manner when eating partly because it's comical, but also to show that poor people can have good manners just as much as rich ones -sometimes more. Edited by: misswonderly on Jun 22, 2013 2:02 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markfp2 Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 No doubt THE KID is my favorite Chaplin film. The sad thing is how many people will never experience the greatness of that film because it's a silent film and most people won't watch silent films. It their loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gagman66 Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 I wish that TCM could show the complete version. With any luck the Criterion DVD and Blu-ray will include the powerful scenes that Chaplin deleted from the 1971 re-issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roverrocks Posted June 23, 2013 Author Share Posted June 23, 2013 > {quote:title=markfp2 wrote:}{quote}No doubt THE KID is my favorite Chaplin film. The sad thing is how many people will never experience the greatness of that film because it's a silent film and most people won't watch silent films. It their loss. My good wife is one of those sad people who won't give silent films a chance. I have a hard enough time trying to get her to watch any of the talking classics occasionally. Bugs the heck out of me!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gagman66 Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Easy enough to fix. Just show her SEVENTH HEAVEN. One glimpse of Charles Farrell and she will watch the whole movie. Be sure to buy extra tissues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roverrocks Posted June 24, 2013 Author Share Posted June 24, 2013 > {quote:title=gagman66 wrote:}{quote}Easy enough to fix. Just show her SEVENTH HEAVEN. One glimpse of Charles Farrell and she will watch the whole movie. Be sure to buy extra tissues. Great advice. I have not seen it either but after reading about Seventh Heaven it will be a must see for me and I will tie my most excellent wife to a chair and implore/beg her to watch it with me. Just read the film's marvelous reviews on Rotten Tomatos which were quite gushing. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gagman66 Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 You might be able to get SEVENTH HEAVEN or 7TH HEAVEN with the Movie-tone track from Net-Flix? The BFI DVD of SEVENTH HEAVEN/STREET ANGEL should still be available in Region 2. And it is not costly. There is a French Blu-ray. But over here in the States the Expensive Murna-Borzage At Fox Box set is the only way to purchase it in Region 1 on DVD. Sadly, what is posted on Youtube is a very poor transfer with an old piano score recorded back in the early 70's. So that doesn't do you any good. STREET ANGEL works just as well as SEVENTH HEAVEN. As long as it has the Movie-tone score. Net-flix had a very murkey version of SA transfered from VHS several years ago. Rather they replaced it with the crisp transfer in the Murnau/Borzage Box set I do not know? These are two of the greatest American Silents films of the late 20's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markfp2 Posted June 25, 2013 Share Posted June 25, 2013 > {quote:title=roverrocks wrote:}{quote} My good wife is one of those sad people who won't give silent films a chance. I have a hard enough time trying to get her to watch any of the talking classics occasionally. Bugs the heck out of me!! Sorry to hear that. Other than a handful of films she fondly remembers seeing as a kid, my own wife isn't a classic film buff either. I've tried to get her interested, but that just didn't work. We have enough other mutual interests that it doesn't bother me anymore. I'm fortunate we have a very active film society here so I have a number of good friends who like what I like and "speak my language". I'm also lucky that my wife is very understanding of my "addiction" and has no problem with me doing film-related things with my like-minded friends. I think she enjoys having the house to herself on the nights I'm at a screening or whatever. I've always found it interesting that, with a few exceptions, most of the avid film buffs I've known over the years didn't have a spouse who was as passionate about classic films as they were. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roverrocks Posted June 25, 2013 Author Share Posted June 25, 2013 > {quote:title=markfp2 wrote:}{quote} > > {quote:title=roverrocks wrote:}{quote} My good wife is one of those sad people who won't give silent films a chance. I have a hard enough time trying to get her to watch any of the talking classics occasionally. Bugs the heck out of me!! > > > > > Sorry to hear that. Other than a handful of films she fondly remembers seeing as a kid, my own wife isn't a classic film buff either. I've tried to get her interested, but that just didn't work. We have enough other mutual interests that it doesn't bother me anymore. > > > I'm fortunate we have a very active film society here so I have a number of good friends who like what I like and "speak my language". I'm also lucky that my wife is very understanding of my "addiction" and has no problem with me doing film-related things with my like-minded friends. I think she enjoys having the house to herself on the nights I'm at a screening or whatever. > > I've always found it interesting that, with a few exceptions, most of the avid film buffs I've known over the years didn't have a spouse who was as passionate about classic films as they were. > Sadly, I have to admit you are quite right. With great sadness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts