Rent City Lights (1931)

Still a Charmer - City Lights review by CP Customer

I saw a few Chaplin shorts accompanied by an orchestra outdoors at Canary Wharf last summer. What surprised me most was how many big laughs it got, and if you want to revisit his work, I'd say the best way to fully experience it is with an audience. At home, on DVD however, this still charms. A simple story with a lot of heart, you can see how the little tramp from Clapham managed to charm the whole world. And make them laugh.

Enjoyable - City Lights review by RJ

I suffered from a bit of Chaplin fatigue after watching his first four films in quick succession. Refreshed after a bit of a break, I watched City Lights and was quite pleasantly surprised. I am still not (and probably never will be) completely sold on Chaplin but I did find this to be the funniest of his features so far and quite touching as well, notwithstanding the hokey blind-girl-miraculously-cured storyline.

The formula is familiar - the plot is just a line on which to hang various bits of slapstick, pantomime and, of course, romance but for the most part the sketches are funny. I actually laughed out loud a couple of times watching this, whereas the previous films elicited mostly smiles and the odd small chuckle. The repeated motif of the millionaire who loves The Tramp when intoxicated but fails to even recognise him when sober was a funny and nicely executed concept. Bits of slapstick by a canal, in a dance hall and at a boxing match were all well choreographed and amusing.

All in all an enjoyable watch, even for a Chaplin agnostic.

‘Tomorrow the birds will sing.’ - City Lights review by LJ

The slapstick routines go on far too long in this silent movie, and it’s just the story of a man trying to do good but bad keeps happening to him.