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One of the most influential auteurs in film history, Charlie Chaplin remains to this day the most well-known figure from cinema's silent era. Throughout most of his career, Chaplin played The Tramp, one of the most iconic characters of 20th-century cinema. An actor, writer, director, producer, editor, and composer, Chaplin created an instantly recognizable aesthetic that combined world-class slapstick comedy with pathos related to poverty, industrialization, and war.

Chaplin's film career began during the early days of Hollywood in 1914 and lasted through the sound era until his final directorial effort in 1967. Six of Chaplin's films, Kid Auto Races at Venice, The Immigrant, The Gold Rush, City Lights, Modern Times, and The Great Dictator reside in the National Film Registry. Many of Chaplin's best works rank among cinema's most treasured films.

This article was updated on January 2, 2025, by Christopher Raley: The fact that Charlie Chaplin's name is still recognized 58 years after...

Christopher Nolan has been attracting the eyes of critics throughout his entire career. Although it was working with a minuscule budget of $6,000 and only played in a few theaters in the United States, his 1998 debut feature "Following" was praised for its tight storytelling and terse psychological underpinnings. Nolan then rose to international fame with his 2000 film "Memento," a neo-noir about a man unable to form new memories. Its backward-chronological-order plot was cleverly conceived and impeccably laid out, somehow coming to a traditional narrative climax even while running in reverse.

From there it was off to the races, so to speak. Nolan became a power player in Hollywood, directing gigantic movie stars like Al Pacino and Robin Williams in a remake of "Insomnia" and making a gigantic, zeitgeist-shifting hit with 2005's "Batman Begins." Nolan's three Batman movies are still spoken of with enthusiasm to this day. Their success also allowed him...

It would be no surprise to see a picture of Charlie Chaplin next to the word comedian in the dictionary, as more so than any other actor, director, writer, or filmmaker, his movies have left an undeniable mark on cinema and pop culture in general. Best known for his timeless characterization of the Tramp, his signature toothbrush mustache, and his incredible slapstick and physical comedic talents, Chaplin encapsulated the silent movie era and remained a vital figure after the sound revolution. Through thoughtful and hilarious movies, Chaplin pushed filmmaking into new territory and became a true icon in the process.

As the man behind some of the greatest silent movies ever made, whose work boasted incredible social and political relevance, Chaplin took the world by storm to become one of the most significant names in the movie industry. From The Gold Rush to The Great Dictator, Chaplins filmography has boasted...