The Real Charlie Chaplin

Charles Chaplin was the greatest comic actor, writer, producer and director of his time - from the infancy of film to the collapse of the studio system in the 1950s. For a long period, he was the most famous person on earth. His creation, The Tramp, was so flexible that he could find himself in a factory, a circus, a boxing ring, a gold rush - the list is endless. And it never didn't work. Wherever the Tramp went, he found himself immersed in the business of being human. This documentary wants us to know the man behind the Tramp facade. In many ways, they were very similar. Chaplin came from dire poverty in the hovels of late Victorian London. In many respects, he never left there. His politics were never very precise except that he was always for the underdog, for the Tramp. During the shameful period of American history when the FBI spied on every prominent person (probably still do) and tried to ruin the careers of all those who were sympathetic to working people (again, they probably still do) Chaplin was forced to leave the US and prevented from returning. He never fully recovered from the shock.

Going into this, you could write what I know about Charlie Chaplin on a stamp. I know that his films are classics of the silent era and that he was a comic genius. But everyone knows that right? What else is there to know about Charlie? This is a brilliant documentary. Both the perfect introduction to Chaplin and an insightful and deep exploration for any die hard fan. We think Chaplin and see his character, the moustache, the hat, The Tramp. It's difficult to separate Chaplin from his screen alter ego and to be honest, without the hat and the moustache, I don't think I could pick him out of a line up. Narrated beautifully by Pearl Mackie we begin in 1889, the year of Chaplin's birth and the birth of technological invention, most notably film. There's some clever tricks that make this especially watchable. Old audio interviews, brought to life with actors lipsyncing, but it's the narrated segments that tell the story best. The script is informative, yet poetic. Telling of his arrival in America, his start on the stage, using his comic gift and charm to hide the inadequacy and fear he felt. Fear of being alone, being poor, all things he knew only too well from his childhood. Yes the physical performances are exquisite, but this guy was a master polymath. Writing, directing, producing, editing, scoring. Staggering. The archive material is fantastic. Photos, newsreel, outtakes and movie clips, but it's the stories they tell. The arrival of The Talkies, how Chaplin innovates and continues to delight. I'm left with a list of Chaplin classics that I now have to watch. The Kid, The Gold Rush, City Lights, Modern Times, The Great Dictator. These films aren't great because of the physical comedy we associate with Chaplin. It's the heart, the truth and honest of the character he portrays. All incredibly self referential. It's not just the genius onscreen Chaplin we learn about though. There's the off screen marital problems. Teenage wives, abuse, deplorable patriarchy. Although this side of Chaplin is covered relatively quickly. None of the weight is taken away. There's much more to Chaplin than slapstick and a funny walk. Political witch-hunts, overzealous governments, tabloid scandal, exile. As miraculous his rise, how sensational the fall. A truly fascinating career and a truly fascinating documentary. "When you ask for the real Charlie Chaplin, a thousand voices reply. Some are louder than others. Some are hidden. Some struggle to be heard and others remain silent".

I did not learn anything new about him.... But it was nice to see all those old clips. Especially the home movies of him and Oona and kids in his later years. My fav movie of his is Monsieur Verdoux.... The 'tramp' was interesting but repetitive. Chaplin wanted to become 'famous' and he did. And wealthy. It's too bad his love for way too young girls led him and his career astray....

I thought this was a fairly reasonable documentary. However there are two main problems. Firstly the truly dreadful narrator whose monotonous tone starts to grate after 5 minutes. Secondly the totally unneccesary flashes at certain junctures for example when sound arrived in Hollywood. I am not epilectic but i had to cover my eyes as it was uncomfortable. Directors of documentaries should realise that they are detracting from the story and annoying the audience.

With the type of attention to detail and editing that Chaplin used throughout his career, this documentary could have been wonderful. But it's not. It's overly long, dwells too much on some things while ignoring others, and gives us an arms-length view. Shame. Better editing could make it wonderful.