The Real Charlie Chaplin

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".

The Real Charlie Chaplin is an earnest attempt to characterize the legendary silent film star Charlie Chaplin, showing more about the man behind the Little Tramp character, and explaining his significance. At times this documentary's somewhat bland narration and spotty coverage of Chaplin's life seem to undermine the actor and his legacy.

Almost everyone knows who Charlie Chaplin is, at least by his image: The bowler hat, scraggly coat, thin cane, and trademark mustache are well-known symbols of the first landmark actor of Western cinema. The Real Charlie Chaplin does its best to do the impossible - capture the essence of Charlie Chaplin - using archival footage and tape-recorded interviews. It's a compilation of perspectives and personal impressions, told in dramatic fashion, rather than a linear storyline. Really, The Real Charlie Chaplin is all about Chaplin's rise and fall to and from fame, his political opinions, and his contributions to film history (which have been surveyed in a slightly haphazard fashion, only grazing the surface of some of Chaplin's works).

The film draws on rarely-heard recordings made by Chaplin, his family, and Effie Wisdom, a childhood friend who grew up with him in London. It's surreal to hear all these voices talk about one of history's most-loved personalities. Directors Charles Middleton and James Spinney orchestrated reenactments of these recordings, with actors lip-synching and emoting precisely to the audio. It's an approach that works for some and may not for others, since it entails actors adding gestures or expressions that the original speakers weren't able to, and so feels a bit unnatural at times. Wisdom's recording is by far the clearest, and this reenactment method begins to fall apart when Chaplin's recording is introduced, as Chaplin's voice is grainy and the tape recorder makes him sound strained. Many scenes of Chaplin's films are dissected by narrator Pearl Mackie, as is his family life through a series of photographs accompanied by the aforementioned recordings. Her narration slows the pace of the film quite dramatically, and it may have been a better idea to have the recordings guide the film more, instead of the narration. In all other aspects, though, The Real Charlie Chaplin is a well-made film.

The Real Charlie Chaplin is all about individualism, perspective, and devoting yourself to your craft. There are some mature themes like domestic abuse and manipulation to watch out for.

I give The Real Charlie Chaplin 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 14 to 18, plus adults. The Real Charlie Chaplin begins its theatrical run at Cinema Village (New York) and Laemmle Santa Monica (Los Angeles) on Friday, November 19, 2021.

By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST!

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....

An insightful documentary which manages to largely follow the man's entire life whilst trying, largely successfully, to understand and articulate his motivations and aching doubts. He remains highly regarded and it is hard to understand now how incredibly popular and loved he was. He was though not a particularly nice man and seemed to find affection for others difficult, until possibly in his old age. The nonsensical communist paranoia that plagued the US finally got him and he had to live his later years in Switzerland which often seems here so very sad, particularly given the somewhat hypocritical Oscar he received in his last few years.

I rather liked Pearl Mackie's rather affectionate narration, which made a nice change from the usual Walter Cronkite type austerity.

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.