The Immigrant

This legendary comedy stands as one of Charlie Chaplin's great achievements, a seamless blend of humor, romance, suspense and social commentary, all packed into an 18-minute running time! It's especially impressive when you consider that only three years earlier Chaplin was a complete novice at movie making, cranking out reels of often crude and chaotic slapstick for Mack Sennett. But in The Immigrant, Chaplin displays a self-assured command of contemporary film-making skills (i.e. cinematography, editing, and basic story structure) equal or superior to that of the era's top directors. Most impressive of all is Charlie himself: his iconic character is in full bloom, fresh and funny and full of life. He's a marvel, and a joy to watch.

The first half of this film is set on the sort of beat-up, wildly rocking cattle boat that served as passage to America for an entire generation of immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and it's certain that many of the people who saw The Immigrant when it was new could relate to the experience first-hand. Charlie is one of a large group of voyagers, seemingly of Eastern European origin (although this is never specified) emigrating to the United States. Some viewers may find the humor in these scenes vulgar, what with the relentless sea-sickness motif. The very first shot of the film suggests that Charlie is already suffering from a violent bout of mal-de-mere, although a surprise twist reveals we've jumped to the wrong conclusion. Whether you find these gags amusing or not, they're based on harsh reality only slightly exaggerated for comic effect; after all, before he was famous Chaplin himself came to America with the Fred Karno comedy troupe in a boat not unlike the one seen here, and his memory of that experience must still have been fresh -- unpleasantly so.

In any event, the highlights of the shipboard sequence include Charlie's attempts to navigate the slick floor of the dining hall, his meeting with Edna and her mother, and a game of cards with fellow passengers, including one burly guy with a very bad temper. The first half closes with one of Chaplin's most famous gags: as the immigrants get their first view of the Statue of Liberty the camera lingers for a moment on their expressions, at which point they are suddenly pushed back behind a rope line and then herded through customs like cattle by brusque, uniformed officials. As this takes place, Charlie sneaks a quick look back at the horizon, as if wondering whether Miss Liberty is really out there after all, and then he manages to give one of the rude officials a swift kick. A most satisfying moment, that.

The second half of The Immigrant takes place in a restaurant, and this sequence is a comic tour-de-force in and of itself. Charlie, hungry and broke, enters the restaurant thinking he has at least enough money to pay for an order of beans and a cup of coffee. When he realizes he's mistaken about his ability to pay, his prime objective is to escape the wrath of enormous waiter Eric Campbell, who is almost as menacing here as he was playing the bully in Easy Street. Campbell is a huge factor (so to speak) in making this sequence work so beautifully, as he had a knack for portraying comic villainy in a way that was both funny and genuinely frightening; Charlie's fear at what may happen if he fails to pay his check feels very believable. The many ingenious devices Charlie contrives to avoid facing the music make up the rest of the show, and as the suspense mounts the gags get funnier. (It was interesting to learn from the documentary "Unknown Chaplin" that this sequence was written and filmed first, and that the lead-in material on the boat was devised afterward.) It's in the restaurant that Charlie also reunites with his shipboard sweetheart Edna. Their relationship feels natural, touching, and real, and provides this wonderful comedy with an appropriately poignant finale.

The first half of 1917 saw Charlie Chaplin taking a more deliberate pace constructing his movies for his employer, Mutual Film Corporation Films. And he added a dose of societal moral commentary into his productions, a new twist in the comedian's platform for entertaining his fans.

During that six-month period Chaplin produced only three two-reelers. (At Keystone, he sometimes churned out one 15-minute movie every week.) He was becoming more of a perfectionist with his every film. When June 1917's "The Immigrant" was completed, he had only one additional film to make for Mutual under their contract obligations, missing the non-binding loose schedule by nine months.

Critics, however, saw the meticulous work of Chaplin as nothing short of enthralling. In "The Immigrants," as the British-born actor was himself belonging to that group, Chaplin examined the assimilation and financial plight of foreigners settling in the United States from their native countries. He uses as a symbol of such constrictions facing the relocating people by the actions of an immigration official roping off the departing passengers into a tight corner as they pass by the Statue of Liberty. Soon after his confinement, Chaplin kicks an immigration official in the butt. The scene was brought up as evidence during his exportation review by United States government officials looking into his anti-Americanism during the early 1950's "Red Scare" period.

Reflecting Chaplin's obsession to detail in "The Immigrants," he shot 90,000 feet of footage--90 reels--for this two-reel picture. The restaurant scene following the immigrant ship embarkation typifies the amount of retakes Chaplin demanded before satisfied with a scene. A simple eating sequence for Edna Purviance turned out to be quite unsettling for her stomach when she ate so many beans required in the script and by Chaplin, making her physically ill.

The Immigrant is one of Chaplin's early short films, with a very simple story but Chaplin makes it work. The thing that makes this early short film work so well is Chaplin's skill at slapstick comedy, it's so much fun to watch him try to deal with these endless predicaments that he gets into that you don't even pay attention to the simplicity of the story.

The majority of Chaplin's early films, particularly the short films like The Immigrant, are little more than brief comedy skits. But the value here does not lie in the story of the film, it lies in seeing how well Chaplin fits the role and how entertaining it is, even by todays standards, to watch his face as he realizes that he has dropped his money, after watching a man get beaten up for being ten cents short. The Immigrant is a classic because it is a Charlie Chaplin film, and really for no other reason. Chaplin makes it work, and he does it extremely well.

The Immigrant (1917) : Brief Review -

Can cinematography create Comedy? Don't say No because this film proves it. A Fun-Tastic Romantic Comedy! The Immigrant stars Charlie Chaplin as an immigrant coming to the United States who is accused of theft on the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean and falls in love with a beautiful young woman along the way. Just try to think about it, what ideas this title gives you and how much longer can you hold onto it. Sounds peculiar to have an Immigrant's story make too much sense, aint it? Well, not anymore. Comedy has regular sources which brings laughter such as physical, slapstick, tricks, stunts, adventure and whatever else you think fits here can be considered. But have you ever considered camera work as a source of Comedy? I did not, really. But that's before watching this film. Now i believe it. So, the first half of the film takes place on a steamship which of course keeps shaking as it is floating, but the use of camera here is immensely skillful. You see, this is not the only film to have scenes on ship but i guarantee you that the use of natural resources like sea waves was never done so practically innovative before. That dinner table scene and almost every scene on Ship is with the screen swinging like a pendulum. What a great experience it was. And what's more that it creates a comedy from it, i mean how? And all this in 1917, exactly 104 years back??? I don't see even today's filmmakers going creative like that and then i have to believe that Chaplin and his team did this all a century ago. Don't ask anything, because i don't have anything to say on this. I'd rather just clap for The Immigrant team for making me believe that the cinema was much more creative 100 years ago than today, even with short films. The Immigrant has everything you wish for- romance, comedy, drama, human emotions and last but not the least, that feel of life.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.

CHARLIE CHAPLIN and EDNA PURVIANCE are excellent together in this early Chaplin short covering his arrival by boat in the USA as "The Tramp" who has barely a penny to his name. The first sequence aboard ship is especially well done, full of the kind of sight gags and slapstick humor involving him and the other passengers that would make him the most famous comedian of his time.

Then the tender relationship with equally poor girl Edna Purviance and the second sequence devoted to establishing their relationship during a restaurant meal. Deftly comic moments where timing is everything are contributed by the menacing head waiter ERIC CAMPBELL, who has just thrown out a customer ten cents short of his bill. The fun begins when Charlie realizes whatever money he had from winning at cards has slipped through the hole in his pocket. A cat-and-mouse game with the waiter is played for laughs as Charlie seizes every opportunity to delay paying the bill until he accidentally finds some cash.

Chaplin fans can't afford to miss this one. Both halves of the story are played to perfection.