City Lights (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]

I still remember flipping around the television one afternoon and stumbling upon this film on AMC. Believe it or not, I had never seen a Charlie Chaplin film. However, if you have indeed seen this classic film, you will not be surprised to know that when it was over I was completely in tears. Just THINKING about that final scene still chokes me up. Of course, now I have seen everything by Chaplin I could find, but "City Lights" remains my favorite Chaplin film. It might not be his best, but for me the ending is so overwhelming that my critical judgment is somewhat impaired. Certainly this is the Chaplin film in which the Tramp's pathos reaches its greatest heights. For me the catch in the throat comes early on when the flower drops to the ground, the Tramp discovers that the Flower Girl cannot see and he tips his hat to her. Of course the gestures is for our eyes, but then that is true of everything Chaplin does in this film. Even at the end, as we fade out on the uncharacteristic close-up of the Tramp's face, the music continues prolonging the emotion of the moment beyond that of the image on the screen. In a day when the lights come up in the theater as soon as the credits start to roll, it is certainly nice to see a filmmaker who's control of his art carriers through even when the screen is blank. But Chaplin's mastery of his craft was so complete that he was not only the star, the writer and the director, but he wrote the musical score as well. There are two intertwined plots in "City Lights." The Tramp encounters a Blind Girl (Virginia Cherrill) selling flowers with whom he is hopelessly smitten. Because of a simple twist of fate she thinks that he is a rich man. In the other plot line the Tramp saves a Eccentric Millionaire (Harry Myers) from committing suicide. The twist here is that when the Millionaire is drunk the Tramp is his best friend in the world, companion in his revels and welcomed visitor in his home. But when the rich guy sobers up, he immediately has his butler throws Charlie out the door. When the Tramp learns that there is a doctor in Europe who's operation can restore the Blind Girl's sight, he tries a variety of schemes to raise the money she needs. This sets up the best comic sequence in the film of the Tramp in the boxing ring with Hank Mann as his opponent. Eventually everything comes together and the Tramp acquires the money she needs, but not without some serious complications that require him to "go away" for a while, leaving her to await his return.Even before the climatic encounter between the Tramp and the Flower Girl who is no longer blind, there is a piercing shot to the heart when she sees him, a pathetic vagabond wiping his nose with the bit of cloth he uses to cover up a hole in his trousers, and she and her mother laugh at him. The irony is painful, for she is laughing at the man who is responsible for having her sight, the man who is least deserving of her ridicule. But she is still a kind-hearted soul and takes pity on him. Chaplin's set up of this entire scene creates a most wonderful sense of anticipation and a payoff that is not surpassed in the history of films. The final close-up is on the Tramp, but there is also the look in her eyes when she finally understands the complete truth about the man she loves. In the original cut of the film the final title card was HER line, "Yes, I can see now." But Chaplin took it out because it was not necessary. You did not need to know how to read lips to know exactly what she was saying and everything that it meant.

What a great watch !

The film opens as politicians celebrate a new monument to prosperity. Their speeches are empty words, gibberish. The monument is unveiled, only to reveal a bum, asleep in the lap of luxury. A struggle ensues. Irate politicians attempt to remove him from the monument, putting out of sight and out of mind the reminder that things aren't all that great for everyone in the big city, and the tramp attempts to make a dignified exit. In this and in so many scenes throughout the film, Chaplin is a master at creating ironic contrasts, ratcheting up the tension to the point it is almost unbearable -- where you don't know whether to laugh or cry -- and then he moves on, The tramp adjusts his coat, wipes off the dust, and waddles away. As often takes place in Chaplin's films, the tramp falls in love, but the one he loves loves him back based on mistaken identity. She is blind, and takes him to be a rich gentleman. The film is both hilarious and is a very thoughtful reflection on what it means to see, and on the various kinds of blindnesses that afflict most of us most of the time, so that we only see what we want to see.This is, to my mind, the greatest film by one of the greatest filmmakers. I've held off, though, in picking it up on DVD because, until now, it didn't look all that great. I'd seen it in the theater projected from a somewhat damaged print, I'd seen it on VHS and I'd seen it on DVD. I was hoping that someone would restore it properly and release it on Blu-Ray. I can't say how excited I was when I heard that Janus Films was doing restorations of several Chaplin films, and this was one of them, because I knew that meant we'd get a DVD and Blu-Ray release from Criterion. I was even more excited when I heard it would be a Blu-Ray/DVD combo release, since that means I can watch it on my laptop from a DVD as well as screen it large using a Blu-Ray player.Anyhow, I've seen this both ways now, and am not disappointed; I've projected it onto a wall, seen it on a large screen TV, and watched it on my Macbook Pro. It looks fantastic every way, and the perfect ending gets me every time.The features here are good too. There's an appreciative response to the film by Nick Park, creator of the Wallace and Gromit animated films. What I really enjoyed seeing, though, was the very rare footage of Chaplin directing a scene, in which the Tramp meets the Blind Girl for the first time. It's a scene he worked and reworked several times throughout the making of the film, and to see all the things he tried to make it work perfectly, to communicate several things without words, provides a fascinating window into the process of this fascinating director.An essential film, given a near-perfect release by Criterion. Highly recommended.

This is one of those films that people love.Personally I don't like it.I find it hard to define why, I just don't get much enjoyment from it.I am working my way through an Imdb watchlist and some of the films are excellent and some are indifferent and some are just OK.But, I still find sticking to the list interesting and this film fits that bill.An awful lot of people love it and as such I wanted to watch it, I'd not seen it before.It just isn't for me, it's only my personal opinion, but it is how I feel about it.

Not only is it really funny, but it also has a lot of heart to it! In my opinion, this is the greatest rom com ever made and the only one that deserves to be called the best! After watching it a 2nd time, it's now in my top 20 favourite films. I love it!

I think this is the best Chaplin film of all. The final sequence in which the flower girl who can now see meets Chaplin is momentous - bring a handkerchief!

Chaplin at his best !!! Such a clever man quite a genius in fact !!!Got to love The Little Tramp ! Played to perfection by Charlie Chaplin

enjoyed the film, some classic moments in it. the DVD itself was in good condition. I bought this as I have just read the biography of Virginia Cherrill.