Chaplain (Review)

Another film to enjoy of lockdown and for fans of Charlie Chaplain and Robert Downey Jr is the 1992 film \"Chaplain\".  The film was directed by the late Richard Attenborough and it is about the life of the great Charlie Chaplin based on his autobiography that was published in 1964. 

Many people around the world would know of Robert Downey Jr from playing Iron Man/Tony Stark in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe).  In the days before Downey put on his Iron Man,  he took on the role of playing Charlie Chaplain in Chaplain and gives a fabulous portrayal of Chaplain to the world. It could be that playing Iron Man has over shadowed Downey’s earlier work.  So If you are looking for a film to watch over lock down, people need to watch this film. 

The film has had all star cast from beginning to end and some actors who would would have in other films in the MCU, like the great actor Anthony Hopkins, and who plays the chaplain’s audio biographer (George Hayden). As well as other well known actors like; Dan Aykroyd (Mark Sennet), the late John Thaw, Marisa Tomel (Mabel Normand), along with Geraldine Chaplin (Chaplain’s Daughter) playing Charlie Chaplain’s mother.and many more great actors and actress. 

The film is beautifully made and put together and shows how Chaplain started in London and rises to be  be one of the best actor\"s, directors and story tellers in the earlier beginnings of motion pictures. By detailing the highs and lows in Chaplain’s life and this helps the audience to understand on an emotionally level of what Chaplain is going through as he produces his movies and dealing with the trials of life. The film also shows that even in todays world that silent movies can still work in the era of talkies and action movies. The film achieves this by showing parts of the movie as a silent movie for a few minutes. This is so the audience can experience a silent movie and it makes the movie funny and enjoyable to watch. By remaking some of Chaplain’ s films he made when he was employed my Mark Sennet and during the events of Chaplain’s first divorce at the time of making ‘The Kid’.

The also highlights the events of the great depression and the rise of Hitler and the Nazis. which made Chaplain make ‘Modern Times’and ‘The Great Dictator’. During the films the audience learns that Chaplain makes films to highlight what is happening in the world to entertain educate and to give his own personality view of what us happening in the world. The audience learns that there was  a reason  when Chaplain was making his film in this movie about him.

For anyone who is interested in making movies this film shows how motion pictures in the early days started by using some of the techniques that are still in use today.  But it also highlights how films were made before the introduces of using green screens, special effects to create new worlds, it is important to be on location and the films highlights very well to teach and reflect on how motion pictures got started in the early days. That the film and TV industry got started as a trade and to this day it still is a trade because  editors, directors, sound engineers, writers could be working on a range of different projects at a time and have to go were the work is. 

So,during lock down if people are stuck for something to watch I would success everyone to sit down and watch ‘Chaplain’ to be entertained and to be enlighten of the talent that is ‘Charlie Chaplain’.

By James Mullan 


















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