Cahrlie Chaplin:The silent Comic
...ubject of social criticism. In his masterpiece The Gold Rush (1925) Chaplin returns to the theme of the "little tramp". This film makes a comedy out of tremendous hardship. The film is vaguely based on the story of the stranded mountaineers who, in order to survive, committed a cannibalistic act. In The Gold Rush there is a reference to the theme of cannibalism when one of the characters imagines Chaplin to be a chicken. The Gold Rush remained Chaplin's favorite film. It is also the most characteristic of Chaplin's work. Some of the themes explored in this film include the theme of loneliness as presented in the "dream sequence", the theme of hunger as presented in the "boot scene", and the theme of the happy ending as presented in the last scene. Other films by Chaplin included The Dictator (1940), Limelight (1952), and his last film The Countess from Hong Kong (1966). Chaplin's influence in the world cinema can be seen in many films. His character, acting, and themes have been and will be imitated from many years to come. Chaplin's star image changed as the years went by. His early films, personal life, and political troubles contributed to the change of Chaplin's star image. His early Keystone films portrayed Chaplin as a vulgar comic. However, once Chaplin directed his own films, a finer sense of comedy was used. For example, the introduction of romance however unfulfilled. His personal life, including his divorce, at times went against the grain of the social believes in early twentieth century America. Lastly, Chaplin's political troubles, some due to his pro Soviet Union speeches of the early 1940's, landed him stranded in Europe once his re-entry permit was revoked by the Attorney General of the United States. The relationship of Chaplin as an actor and his American audience became strained once the character of the "little tramp" was no longer used in his films. Also, the retention of his British citizenship and his inconsistency in paying his United State taxes did not help his overall image in America. However, Chaplin responded to the government of the United States with his film title A King in New York (1957). This film...