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Limelight | Year: 1952 Directed: - Charles Chaplin Actors/Actresses: - Charles Chaplin - Claire Bloom Limelight - a clown's perspective A truly wonderful film; it swiftly became one of my favorites. In a nutshell, it's the story of a once-great stage comedian (Calvero, a formerly great tramp clown, played by Charlie Chaplin), who's been failing in his career, and has become an alcholic, who saves the life of a despondent ballerina (played by Claire Bloom) from a suicide attempt. The film is a juxtaposition of these two personalities, one who rallies & goes onward, the other who falls further. It contains some of Chaplin's funniest & finest moments, include a nice pantomime of a flea circus, and a duet towards the end of the film with Buster Keaton. Interestingly, neither comic legend played their most famous characters; Chaplin wasn't the tramp, but rather another tramp comedian, a manic violinist. Keaton wasn't his well-known stone face, but rather a near-sighted pianist. Some have suggested that Chaplin jealously cut Keaton's time on screen, but as Jerry Epstein (Chaplin's assistant on this film, and the other person besides Chaplin in the editing room) noted, Chaplin cut far more of his own moments from the scene. When asked why, Chaplin replied to the effect, that no matter how funny something was, if it didn't move the scene forward, it had to go. Something that modern clowns (and film makers) would do well to take to heart. A bittersweet film, that runs perhaps slightly longer than it should, but I frankly think it's "just right." I recommend it very highly, either for fellow clowns to learn from, or for fellow human beings to enjoy. Chaplin's Flaws and Virtues "Limelight" has not aged well. It's way overlong and suffers from Charlie Chaplin's phony philosophizing. However, the pantomime routines are excellent and the film is worth seeing for its brilliant eight-minute teaming of Chaplin and Buster Keaton. In fact, Chaplin could have taken a few pointers from Keaton, who speaks relatively little and performs without a hint of egomania. Chaplin may have cut some of Keaton's gags, yet the Great Stone Face steals the scene with his stoic underplaying. Parts of "Limelight" are quite affecting, but Chaplin undercuts his admirable efforts with his indulgent monologues on life, death and failure. His screenplay could have used another rewrite or, even better, a "BS detector." Still, for all its flaws, "Limelight" showcases Chaplin's pantomimic gifts in memorable fashion. In retrospect, it should have been his last film. I was. . . Is how Chaplin's character answers Terry (Claire Bloom) when she incredulously asks " You are the great Calvero? " This is the story of passing the limelight from old to young. In this case a world weary has-been clown beaten down by life (" I think I'm dying, but then I'm not sure, I've died so many times before ") and a young ballerina whom he rescues from committing suicide (" What's your hurry? "). She gets thrown out of her apartment for the attempt and ends up convalescing in the flat above, where her neighbor, the once great Calvero spends his days in drink. It's a wonderfully told tale, though it must be admitted it's as sentimental as the Sermon on the Mount and as corny as a Chopin nocturne. Furthermore Chaplin indulges himself with dialogue that matches the ending speech of the barber in The Great Dictator. I hope you can forgive him these faults and enjoy the movie. This one's a love letter to all artists by the man Lawrence Olivier once called the greatest actor of the twentieth century. Chaplin's last will and testament. Buy Limelight at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Limelight Search with the Priority Search Engine on Limelight This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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