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The most cherished film by Charlie Chaplin (Modern Times) is also his ultimate Little Tramp chronicle. The writer-director-star achieved new levels of grace, in both physical comedy and dramatic poignancy, with this silent tale of a lovable vagrant falling for a young blind woman who sells flowers on the street (a magical Virginia Cherrill) and mistakes him for a millionaire. Though this Depression-era smash was made after the advent of sound, Chaplin remained steadfast in his love for the expressive beauty of the pre-talkie form. The result was the epitome of his art and the crowning achievement of silent comedy.
the story of city lights is simple. the little tramp meets a beautiful blind girl selling flowers on the sidewalk who mistakes him for a wealthy duke. when he learns that an operation may restore her sight, he sets off to earn the money she needs to have the operation. in a series of comedy adventures that only chaplin could pull off, he eventually succeds, even though his efforts land him in jail. while he is there, the girl has the operation and afterwards yearns to meet her benefactor. the closing scene in which she discovers that he is not a wealthy duke but only the little tramp was described by critic james agee as "the highest moment in movies" and brought audiences to tears.
special features:
- extraordinary quality achieved from digital mastering of the best remaining negative in the chaplin archives.
- chaplin's own score digitally recorded and married to film. includes new digital recording of the original score conducted by carl davis and chaplin's original 1931 recording.
- interview with musical director carl davis.
- bonus materials: original story notes, production data and publicity items.
black and white movie
Charles Chaplin