Author Topic: June 2010 MDC Silent Films: Write ups  (Read 16370 times)

Corndog

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Re: June 2010 MDC Silent Films: Write ups
« Reply #50 on: July 03, 2010, 04:30:54 PM »
Delay was not a problem so long as you watched it and at least got something out of it, which it looks like you did.  :)
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michael x

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Re: June 2010 MDC Silent Films: Write ups
« Reply #51 on: July 16, 2010, 12:24:08 AM »
The Kid (1921)
Charlie Chaplin

The titular kid is an abandoned baby that Chaplin's character raises and has adventures with. But he isn't so sure about the whole idea in the beginning. In fact, he tries to abandon it several times, but is foiled. There's a strong sense of karma throughout the film. Well, not karma exactly, but a sense that there's a force guiding the universe to prevent people from avoiding their fate, even in small matters.

     

So he doesn't throw the baby down the storm drain. Instead, Chaplin takes him home and tries to raise him. We cut to five years later, and the kid has grown up a bit. From there, we watch the two run a scam, avoid the police, and get into a fight against a bigger, tougher duo. The physical/situational humor is well-executed, even if a bit stale so many years later. The rhythms of a silent comedy are different, but there's something so joyous and entertaining about them. Once I embraced those rhythms, the comedy felt fresh. I enjoyed how Chaplin used the story to bring about the comedy, and kept the gags within the context of the story. It's less than a dozen years later that the Marx Brothers would terrorize the screen in Animal Crackers, intentionally destroying any story. These feel like younger, more innocent days. There's a good bit of serious melodrama running through The Kid - which works at some points, and not in others.

I would have liked to know more about Chaplin's character prior to his finding the baby. (Is there more of that in the 68-minute version?) The story also feels very slight, in a way. I'm struggling to pin down exactly why, but I do wonder if it's in the odd relationship between the obstacle and denouement. And what is up with the dream sequence? Surely Chaplin isn't saying that all the bad characters in the movie are bad because they are jealous.

Overall, The Kid is an excellent, heartfelt comedy. Good call, ses.

ses

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Re: June 2010 MDC Silent Films: Write ups
« Reply #52 on: July 16, 2010, 10:13:18 AM »
Great write up michael, glad you liked it!  :)
"It's a fool who looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart"

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ses

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Re: June 2010 MDC Silent Films: Write ups
« Reply #53 on: July 27, 2010, 09:56:22 PM »
Just finished The Passion of Joan of Arc, I will have my write up tomorrow (I will have one for you too smirnoff).  :)
"It's a fool who looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart"

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Beavermoose

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Re: June 2010 MDC Silent Films: Write ups
« Reply #54 on: July 28, 2010, 01:23:19 AM »
Better late than never.

smirnoff

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Re: June 2010 MDC Silent Films: Write ups
« Reply #55 on: July 28, 2010, 05:50:14 AM »
Woo woo!

Mr C

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Re: June 2010 MDC Silent Films: Write ups
« Reply #56 on: July 28, 2010, 07:16:58 AM »
Anyone seen Louis Feuillade's Fantômas series or Joe May's Asphalt?

Loved Sunrise and Faust. Big fan of Murnau's work - Tartuffe is another great film from him and I need to see some of his other stuff.

For a "modern" silent film I'd alsom recommend Hadaka no shima aka The Island which has some beautiful cinematography and some wonderful acting.

Wish I had more time on my hands otherwsie I'd write up some stuff myself.

Let's do some wholesome DVD spanking.