Limelight

Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Claire Bloom, Nigel Bruce, Buster Keaton, Sydney Chaplin, Norman Lloyd, Snub Pollard, Edna Purviance
Directed by: Charlie Chaplin
Rating: G
Genre: Drama, Music, Romance
1952

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: An aging comedian (Charlie Chaplin) past his prime connects with a depressed ballet dancer (Claire Bloom) and they help each other through troubled times.

Review:

Tim: I'm amazed by Charlie Chaplin. I find his life and career fascinating. He was one of the all-time great silent movie stars. He made a number of classic films, including a number of shorts as The Little Tramp, as well The Gold Rush and City Lights. Modern Times is an absolute masterpiece, and then he successfully transitioned to sound movies (which is a bit astonishing) with The Great Dictator. Twelve years after that, he gives us Limelight, perhaps his most personal and heartfelt movie. I know this film has some flaws, but I believe it's a great movie. It offered Chaplin a chance to reflect on his own life.

That's what makes the movie so powerful to me. Yes, the character of Calvero is probably inspired by several people, but it's obvious Chaplin used this vehicle to speak to his own life. Like Calvero, this is an actor who was on top of the world at one point in his life. He was a comedy master and audiences howled at his comedic actions. He achieved all the fame and fortune you could imagine. And then, the world changed. And he tried to change with it, but it would never be the same. In the early 1950s, Chaplin recognized he'd grown old. He was past his prime. But, how frustrating to feel like your body is failing you and the world has become indifferent when you are still you. Chaplin was still as brilliant as he ever was, but it must have been brutal to try and accept that the glory days are behind you. Chaplin uses this film to tell a powerful story, but you know it involved some deep reflection time, looking into the mirror. That's the chief reason why I loved this film so much. I don't believe many actors at this stage of their career would subject themselves to this kind of scrutiny. What Chaplin says about himself through this character is powerful and unforgettable. I loved his performance, his world weariness. His insistence on not getting his hopes up, but how difficult it is to extinguish all hope regardless. This is all presented right on screen for the world to see. I truly believe Chaplin showed his courage for baring his soul a bit for this film. As you might expect, it benefits significantly from his truthfulness.

The big complaints I've read about this movie is that it's too talky and too long. I admit there's some validity to this criticisms. The movie is definitely a bit too long at 2 hours, 17 minutes. It takes a lot to get through the film, although I enjoyed my time immensely. Still, it's long. And yes, there is a preachy side to the film. I admit that. For me, though, I got to see Chaplin speak and act on film towards the end of his career. With such a personal film, I was fascinated to hear what he had to say. I loved the insight into this character he provided (and somewhat, into himself) and I didn't mind it too much. So, yes, maybe these are valid complaints, but they don't detract from this being a truly great film.

One thing that does bother me about this movie is that it won the Academy Award for Best Music, Original Dramatic Score.... in 1972. I can't believe the Academy' s rules were so poorly written that this film could compete 20 years after its release because it had never been released in Los Angeles. It's a dumb rule and frustrating that this film took an Academy Award from a deserving film two decades later. The only thing that gives me some appreciation here is that it was Chaplin's only competitive Oscar. It feels like a small piece of redemption for a great actor who had this film boycotted because of his ridiculous alleged "communist sympathies" (absurd). Still, it's so weird that this film won an Academy Award twenty years after its release.

I loved Chaplin in the role, obviously. He pours so much heart, emotion, and truth into this role, it's hard not to love this man reflecting on his life. It amazes me that he was such an incredible silent film star and an incredibly speaking actor, too. He is fantastic in the role. Claire Bloom is really good in her role, too. It was a very early career role (which launched her to stardom) and she's a bit prone to over-dramatizing her performance, but she also brings a lot of energy and heart to the role. I really enjoyed getting to see Bloom and Chaplin interact. The whole supporting cast is good- it's fun to see Sydney Chaplin in a supporting role. I do want to highlight Buster Keaton. I can't even describe how much I love that he accepted this small supporting role. It was the first time Keaton and Chaplin ever shared a screen together. Keaton is another silent film maestro, delivering perhaps my favorite silent film of all time, The General. To see Chaplin and Keaton share a screen at this stage of their life is a wonderful gift for movie fans. I thought their scenes together were funny and a true delight. I still feel like pinching myself, this collaboration seems so impossible to happen. I know there were made up rumors about these two at the time, but it says a lot to me that Chaplin reached out to this competitor and allowed Keaton a late-career chance to shine. I absolutely believe Keaton's presence here made the movie significantly better.

Limelight is a great movie. I'd put it only behind Modern Times as the very best of Chaplin's films. It is a beautiful, poignant film about an aging comedian, about overcoming despair, and about finding love in the most unlikely of places. Sure, it's talky. But it's a powerful, remarkable movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 8


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Modern Times, The Great Dictator