Charlie Chaplin's City Lights

What you are about to see in the film City Lights (1931) is a funny and emotional motion picture. This is an extraordinary silent film; it is poetic, moving, and tender. Charlie Chaplin is a master at comedic pantomime, conveying everything he does without the necessity of actually talking, but through the universal language of movement, gestures, and reactionary expressions. The film humorously displays the misadventures of the “Little Tramp” character and the harsh reality of The Great Depression. During the 1930s, the setting of which the film takes place in, nearly every major industrialize country was experiencing “a severe worldwide economic depression, however, in most countries it started in 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s. It was the longest, deepest, and most widespread depression of the 20th century” (Wikipedia).

As the film starts, the opening captions reads exactly what the film is about and establishes the way in which Chaplin is going to perform by stating “A Comedy Romance In Pantomime.” The film begins with the unveiling of a new city statue by the mayor and assorted aristocrats. However, a sleeping tramp is revealed resting on it once the white sheet is removed for the ceremony. The Tramp (Charlie Chaplin) ungraciously dismounts from the marble statue in humorist fashion.

Later, he
Nevertheless, the first police officer to arrive and the Butler assume the tramp struck the millionaire down, and stole his money. The tramp cleverly escapes capture, by next morning; he arrives at the blind girl’s house, and gives her all the money to use for the rent and to fix her eyes. She is very grateful for his unselfish generosity. She wishes to see him again when her eyesight comes back. But he regrettably informs her that he may be going away for a while. She is overwhelmed with tears of joy for his kindness and deeply sad that may or may not return to