Chaplin (the biographical film)
I watched the film Chaplin again last night, I'd forgotten how good and moving it was. I've never been much of a fan of Charlie Chaplin, as I always found his comedies depressing rather than cheering owing to their themes of poverty and oppression (unlike, say, Laurel and Hardy, whose comedies were more uplifting), but Richard Attenborough's film really does hold your attention, and Robert Downey Jnr is amazing as Chaplin, and Kevin Kline is also fantastic as Douglas Fairbanks.
The film isn't totally accurate, though; for example, it's never mentioned that Chaplin briefly worked with Stan Laurel, and tragically Chaplin's all too brief (in the film) time spent with Hettie Kelly was even shorter in reality. In real life he never had a date with her, he only met her five times, and never for more than twenty minutes. He never saw her after he was eighteen, yet he never forgot her, trying to recreate her in many of his films, and some people have speculated that she was the true love of his life.
Anyway, it's a great film and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to see something funny, moving, and memorable.
The film isn't totally accurate, though; for example, it's never mentioned that Chaplin briefly worked with Stan Laurel, and tragically Chaplin's all too brief (in the film) time spent with Hettie Kelly was even shorter in reality. In real life he never had a date with her, he only met her five times, and never for more than twenty minutes. He never saw her after he was eighteen, yet he never forgot her, trying to recreate her in many of his films, and some people have speculated that she was the true love of his life.
Anyway, it's a great film and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to see something funny, moving, and memorable.
Post edited by ewgf on
Comments
stan laurel was chaplin's replacement in the shows in england, when chaplin went to america to work in films.
Yes, they rehearsed together, though I don't know if they actually appeared together on stage in front of a real audience. They never appeared together in a film, though I don't know why - it might have been contractual reasons, but I suspect it's more to do with the fact that both Chaplain and Laurel were fiercely controlling over their respective films and performances, and so neither would (I surmise) be willing to appear in a film with was under the control of the other.
You've got to remember, his films were set in the period of the time.. lots of poverty and the Great Depression.
and he came from a very poor family, as the movie itself illustrates...
the biggest artistic license is the anthony hopkins' character, i suppose.