A History of Chaplin's Film Career - Research Paper Example

Construct a history of Chaplins film career in terms of his engagement with the film industry, and the changing aesthetic requirements of Hollywood. Analyze at least three of Chaplin’s films (one from the teens, one from either the 20s or 30s and one from 40s) Charlie Chaplin’s filmography is a golden standard that vividly recreates the glamorous birth and sad decline of Hollywood’s studio system. Chaplin’s genius is demonstrated in all his films in fascinating detail speak about the tragic childhood that shaped his personality and his art. Charlie Chaplin is one of the most prominent and earliest of filmmakers. As writer, director and principle actor, he exhibited an unparalleled degree of cinematic control unknown in Hollywood in the early 1920s (Robinson 1994). His talent and professionalism allowed his to infuse his movies with remarkable achievement and creative dramatic structure. Chaplin starred, wrote, directed and produced almost all of his films, which left a deep trace in Hollywood’s film industry requirements (Robinson 1994). Although he began his career in the British music halls and on the vaudeville stage, when he came to the United States in 1912 his talent first caught the eye of the entertainment entrepreneur Mack Sennett of the Keystone Film Studio. By the end of the decade Chaplin was commanding fees of $1 million and building his own studio and distribution company. The inimitable comedic signature is a unique triumph by any stretch of the imagination. Documentary evidence shows that Chaplins entrepreneurial instincts triggered his interest in film production years before his film debut at Keystone. In 1909 Adam Kessel, Jr. and Charles O. Bauman became independent film producers and formed the New York Motion Picture Company (Acker 1991). They opposed the Patents Company monopoly initiated Hollywood’s first attempts to dominate independent production. Already among industrys most active film producers by 1912, Kessel and Baumann established a company to specialize in comedies. In 1913 Chaplin traveled to New York where he met with Adam Kessel. He offered him a one year contract and Chaplin continued to build his roster of comedy performances while developing Hollywoods preeminent fun factory of slapstick comedy. In the late teens and early 1920s the movies in the United States started to shed their Victorian moralism and sentimentality (Bowser 1990). The growing film industry increasingly expressed new themes: exoticism, glamour, sophistication, urbanization and sex appeal (Aberdeen 2005). New genres also emerged: swashbuckling adventures, sophisticated sex comedies revolving around the issue of marital fidelity and romantic dramas (Robinson 2004). Early comedies received controversial comments - some praised the movies as a benign alternative to the saloon, other condemned them as breeding grounds of crime and sexual promiscuity (Aberdeen 2005). By the end of his first month at Keystone, Chaplin individualized his on-screen character. He assembled the Tramp costume which obtained him a mythic status. In order to highlight the personality of his new creation, Chaplin collected a miss-match of clothing from several comics (Weissman 2008). Chaplin’s character, commonly known as the Tramp debuted in Chaplins second Keystone film – “Kid Auto Races at Venice” in 1914. The Tramp will fundamentally appear as Chaplin’s character over the next thirty years and his image would forever be associated with Chaplin’s name. The early film projects at Keystone significantly reveal Chaplins ambitions to rise above the mere actor profession. The high-reconcilability influence of Charlie’s tramp outfit enabled his popularity to grow steadily (Acker 1991). His desire to be more of a filmmaker than just an actor, led to arguments with the directors at Keystone. In cinemas earliest days, the industry was based in New York - the nations theatrical center. Most movies were made there or in New Jersey. In 1908 a growing number of filmmakers started to locate their studios in southern California (Balio 1976). They were drawn by the cheap land and labor and ready accessibility of different scenery. Moreover, the climate was ideal for year-round outdoor filming (Balio 1976). By the early 1920s, Hollywood was transformed into the worlds biggest film capital. It virtually produced all films shown in the United States. This was the perfect moment for Chaplin’s influence as comedic force and American cultural icon to push him into the realm of independent filmmaker. Shortly before the expiration of his Keystone contract, Chaplin agreed to sign a contract with Essanay Film Manufacturing Company. As a film production company Essanay became the slapstick comedy pillar before the advent of Keystone ( Robinson 1994). In 1915 when Chaplin joined the company, it was one of the most successful film producers at that time. After the production of several films for Essanay, Chaplin was allowed to move his crew to Hollywood. Essanay vigorously promoted Chaplins image. They merchandised photocards to books and toys. Soon Hollywood stardom affected Chaplin who generated prolific bonuses from the film company. Star paraphernalia at Hollywood was not a new idea, but the body of Chaplin merchandise was unlike anything seen in film before. In February 1916, he signed a contract with Mutual and they permitted him to rent a studio in Hollywood and allowed him a great degree of freedom with his own production unit (Aberdeen 2005). Ever since the beginning of Hollywood era, Hollywood not only expressed popular values, endeavours, and fantasies, but it also contribute to the aesthetic change and promote cultural difference (Bowser 1990). Chaplin’s inventive and imaginative use of set pieces, for example an escalator or revolving doors shown in “The Floorwalker” (1916) and “The Cure” (1917) were considered as benchmark film comedy. (Aberdeen 2005). With his poignant language in films like “The Immigrant” (1917) Chaplin experimented with narrative structure envisioning a new direction for screen comedy (Aberdeen 2005). Chaplin cemented his unprecedented acclaim for a screen image by becoming an independent producer. He funded his own films and controlled the rights. With the time Chaplin’s films were getting longer and typically running about three reels. The result was six-reel comedy “The Kid” (1921). In this film he was convinced that he needed to include some pathos to highlight the comedy element. The film featured a child and a combination of slapstick and sympathy that was regarded as innovative at that time. Even though this was highly unconventional, the formula became revolutionary and comedy features with a breakthrough format emerged from this (Acker 1991). Chaplin proved to be one of the most independent of all Hollywood filmmakers. For decades, engineers in the film industry had searched for a functional technology to supplement synchronized recorded sound to the movies (Bowser 1990). In 1926, Warner Brothers released the film “Don Juan” which included a synchronized film score, along with a program of talking shorts (Aberdeen 2005). During the Hollywood transition to sound movies, Chaplin resisted this transformation and was classified as a silent film aesthetic. Subsequently, the inevitability of progress left him the only producer of silent films in Hollywood in the 1930s. Chaplin remained one of the sole producers in Hollywood before the Disney era who generated more revenue overseas than domestically (Balio 1976). Chaplins two final Tramp films “City Lights” (1931) and “Modern Times” (1936) although achieved great success, became anachronistic anomalies in the epoch dominated by talkies (Aberdeen 2005). “City Lights” was Chaplin’s first post-silent film which proved to be a difficult shoot. However, the film turned to be a lucrative success and encouraged by his triumph, Chaplin settled on another silent movie “Modern Times”. A satiric commentary on the Industrial Age, the project allowed him to elaborate on the celebrated roller-skating and escalator hopping comedy routines, giving a final honor to the tramp character. Wartime Hollywood released a few anti-Nazi films. It was remarkable how slowly Hollywood awoke to the fascist threat. Heavily dependent on the European market for revenue, Hollywood was afraid to offend foreign audiences (Balio 1976). Yet, Hollywoods greatest contribution to the wartime film industry was the effort to preach morale. Most of the films produced during World War II were patriotic. They affirmed a sense of national purpose, emphasized patriotism, valued individual sacrifices for a larger cause (Balio 1976). Chaplin arranged the preparations in his production company to make an anti-Nazi satire on political antagonism. The film was called “The Dictator” (Aberdeen 2005). Hollywood studios were frequently blamed to propagate anti-isolationist views. In “The Dictator” Chaplin took the great risk in an atmosphere of American isolationism to publicly show his personal political aspirations (Balio 1976). He began shooting the film even before the declared war on Nazi Germany by England. The suggested title role provided Chaplin with the brilliant opportunity to feature his verbal, comedy skills. The dual role of the soft-spoken Jewish peasant skillfully unfolded Chaplin’s artistic talent and genuinely adapted his tramp character to the sound (Acker 1991). The film was retitled to “The Great Dictator” and opened in theatres in October 1940 with fantastic, grand reception. The turnover of the film made it Chaplin’s most successful film ever, placing it on Hollywoods unofficial list of all-time box office hits (Robinson 1994). Chaplins most enduring and immortal alter-ego is the Tramp. Released in 1914 “Kid Auto Races at Venice” is the milestone in the film history when the public saw for the first time the tramp character portrayed by Chaplin. At that time he was filming for Keystone Studios where Mack Sennett allowed him to develop the tramp. The 7 minute film shows Charlie dressed as a tramp for the first time who goes to a baby-cart race in Venice, California. There he causes a great deal of turmoil and confusion, getting in the way of the cameraman. He constantly interferes with the race and irritates both the participants and the general public. The constant embarrassment that the Tramp experiences, becomes Chaplin’s hallmark. Even in this earliest attempts to find the most suitable character for his, he proved that he is eagerly learning and developing the Tramps character. Chaplin revealed artistic and image qualities that were new to the comedy film genre, with mime that accomplished the highest aesthetic levels of acting art. The pathos and formidable commentary on various social issues skyrocketed him 4 years later to open his own studio in 1918. “City Lights” (1931), subtitled "A Comedy Romance in Pantomime," is generally considered as Chaplins greatest film. This silent film was released three years after the beginning of the talking cinema and is believed by many critics to be the last achievement of the silent era film industry. Although the audience can not hear the Tramp, the film possesses a synchronized soundtrack built from a musical score (Ebert 1997). Chaplin strategically incorporated sound effects for the satiric and expressionistic situations. In “City Lights” Chaplin achieves a balance between the comedy moments exhibiting a range of wisely chosen universal emotions (Ebert 1997). Chaplin remains unequaled in his pathos, slapstick, body language and pantomime. With its tightly wrapped up melodrama, “City Lights” is an honest and humorous story which successfully targets the social elites and carries a sense of sheer and compassionate humanity. Chaplin delicately presents the love story of the gentleman Tramps who gives all for a blind flower girl. The only friendships that the Tramp has are with people who do not or can not see him. The shabby appearance of the Tramps makes people avoid him and stereotype him as “not belonging to our social class”. The relationship be develops with the flower girl is dramatic. Does she accept and treasure him only because she is not able to see what he looks like (Ebert 1997)? This is the storyline of the film. The last scene of ``City Lights is famous for the heartbreaking, emotional moments. The Tramp, recently released from prison encounters the flower girl. Her sight is restored by an operation funded by the Tramp, but she does not recognize her benefactor at first (Berardinelli 1999). Now she sees him as a shabby bum, but smiles at him while handing him some money and a rose. After touching his hands she realizes who he is and accepts him. The Tramp’s guesses were confirmed – she has a good hear. The paradoxical aspect of “City Lights” is that it is a silent film. The charm and power of the film is achieved without talking. The characters have to evoke feelings not with their voices, but with their artistic performance (Berardinelli 1999). Even thought there are many dramatic elements, the film was meant to be a comedy. “City Lights” offers the fullest characterization of the Tramp – loner, who walks around as a dream figure. He does not have a family, no place to stay or live, he does not belong to the reality of the bourgeois society. He is a complete innocent with a pure heart and the best motives. “City Lights” illustrates the strength of silent films in an inexpressibly, powerful manner which runs within the context of the entire movie (Berardinelli 1999). When Chaplin was approached by Orson Welles about a project based on the true story of French serial wife-killer, Chaplin embraced the idea. However, instead of cooperating with Welles who would direct, Chaplin bought the idea and recreated it in a movie that would forever expel the Little Tramp (Bourne 2004). In 1947 “Monsieur Verdoux” was released – Chaplin’s anti-Tramp. This is Chaplin’s most pessimistic film. The sweetness and sentimentality that was characteristic for his previous works of art had disappeared. The sarcasm and subversive irony that was noticeable in “Modern Times” and “The Great Dictator” was elevated to astonishing levels in “Monsieur Verdoux” and the audience was bombarded with intense, social criticism. The subtitle of the film “A Comedy of Murders” is a biting satire that aims to define the confusing morality of our times. Chaplin features as Henri Verdoux, a bank clerk from Paris who is fired during the Great Depression. Verdoux has a wheelchair-bound wife whom he loves and a son. He devises another means to take care of his family, utilizing imaginary jobs to cover his travels. During his journeys, he courts rich widows, marries them and murders them to take their money. This is an example what civilization can make out of man. Verdoux scolds his son, not to be cruel to animals, but he dispatches his victims ruthlessly with poison, to prove his generous nature (Bourne 2004). Verdoux is eventually caught, however he turns into an accuser – a murdered who has taught to massacre, because society has produced such an individual. When Verdoux stands at his trial, he makes a speech directed against the corrupted ethics and morale of the bourgeois society. Verdoux says ‘War, conflicts, its’s all business. One murder makes a villain. Millions a hero. Numbers sanctify.” “Monsieur Verdoux” received an unparallel critical and commercial hostility in the U.S. One of the possible reason why this was so, was the political circumstances at that time. Only two years had passed since the end of the World War II and the Cold War was spurring the country (Bourne 2004). Chaplin could not have chosen a worse time to outrageously reveal the defects of the capitalist society. Some cinemas refused to play “Monsieur Verdoux”. The city of Memphis banned the film outright and soon United Artists withdrew it from distribution altogether (Bourne 2004). Not surprisingly, the film played better in Europe. Harold Clurman (cited in Bourne 2004) called is a fascinating documents of our day. He admired that the film questions the cultural moron and pictures the true expression of individual who is made by the society. “Monsieur Verdoux” depicts exactly what he feels about the world he lives in (Bourne 2004). Hollywood nominated Chaplin’s screenplay for an Academy Award. An argument can be brought that the film was “ahead of its time”. Today’s independent films attempt to accomplish the uncompromising personal point of view with cynical and sardonic stances. They try to target the hypocrisy in contemporary American values and capitalism, however Chaplin’s film for the greatest provocation that a society can receive. “Monsieur Verdoux” lacks the lightness of the murder-comedies which are obscured with absurd situations. Instead the film is obvious and deliberate. The film does not support wistful social parable, it rather displays with heavy metaphors the cheap political maneuvers. Even though Chaplin’s skills as director are outstanding in all this films, in “Monsieur Verdoux” he produces an old-fashioned style even for 1947 (Bourne 2004). It seems that the film is staged from the previous generation. Chaplin is well-known for his obsessive attention to details and that the singled out parts are more important than the whole. This makes “Monsieur Verdoux” lacking in structure and weakened by gaps in the plot logic (Bourne 2004). Yet, Chaplin chooses to change our mentality by preaching is instead of engaging the audience in a dialogue. This approach places him on a pedestal from which it is hard to communicate with the viewers. “Monsieur Verdoux” is painfully honest, and delivers sense of righteousness and superiority of the intellectual message that Chaplin displays. Chaplins Tramp is his most iconic comic creation. His silent-comedy chops are a glorious revelation for his sophisticated talent. He revolutionized the language of the cinema as we know it today and became one of the most loved performers of all time. A man plagued by his distressing childhood and loneliness he was driven by the quest to reach artistic perfection. Although his life was an extraordinarily dramatic one he is remembered by his vivid imagination and mesmerizing artistic performances. Works Cited: Aberdeen,A.J. Hollywood Renegade & Founding Member of The Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers. 2005. Charlie Chaplin: Biography—Independent Profile. 26 October 2009 Acker, Ally. Reel Women: Pioneers of the Cinema 1896 to the Present. New York: Continuum, 1991. Balio, Tino, ed. The American Film Industry. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1976. Berardinelli, James. “City Lights, film review. 1999. James Berardinelli. 24 October 2009. Bourne, Mark. “Monsieur Verdoux: The Chaplin Collection”. The DVD Journal. 2004. 29 October 2009 Bowser, Eileen. The Transformation of Cinema, 1907-1915. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1990. Ebert, Rober. “City Lights (1931) film review”. 1997. Rogerebert. 25 October 2009 Robinson, David. Chaplin: His Life and Art. Da Capo Press 1994. Weissman Stephen. Chaplin: A Life in Film, Arcade Publishing. 2008 Read More