Charli Chaplin Selected Films' Analysis - Movie Review Example

(College) Chaplin’s The Pilgrim develops an on-going commentary on the idea of performed identity with its many narrative layers of alias. Given that the film does not actually use Chaplin’s tramp figure directly, what does it seem to be saying about “character”—is there a genuine identity under it all, or is it all just performed layers? As a contrast to Chaplin and his “tramp-face” mode of performance (he is actually a rich star pretending to be poor), consider the way blackface is used in The Jazz Singer. Based on the storylines of these two films, does it seem that class identity is easier to play with than racial identity? If so, why do you think that would be the case? Be sure to find specific examples from the films to support your points. (Main object of analysis: Chaplin’s tramp persona and the way it gets deployed in the Pilgrim; subordinate contrastive example: The Jazz Singer). From the analytical perspective of the videos, Chaplin’s The Pilgrim, The Tramp and The Jazz Singer, much is revealed. Any normal viewer of The Pilgrim, for instance, is likely to miss a lot of hidden facts covered by the intense humor in the video. As a result, the superficial viewer will rate the entire video as a comic presentation when that is not all it entails. The Jazz Singer is yet another film whose viewers are likely to miss out a lot given that it marks the decline of silent film era. Due to this very reason, the film most likely appeared to people as an achievement of an advancement rather than an informative piece of art. It is the overwhelming excitement that come with these films that blind their viewers from their hidden prime content. This study solely purposes on analyzing the above listed films in attempts to reveal more than the obviously visible presentations. Figuring out the main character, Charlie Chaplin, in The Pilgrim, character appears masked. In most action scenes Charlie Chaplin presents himself as an entirely different person from the one who he really is. Seemingly, Chaplins change of character in The Pilgrim is for his own selfish gains. The Pilgrim reveals change of character as a tool for self-defense. Furthermore, it is this change of character that that acts as the condiment that gives The Pilgrims sense of comedy its flavor. The fact that Chaplin transforms himself into a reverent and leads a congregation without it realizing partially implies that character in The Pilgrim is entirely a set of performed layers. In The Pilgrim Charlie escapes from a conviction and steals the clothes of a bathing clergyman. Noticeably, this is an attempt to conceal his identity so that he does not get caught again. When Charlie gets to a rural railway station he is mistaken for a new pastor the community has been waiting for. In these scene what is not clearly brought out to the audience watching the film is the ignorance bred by the congregation. The issue of false identity is outstandingly exposed when Charlie endeavors to live up to the role of acting as a new pastor just as thought of him. The scene portrays the film as a gentle satire to the small-town and religion. The fact that this action scene is dominated by series of shots enables the achievement of dramatic emphasis making these scene an important one in the entire video. This charming comedy is sharp but good hearted fun at the expense of small hypocrisies of life. Through black-face and cosmopolitan theatrical culture, the film has been dramatized in a way that clearly portrays racism. Focusing on most fraught aspects of criticism; The Jazz Singer depicts racism by the use of black-face through several different lines of criticism. This comes out a bit forcefully given that Americans (the film is of American origin) have continued to struggle with their fraught history of racial relationships. One thing that shades off worries now and in-fact induces peace is that history has moved far much beyond this movie and its attitudes with respect to its setting. Ironically, The Jazz Singer in this context seemed so wrong with all the racisms and criticisms that that it portrayed yet it became so popular. Furthermore, the artistic value of The Jazz Singer offers a good starting point since it had its critics from the outset. The film produced excessive emotions. The Jazz Singer is a conflict dominant film. One factor against its happy ending is that The Jazz Singer transforms the Jewish history in the United States into family melodrama. The type of conflict revealed here is an intermarriage conflict between the Jews and Americans rather than racial conflict. By criticizing family melodrama, the problem of the Jewish son is evident. Therefore, drawing attention to problems of the Jewish son is an outright implication that The Jazz Singer thinks of Americans at a better position compared to the Jewish community. With a more diverse look at The Jazz Singer, the struggle of sons against fathers is an evident social fact. Towards the end of the film presentation it is evident that all the problems faced by Jack are with his father and not with the Gentiles, he therefore gets along well with the Gentiles. Focusing on The Jazz Singer and The Pilgrim story-lines, class identity proves much easier to play with than racial identity. Chaplin’s The Pilgrim is flooded with comic humor. This, to a great extent, gives the film an extra advantage of attractive expression over The Jazz Singer as more people easily get attracted towards humor inducing art work. Charlie Chaplin does not reveal his true identity to his audience in The Pilgrim yet it is still very unnoticeable. All people can see is the humor in his art work. The manner in which Chaplin finds pleasure in changing his identity implies the ease in change of class identity. For instance he finds pleasure in being accommodated having been mistaken for the new reverent the railway station community has been waiting. Almost at all times the practice of racism is puzzled by heavy emotions. Racial identity as in The Jazz Singer does not seem real especially because it is an open facial painting with the voice of a white man. The black face in The Jazz Singer reveals an emotional scene motivated by criticism. The “Demons of Black Face” as presented in the film, is a picture of how racial identity has been mishandled in The Jazz Singer. Based on critical perspective, the film does not acknowledge many realities of Jewish life. We can therefore conclude by saying, “anti-Semitism is the structuring absence of The Jazz Singer”. Seemingly, paradox is easily evident in Jolsons Jazz Singer Performance scene where he performs the Big Boy. Contrary to what most critics might view, Jolson’s relationship with the world of black culture and entertainers tend to be a constructive one to the advantage of all parties involved. The complex, multi-faceted nature of how Jolson interrelated with the black (African-Americans) and their culture is clearly seen in the Big Boy musical comedy. With an employment of axis match in the shooting of this scene, the viewer feels like they are in the actual place of presentation. In this context Jolson proves to have essential creative control. Or we could still say that this is just one of the ways in which arrant racism has been covered up in The Jazz Singer. Similar instances of irony also lie evident in Chaplin’s The Pilgrim. Censoring Chaplins art work in The Pilgrim, the irony of self-parody is evident in his continuously edited action scenes. Chaplin features himself as a convict and later transforms into a clergy. These to fields into which he shifts are entirely contradictory to each other on the sense that as a convict he is bound to dislike while as a clergy he is bound to love and respect. Playing one role is therefore an absolute implication that Chaplin satirizes the other role bringing in self-parody. Characterization in The Pilgrim appears then to a masterpiece of art. The paradox of duality that comes to existence as Chaplin weighs the two stated roles could also be taken for mare fictions meant to induce comic relief in the film. Comparing The Pilgrim to The Jazz Singer, More information is conveyed through The Jazz Singer than through The Pilgrim. This is due to the advancement of technological nature in The Jazz Singer which allowed actors to present information through speech. Tone and attitude in speech told a lot. The above arguments reveal the hidden parts in film stories covered from the audience (viewers) by excitements that come about with the videos. It is through a critics perspective that the inner story of an author is noticeable in films such as the ones discussed above. The Pilgrim reveals the ignorance and survival tactics in the society. The Jazz Singer on the other hand criticizes the society in a dramatically manner. The actors of these two films know how to convey their information to the intended audience. Applying their highest skills of art in the films they grab audience attention; they simply use what most people like which is music and comedy. Thinking of these story-lines as eyes of the society, going to great extents in revealing what mostly lye unknown to many, makes us realize how paramount they are towards valued transformation of society. Read More