Limelight

Year: 1952

Grade: C+

Country: USA

Director: Chaplin

Review

a bit heavy handed. i think you have to either be in the right mood or be a big chaplin fan to really enjoy this film. it’s not that it’s a bad film, but more that it just doesn’t do what it sets out to do – move you to tears. the last scene in the great dictator was moving and inspirational and i was on board with that, but this film tries to replicate that too often. there are moving scenes and chaplin’s performance is certainly heartfelt, but i just felt that it didn’t completely sell me. obviously the film is at least partly autobiographical and that adds to my sympathy for his character, but the female lead is way too over-the-top and his character is so idealistic and positive that it’s not real enough. had the film demonstrated a little more restraint i think it would have benefited quite a bit. this is one case where chaplin was too involved and had too much control of the film. if he was forced to trim a bit here or there it may have been a good thing.