Customer Reviews
Good transfer to DVD, but not anamorphic 
2008-07-31
This review refers to the 1998 DVD edition, the only edition available as of this writing. "Chaplin" is a well-crafted, well-acted biography of the famous silent-screen actor/comedian. The transfer of this 1993 film to DVD is adequate. The format is letter-boxed widescreen (not anamorphic--there are black bars on all sides of the image on a large-screen TV. The side bars are not seen on a smaller screen TV). The picture is fairly sharp, the colors are good, sound quality is fine. The film has an old look about it, but this was probably the intended effect. This is the kind of movie you will watch more than once, so it's worth the purchase price. Highly recommended!
Downey and the cast are top notch 2008-07-24
I actually met Robert back in the day when they were filming this. He was in Charlie Chaplin character and didn't speak a word - used only expressions and cracked us up. It was funny, then when I finally saw the film just this year, I realized how talented this man is, and often with talent comes addictions etc. If you've seen Iron Man, Downey is having a great comeback! Chaplin is a really candid look at Mr. Chaplin's real life, the silent films, the era,the politics of old Hollywood etc. I tried to rent it but the store didn't have it, so I purchased a copy and plan to watch this one many more times. The cast is amazing, and everyone's performances are right on.
Chaplin 
2008-07-05
Robert Downey Jr. nailed it! A wonderful well done movie! I think any Charlie Chaplin fan would appreciate it.
So Right To Have Remained British 2008-06-23
It is probably not the best film ever made about Charlie Chaplin, and I even think it is far behind Charlie Chaplin's own autobiography on which it is supposed to be based. But it makes a couple of points rather well. First, show business is business first of all. Brutal, expeditious, pitiless, cruel, full of hate and with hardly any love, except the illusion of a companionship they call love in Hollywood. But we know that. And even the FBI or McCarthy could not touch that: business money is business money and cannot be spoiled even if the owner is a communist or at least is accused of being one. Second, McCarthyism was an ugly adventure in the USA, but it is shown as having run in the texture of the country from the very start and particularly after the Russian revolution. The best part about it is that it made American politicians suspicious of anything that was not lauding the USA as THE ONLY country of freedom (except of course for those that have been declared unwanted characters, or anything that could in anyway seem to be supporting the poor, the working class, the underlings of this egotistic world. The portrait of Edgar Hoover is that of a fanatic, a fundamentalist, and yet nothing but an apparatchik that never leaves his pacifying desk and the comfortable warmth of his office. Third, this film shows so well through Chaplin's own life how the world changed and how no politician can stop it. A politician can make some people suffer, at times a lot when he has the means to go out and wage war, but even so he will not be able to change history, to stop history, to even strand or wreck history. Hitler is the best case at hand. The amount of suffering he caused is enormous and yet did he stop history, did he block it into some eternal barbaric dictatorship? Of course not. And Charlie Chaplin's wisecrack about not having the honor of being a Jew is the best answer anyone could do to any attempt at hijacking history: I don't have the honor of being your victim, and if I were your victim I would be honored to be one of them, to have their company. British wit and humor at the same time as British caustic sarcasm. Beautiful!
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines
Not perfect, but very good 2008-06-17
This is far from a perfect movie, but it's still a very good movie and interesting for a number of reasons.
On the down side, I think it probably presents a very biased view of Chaplin, at the expenses of many of his contemporaries (Mabel Normand in particular). It would have been a much better movie had it been less eager to excuse the less appealing aspects of Chaplin's personality.
On the up side, Robert Downey, Jr., does a remarkable job of imitating Chaplin's physical comedy, and it's a treat to get a look at the very early days of the movies. I recommend this (and rate it well) despite its considerable flaws, and I wish more biographies (even fictionalized biographies) were made of early film stars.
Little Known Chaplin 2008-02-13
Sir Richard Attenborough's biographical film of the life and times of Charles Chaplin is a little thin as a narrative, but it is so charmingly creative and ultimately moving, it's hard to care about any deficits. Robert Downey Jr. does an excellent job re-creating Chaplin's graceful slapstick and getting inside the silent-film superstar's head over many years of triumph, defeat, scandal, official persecution, exile, and inner peace. A huge cast portray the allies, friends, lovers, and enemies in Chaplin's life, including Moira Kelly as his final, longtime wife, Oona, Kevin Kline as Douglas Fairbanks, Geraldine Chaplin as Charlie's mother, and James Woods as a prosecutor working hard to nail Chaplin for anti-American sentiments. Attenborough declines to tell the story in a flat, linear way, employing such clever techniques as detailing one chapter in Chaplin's life as a silent comedy. The climactic scene set at an Oscar tribute for Chaplin will get the tears flowing.
--Tom Keogh
CHAPLIN 2007-12-11
ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. is at his best. His portrayal of Chaplin gave me a real appreciation of the man and his talents. I am now watching as many of the old Chaplin movies as I can find.
Charming and graceful; a biopic that towers forward with a commanding star turn... 2007-11-16
`Chaplin' has a lot going for it. It's a biopic and that always rests well with me. The subject of that said biopic is a man who was famous for his ability to entertain. The star cast in that important role of lead delivers a performance so electrifying there's no wonder why he received the Oscar nomination. The rest of the cast is so star studded you're drawn to the prospect of what you'll see, even if every apart from the star is limited in their screen time. It's faithfully directed by a man who adored and respected his subject. But, without a script, without a story none of this really matters. So, what makes `Chaplin' a film worth every second is the fact that it tells quite a story.
The life of Charlie Chaplin was one filled with rises and falls. He started off struggling but then rose almost immediately before falling back down only to be lifted up once again. It's a rollercoaster of a way to live, but it makes for one interesting journey for the audience. Charlie Chaplin started his life dirt poor. What made things worse was the fact that his mother, for her own good, was admitted to an asylum while Charlie was still quite young. His mothers theatrical aspirations did have an impact on Charlie though, a good one, for he soon made a name for himself as a comedian of the stage. It wasn't until he moved to the states to pursue film roles though that he became the face behind silent film.
`Chaplin' would be little more than a good story without the brilliant performance given by Robert Downey Jr., a performance that captures the essence that was Charlie Chaplin and exposes this man to the full. Downey Jr. understands Chaplin and brings so much light and charisma to this role, a role that defined him as a star and not just a Hollywood bad-boy. I only wish that Robert Downey Jr. could receive more roles of this nature for he really sinks his teeth into this performance and drags out something everyone can admire and respect. He captured the emotional depth of this man while embellishing the signature charm and comedic grace of the legend himself. A far cry from a mere mimic, Downey Jr. slipped away inside this man and recreated him from the ground up.
Sadly, this was released the same year as `Malcolm X' so I can't truthfully say that Robert Downey Jr. was robbed of the Oscar. In fact Denzel Washington was robbed of the Oscar, but that's for another review.
The film exposes the good as well as the bad times in this mans life, from his womanizing days, his many marriages and his confrontations with J. Edgar Hoover, a volatile relationship that caused much heartache in Chaplin's life. It never rushes things but takes it time to flesh out this man and create a feeling of truly knowing him inside and out. Apparently the original cut of the film was nearly four hours long, and while that seems like a long time I'd be interested in seeing the film in its entirety for I'm sure there is so much more of this mans life that would be intriguing to discover. Still, with all the cuts made to the film it never appears condensed or lacking.
The film sports a slew of supporting performances, all of which are brilliantly crafted by the cast. Geraldine Chaplin plays her own grandmother Hannah effortlessly with such commanding presence and Paul Rhys is able to play second fiddle to the star without giving up is star power entirely. The beautiful actresses who played the women in Charlie's life all do splendid jobs, Diane Lane in particular is stunning and makes the most lasting impression. Moira Kelly is wonderful as Chaplin's loving wife Oona, but she lacks the screen presence that Lane brings to her performance. Milla Jovovich is stunning as Charlie's first wife Mildred and Dan Aykroyd is in top form as Mack Sennett and delivers an exciting and well rounded comedic performance. The cast is so extensive it's really hard to single out everyone, but one performer that needs to be mentioned is Kevin Kline who just delivers effortlessly as Charlie's good friend Douglas Fairbanks. He's charming and graceful and so in tune with her character it's an utter joy to watch.
`Chaplin' delivers everything you could ask for in a biopic. It's interesting, informative, entertaining and commanding, giving us reasons to laud, admire and sympathize with a man who brought so much joy to so many people.
A brief comment 2007-09-13
Downey's performance in Chaplin is a one-man tour de force. Done at a time before Downey's own problems started creating problems for his acting career, it is probably the role for which he will be best remembered. Downey shows Chaplin to be a complex, multifacetted man who had many both good and bad qualities, but most importantly, was a creative and even visionary artist whose approach still couldn't halt the advent of the talkies. As Downey says in the movie, "If the little tramp speaks, the mystery is gone." But for better or for worse, the technology and the art of cinema were taking off in a different direction, after which it would never be quite the same. Overall Downey's best movie and one that should stand the test of time.
Byt the way, this is an interesting snippet from a brief bio of Chaplin's life from the IMBD website, which I thought I'd post here:
"In contrast to many of his boisterous characters, Chaplin was a quiet man who kept to himself a lot. He also had an "un-millionaire" way of living. Even after he had accumulated millions, he continued to live in shabby accommodations.
In 1921 Chaplin was decorated by the French government for his outstanding work as a filmmaker, and was elevated to the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honor in 1952. In 1972 he was honored with an Academy Award for his "incalculable effect in making motion pictures the art form of the century." In 1975 England's Queen Elizabeth II knighted him. Chaplin's other works included musical scores he composed for many of his films. He also authored two autobiographical books, "My Autobiography" in 1964 and its companion volume, "My Life in Pictures" in 1974. Chaplin died of natural causes on December 25, 1977 at his home in Switzerland.
In 1978, Chaplin's corpse was stolen from its grave and was not recovered for three months; he was re-buried in a vault surrounded by cement. Charlie Chaplin was considered one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of American cinema, whose movies were and still are popular throughout the world, and have even gained notoriety as time progresses. His films show, through the Little Tramp's positive outlook on life in a world full of chaos, that the human spirit has and always will remain the same.
In contrast to many of his boisterous characters, Chaplin was a quiet man who kept to himself a lot. He also had an "un-millionaire" way of living. Even after he had accumulated millions, he continued to live in shabby accommodations.
In 1921 Chaplin was decorated by the French government for his outstanding work as a filmmaker, and was elevated to the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honor in 1952. In 1972 he was honored with an Academy Award for his "incalculable effect in making motion pictures the art form of the century." In 1975 England's Queen Elizabeth II knighted him. Chaplin's other works included musical scores he composed for many of his films. He also authored two autobiographical books, "My Autobiography" in 1964 and its companion volume, "My Life in Pictures" in 1974. Chaplin died of natural causes on December 25, 1977 at his home in Switzerland.
In 1978, Chaplin's corpse was stolen from its grave and was not recovered for three months; he was re-buried in a vault surrounded by cement. Charlie Chaplin was considered one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of American cinema, whose movies were and still are popular throughout the world, and have even gained notoriety as time progresses. His films show, through the Little Tramp's positive outlook on life in a world full of chaos, that the human spirit has and always will remain the same."
Great movie 2007-08-17
I don't care for the light used in this movie. Rest of the movie is really good.
