The Circus (1928) - 3/5

This movie is pretty standard far for Charlie Chaplin. It’s got his signature slapstick, the standard boy-meets-girl narrative, and the pacing and stakes of its era. But for all that it’s still a solid film today, not as ponderously slow as many of its peers but not as break-neck as many comedies today. For those who aren’t too cynical to enjoy a heartfelt older film, you could do a whole lot worse than this.

Closest comparison: It’s more like Modern Times than it is like City Lights.

Setting: Comedy
Plot: Comedy
Tone: Comedy

City Lights (1931) - 5/5

This movie is an old classic, and true to form knocks it out of the park. In parts it’s a slapstick extravaganza, but on the whole it’s equal parts hilarious, heartfelt, and heartbreaking. There’s a purity to silent films that here is used to great effect, using the audience’s loss of one sense and lack of agency to empathize with the heroine. It has antiquated sensibilities and pacing, but it comes across as sincere and meaningful ninety years later.

Closest comparison: It’s like The Pursuit of Happyness by way of Modern Times.

Setting: RomCom
Plot: Rags to Riches
Tone: Comedy/Drama

The Gold Rush (1925) - 4/5

Charlie Chaplin is known for his comedy, but this movie throws in a more multi-faceted underlying story to build on. It’s not all-out comedy, but instead layers in the laughs to balance the story. Where The Kid (1921) is often too realistic to be funny, here the premise is exotic enough to provide the separation for the audience that is necessary to comedy. It feels more like a stage play than most movies almost 100 years later, but less like a stage play than many of its contemporaries, and is a very good example of Chaplin’s work.

Closest comparison: It’s like The Kid (1921) but less dour and with better comedy.

Setting: Adventure
Plot: Exploration
Tone: Comedy/Drama

The Kid (1921) - 3/5

I was surprised to find that this is one of Charlie Chaplin’s most famous movies, because it has so little of his trademark comedy. There is comedy, of course, but this is one of his more grounded and almost melancholy movies. The young actor playing the kid is a standout and it’s always fun to see Charlie Chaplin on screen. It’s competently executed and all that, but it’s underwhelming compared to his other works like The Gold Rush, Modern Times, and the Great Dictator.

Closest comparison: It’s like all the other Charlie Chaplin movies, but where less happens.

Setting: ‘Modern’ 1920’s
Plot: Drama
Tone: Drama/Comedy