Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (2003)

Narrated by Sydney Pollack, film critic Richard Schickel's dazzling two-hour plus documentary to one of the towering figures in film: Charles Chaplin. Hardcore Chaplin fans may not find ... See full summary »

Director:

Richard Schickel

Writer:

Richard Schickel

Stars:

Charles Chaplin, Sydney Pollack, Bill Irwin

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charles Chaplin	...	Himself (archive footage)
Sydney Pollack	...	Narrated By
Bill Irwin	...	Himself - Actor / Mime Artist
Norman Lloyd	...	Himself - Chaplin Friend / Actor
David Thomson	...	Himself - Film Historian
Jeffrey Vance	...	Himself - Chaplin Biographer
Andrew Sarris	...	Himself - Film Critic and Historian
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Himself - Actor / Star of 'Chaplin
David Robinson	...	Himself - Chaplin Biographer
Jeanine Basinger	...	Herself - Film Historian
Woody Allen	...	Himself - Director / Writer / Actor
Johnny Depp	...	Himself - Actor
Michael Chaplin	...	Himself - Son of Charles Chaplin
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Herself - Daughter of Charles Chaplin
Richard Attenborough	...	Himself - Director of 'Chaplin'

Storyline

Narrated by Sydney Pollack, film critic Richard Schickel's dazzling two-hour plus documentary to one of the towering figures in film: Charles Chaplin. Hardcore Chaplin fans may not find much new material here, but more unfamiliar admirers will gain some valuable information about one of the most famous personalities of the 20th century. Schickel has constructed the documentary as a chronological survey of Chaplin's work, starting with his most significant shorts and covering all of his features. Schickel supports his narration with testimony from artists familiar with Chaplin's work and family members who offer personal insights into the comedian's life. The documentary plays down but doesn't ignore the controversies that swirled around Chaplin's private life. But the main focus is on the films. They include some of the best-loved movies of all time. Clips from "Kid Auto Races at Venice," the 1914 Keystone short in which Chaplin first used his Tramp costume, reveal a startlingly ...

---

Plot Keywords:

comedian | comedy filmmaking | film director | silent filmmaking | silent film maker | 

---

Genres:

Documentary | Biography

---

Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 September 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Charlie: Charles Chaplin élete és művészete

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lorac Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Features A Woman (1915)

User Reviews

Ordinary movie about an extraordinary man

Chaplin is a cultural icon. No question about that. So what do you do? Get some old footage, both from his movies and from other sources, combine that with footage of historians and modern celebrities talking about their impressions on the man. The concept is far from original. Basically it's the same as any number of documentaries.

The movie manages to include all the important work of Chaplin in it. However, there's no information that most people with any interest on the subject wouldn't know and how many people who are not interested on the subject would watch a movie like this?

Maybe I've just seen too many of these. Of course, I appreciate and respect the work of the man, but I just don't see the point of these little documentaries anymore. Using at least just a little bit of creativity would have been nice. If I was to do a movie about an icon I love, I would at least try to do him or her justice and set the movie apart from others. It's not all bad, just kind of mediocre.