Rent City Lights (1931)
4.0 of 5 from 204 ratings
1h 28min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
‘City Lights’ begins with an uproarious skewering of pomp and formality, ends with one of the most famous last shots in movie history and, from start to finish, so completely touches the heart and tickles the funny bone that in 1998 it was named one of the American Film Institute’s Top-100 American Films. Talkies were well entrenched when Charles Chaplin swam against the filmmaking tide with this forever classic that’s silent except for music and sound effects. The story, involving the Tramp’s attempts to get money for an operation that will restore sight to a blind flower girl, provides a star with an ideal framework for sentiment and laughs. The tramp is variously a street sweeper, a boxer, a rich 0poseur, and a rescuer of a suicidal millionaire. His message is unspoken, but universally understood: love is blind. - Actors:
- Charles Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Florence Lee, Harry Myers, Al Ernest Garcia, Hank Mann, Jack Alexander, T.S. Alexander, Victor Alexander, Albert Austin, Harry Ayers, Eddie Baker, Henry Bergman, Betty Blair, Buster Brodie, Jeanne Carpenter, Marie Cooper, Tom Dempsey, Peter Diego, James Donnelly
- Directors:
- Charles Chaplin
- Writers:
- Charles Chaplin
- Studio:
- Warner
- Genres:
- Classics, Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Collections:
- 10 Films to Watch if You Like: Amarcord, 10 Films to Watch if You Like: Limelight, Award Winners, Films to Watch If You Like..., Holidays Film Collection, The Biggest Oscar Snubs: Part 1, The Cinema Paradiso Kissing Montage, The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to: Mel Brooks, The Instant Expert's Guide to: Miloš Forman, Top 10 Screen Kisses (1896-1979), Top 100 AFI Laughs, Top 100 AFI Movies, Top 100 AFI Passions, Top Films
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 15/11/2010
- Run Time:
- 93 minutes
- Languages:
- English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono, English DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1, Silent
- Subtitles:
- English
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
- Colour:
- B & W
- Bonus:
- Introduction by David Robinson
- Chaplin today: City lights documentary
- Outtakes
- Footage of Winston Churchill's visit to the set
- Photo gallery
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Reviews (3) of City Lights
Still a Charmer - City Lights review by CP Customer
I saw a few Chaplin shorts accompanied by an orchestra outdoors at Canary Wharf last summer. What surprised me most was how many big laughs it got, and if you want to revisit his work, I'd say the best way to fully experience it is with an audience. At home, on DVD however, this still charms. A simple story with a lot of heart, you can see how the little tramp from Clapham managed to charm the whole world. And make them laugh.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
‘Tomorrow the birds will sing.’ - City Lights review by LJ
The slapstick routines go on far too long in this silent movie, and it’s just the story of a man trying to do good but bad keeps happening to him.
0 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Enjoyable - City Lights review by RJ
I suffered from a bit of Chaplin fatigue after watching his first four films in quick succession. Refreshed after a bit of a break, I watched City Lights and was quite pleasantly surprised. I am still not (and probably never will be) completely sold on Chaplin but I did find this to be the funniest of his features so far and quite touching as well, notwithstanding the hokey blind-girl-miraculously-cured storyline.
The formula is familiar - the plot is just a line on which to hang various bits of slapstick, pantomime and, of course, romance but for the most part the sketches are funny. I actually laughed out loud a couple of times watching this, whereas the previous films elicited mostly smiles and the odd small chuckle. The repeated motif of the millionaire who loves The Tramp when intoxicated but fails to even recognise him when sober was a funny and nicely executed concept. Bits of slapstick by a canal, in a dance hall and at a boxing match were all well choreographed and amusing.
All in all an enjoyable watch, even for a Chaplin agnostic.
0 out of 1 members found this review helpful.