City Lights
A lovable vagabond falls in love with a blind flower seller and does everything he can to help her. Slapstick and tender moments alternate with observations of the bustling city life, all without a single spoken word. Chaplin’s famous dictum, that a film is like a tree—you have to shake it so that everything superfluous falls away and only the essential form remains—is perhaps most beautifully realized in City Lights. Chaplin worked on this film for many years, long after sound films had taken over the market. He deliberately stuck to the silent film format and expanded it with sound effects and music that he composed himself. The combination of choreographed, physical comedy and emotional depth, the shift between laughter and seriousness, makes it clear just how much Chaplin’s work relies on nonverbal communication, rhythmic movement, and the art of pantomime. Qualities that continue to inspire to this day! Though not a debut, this is the first film we’ve shown in the Blue Salon, marking our tenth anniversary!