Filmmaking Charlie Chaplin

1 filmmaking

1.1 influences
1.2 method
1.3 style , themes
1.4 composing

filmmaking
influences

chaplin believed first influence mother, entertained him child sitting @ window , mimicking passers-by: through watching learned not how express emotions hands , face, how observe , study people. chaplin s years in music hall allowed him see stage comedians @ work; attended christmas pantomimes @ drury lane, studied art of clowning through performers dan leno. chaplin s years fred karno company had formative effect on him actor , filmmaker. simon louvish writes company training ground , , here chaplin learned vary pace of comedy. concept of mixing pathos slapstick learnt karno, used elements of absurdity became familiar in chaplin s gags. film industry, chaplin drew upon work of french comedian max linder, films admired. in developing tramp costume , persona, inspired american vaudeville scene, tramp characters common.

method

a 1922 image of charlie chaplin studios, of chaplin s films between 1918 , 1952 produced

chaplin never spoke more cursorily filmmaking methods, claiming such thing tantamount magician spoiling own illusion. little known working process throughout lifetime, research film historians – particularly findings of kevin brownlow , david gill presented in three-part documentary unknown chaplin (1983) – has since revealed unique working method.

until began making spoken dialogue films great dictator, chaplin never shot completed script. many of films began vague premise – example charlie enters health spa or charlie works in pawn shop. had sets constructed , worked stock company improvise gags , business using them, working ideas out on film. ideas accepted , discarded, narrative structure emerge, requiring chaplin reshoot already-completed scene might have otherwise contradicted story. woman of paris onward chaplin began filming process prepared plot, robinson writes every film modern times went through many metamorphoses , permutations before story took final form.

producing films in manner meant chaplin took longer complete pictures other filmmaker @ time. if out of ideas, took break shoot, last days, while keeping studio ready when inspiration returned. delaying process further chaplin s rigorous perfectionism. according friend ivor montagu, nothing perfection right filmmaker. because funded films, chaplin @ liberty strive goal , shoot many takes wished. number excessive, instance 53 takes every finished take in kid. immigrant, 20 minute-short, chaplin shot 40,000 feet of film – enough feature-length.

—chaplin biographer david robinson

describing working method sheer perseverance point of madness , chaplin consumed production of picture. robinson writes in chaplin s later years, work continued take precedence on , else. combination of story improvisation , relentless perfectionism – resulted in days of effort , thousands of feet of film being wasted, @ enormous expense – proved taxing chaplin who, in frustration, lash out @ actors , crew.

chaplin exercised complete control on pictures, extent act out other roles cast, expecting them imitate him exactly. edited of films, trawling through large amounts of footage create exact picture wanted. result of complete independence, identified film historian andrew sarris 1 of first auteur filmmakers. chaplin did receive help, notably long-time cinematographer roland totheroh, brother sydney chaplin, , various assistant directors such harry crocker , charles reisner.

style , themes


a collection of scenes kid (1921), demonstrating chaplin s mixture of slapstick, pathos, , social commentary

while chaplin s comedic style broadly defined slapstick, considered restrained , intelligent, film historian philip kemp describing work mix of deft, balletic physical comedy , thoughtful, situation-based gags . chaplin diverged conventional slapstick slowing pace , exhausting each scene of comic potential, more focus on developing viewer s relationship characters. unlike conventional slapstick comedies, robinson states comic moments in chaplin s films centre on tramp s attitude things happening him: humour not come tramp bumping tree, lifting hat tree in apology. dan kamin writes chaplin s quirky mannerisms , serious demeanour in midst of slapstick action other key aspects of comedy, while surreal transformation of objects , employment of in-camera trickery common features.

chaplin s silent films typically follow tramp s efforts survive in hostile world. character lives in poverty , treated badly, remains kind , upbeat; defying social position, strives seen gentleman. chaplin said in 1925, whole point of little fellow no matter how down on ass is, no matter how jackals succeed in tearing him apart, s still man of dignity. tramp defies authority figures , gives gets , leading robinson , louvish see him representative underprivileged – everyman turned heroic saviour . hansmeyer notes several of chaplin s films end homeless , lonely tramp [walking] optimistically ... sunset ... continue journey .

—chaplin explaining why comedies make fun of tragic circumstances

the infusion of pathos well-known aspect of chaplin s work, , larcher notes reputation [inducing] laughter , tears . sentimentality in films comes variety of sources, louvish pinpointing personal failure, society s strictures, economic disaster, , elements. chaplin drew on tragic events when creating films, in case of gold rush (1925), inspired fate of donner party. constance b. kuriyama has identified serious underlying themes in comedies, such greed (the gold rush) , loss (the kid). chaplin touched on controversial issues: immigration (the immigrant, 1917); illegitimacy (the kid, 1921); , drug use (easy street, 1917). explored these topics ironically, making comedy out of suffering.

social commentary feature of chaplin s films in career, portrayed underdog in sympathetic light , highlighted difficulties of poor. later, developed keen interest in economics , felt obliged publicise views, chaplin began incorporating overtly political messages films. modern times (1936) depicted factory workers in dismal conditions, great dictator (1940) parodied adolf hitler , benito mussolini , ended in speech against nationalism, monsieur verdoux (1947) criticised war , capitalism, , king in new york (1957) attacked mccarthyism.

several of chaplin s films incorporate autobiographical elements, , psychologist sigmund freud believed chaplin plays himself in dismal youth . kid thought reflect chaplin s childhood trauma of being sent orphanage, main characters in limelight (1952) contain elements lives of parents, , king in new york references chaplin s experiences of being shunned united states. many of sets, in street scenes, bear strong similarity kennington, grew up. stephen m. weissman has argued chaplin s problematic relationship mentally ill mother reflected in female characters , tramp s desire save them.

regarding structure of chaplin s films, scholar gerald mast sees them consisting of sketches tied same theme , setting, rather having tightly unified storyline. visually, films simple , economic, scenes portrayed if set on stage. approach filming described art director eugène lourié: chaplin did not think in artistic images when shooting. believed action main thing. camera there photograph actors . in autobiography, chaplin wrote, simplicity best ... pompous effects slow action, boring , unpleasant ... camera should not intrude. approach has prompted criticism, since 1940s, being old fashioned , while film scholar donald mccaffrey sees indication chaplin never understood film medium. kamin, however, comments chaplin s comedic talent not enough remain funny on screen if did not have ability conceive , direct scenes film medium .

composing

chaplin playing cello in 1915

chaplin developed passion music child , taught himself play piano, violin, , cello. considered musical accompaniment of film important, , woman of paris onwards took increasing interest in area. advent of sound technology, chaplin began using synchronised orchestral soundtrack – composed himself – city lights (1931). thereafter composed scores of films, , late 1950s death, scored of silent features , of short films.

as chaplin not trained musician, not read sheet music , needed of professional composers, such david raksin, raymond rasch , eric james, when creating scores. musical directors employed oversee recording process, such alfred newman city lights. although critics have claimed credit film music should given composers worked him, raksin – worked chaplin on modern times – stressed chaplin s creative position , active participation in composing process. process, take months, start chaplin describing composer(s) wanted , singing or playing tunes had improvised on piano. these tunes developed further in close collaboration among composer(s) , chaplin. according film historian jeffrey vance, although relied upon associates arrange varied , complex instrumentation, musical imperative his, , not note in chaplin musical score placed there without assent.

chaplin s compositions produced 3 popular songs. smile , composed modern times (1936) , later set lyrics john turner , geoffrey parsons, hit nat king cole in 1954. limelight, chaplin composed terry s theme , popularised jimmy young eternally (1952). finally, song , performed petula clark countess hong kong (1967), reached number 1 on uk , other european charts. chaplin received competitive oscar composition work, limelight theme won academy award best original score in 1973 following film s re-release.

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