LIMELIGHT
UK, 1952, 141 minutes, Black and white.
Charles Chaplin, Claire Bloom, Buster Keaton, Sydney Chaplin, Nigel Bruce, Norman Lloyd.
Directed by Charles Chaplin.
Limelight is another masterpiece by Charlie Chaplin. However, it is a film of his old age, written and directed by him when he was in his early 60s. It was released worldwide in 1954 except in the United States. Chaplin was a persona non grata in the United States at the time of McCarthyism?. In fact, he was not permitted to enter the United States for some decades and Limelight was not released until 1972. It qualified for the Oscars presented in 1973 where Chaplin’s musical score, with the very popular Terry’s Theme from Limelight, won the Oscar.
Chaplin had a long film career in the silent era with his Little Man comedies. After appearing in numerous short films, he began to make feature films in the 1920s including The Kid, The Circus, The Gold Rush. With the coming of sound, he did not adapt entirely and still used the techniques from the silent era including his films from the 30s: City Lights, his masterpiece Modern Times. At the beginning of World War Two, he mocked Hitler who had a similar moustache in The Great Dictator. After this he made only a few films: M’sieur Verdoux in 1947, Limelight, A King in New York in the mid-1950s and, what proved to be a cinema disaster, The Countess from Hong Kong with Sophia Loren and Marlon Brando in 1965.
However, Limelight is an impressive film. Chaplin plays a faded comic, along with his friends played by Nigel Bruce (Doctor Watson of the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films) and Buster Keaton. He meets a lonely and suicidal ballerina and the interaction between the ageing clown and the young woman is most moving. Clare Bloom, who had made a film in 1948 – and was still in strong career sixty years later on screen and stage – received the BAFTA award as best promising newcomer. She more than justified the faith that Chaplin had in her to make her the star of Limelight.
The film blends comedy and tragedy, reflections on the meaning of life as well as nostalgia for one’s achievements in the past.
1. The overall impact of this film? Is it a Chaplin classic? Its impact in the early 'fifties? Its banning in America and its not being allowed to be released there till the seventies? Chaplin's style, the content of his film, in many ways summing up his career?
2. Comment on Chaplin's contribution to the total film: writing the screenplay, acting, comedy styles, the direction, the music?
3. The meaning of the title, reference to the stage, to fame, to an audience? The caption at the beginning, the indication of the story of the clown and the ballerina, the emphasis of age and the passing of talent and the arrival of new talent? Nostalgia, regret, ageing?
4. The impact of the openings the introduction to Calvero, the Chaplin character, his age, drunk? London 1914, the streets, the apartments? The transition to Terry, the smell of the gas, the discovery of her suicide attempt? Calvero's intervention and its repercussions? The introduction to characters, themes and issues so quickly?
5. The contribution of the landlady, a typical landlady of this place, her prim propriety, severity especially as regards external moral attitudes and behaviour? Her rebuke of Calvero, suspicions, Calvero on the stairs with the oranges? Her sub-letting the flat, condemnation of Terry, indication that she was a prostitute? The irony of the landlady appearing later with Calvero and his musical friends and their drinking?
6. Chaplin's insight into the character of Calvero, the portrait of a clown and an artist? The importance of his thought, philosophy of life? Calvero as drunk, as sober? As alert and sensitive to Terry and her plight? His kindness? Allowing himself to be understood as her husband? His tenderness, the incident with the soup, talking and listening to her?
7. How important was Calvero's philosophy of life? The outlook on life of the long speeches penned by Chaplin? Optimism and hope, life to be lived? Yet the reality of decline of powers, age? Sorrow? The importance of Calvero and his posters, his dreams and memories of his past?
8. How humorous were Calvero's acts? Their playing in dreams, early indication of his reputation and music hall style? The importance of the act with Phyllis and Henry, the fleas? His singing? The spring routine and Terry entering into
his dreams? His reprisal of this and the people at the Middlesex not appreciating him? The presentation of the essence of Chaplin's acts in those selected for the benefit night? How did these acts get to the essence of Chaplin's stage work and comic routines?
9. Clare Bloom's performance as Terry? The innocent young girl? Her suicide attempt, the explanation of her background, her dancing, her illness? The psychosomatic aspects? Her response to Calvero and his kindness - leading to devotion, love? How much love, how much pity? Her fear at not being able to walk? The mutual lessons that these two cripples taught each other? Her buoying up of Calvero, supporting him? Her reaction to his failure and her indignation and standing on her feet? Why the psychosomatic effect of her being crippled?
10. How did Calvero change through the influence of Terry? His going to the agency and being kept waiting, his style in pretending that he needed conditions for his contract? The failure and people walking out? His delay in returning home and confessing this to Terry? The change with Terry's walking and their walking through London at night? Terry's recovery as compensation for his failure?
11. How suitable was the lapse of time of several months? Terry's career, her role in the ballet line at the Empire? The importance of her being chosen to audition? The regard of the producer? Her dancing to the composer's music? The realisation that she had fallen in love in with Calvero and wanted to marry him? His presence during the audition and Terry's return to him?
12. How important was Terry's memory and the story of the composer? The way that these sequences were visualised - flashback and dream? Her work in the store, Neville and his being helped by Terry? Her losing her job? Calvero's prophecy that they would meet again and finish in the sunset? Calvero realizing that Neville was the man of her memories? Yeville as a character, romantic hero for Terry? Accompanying her? Their meal together? His going to the army? His accompanying her home after the premiere and Calvero hearing them talk? The influence on his decision to disappear?
13. The impact of the ballet - as explained by the director? As visualised? Calvero and his contribution to the comedy? Terry as heroine? The importance of her stage fright and his slapping her and her stunned going onto the stage? The success of her dancing?
14. Calvero's happiness in her success? The sorrow at his own failure and the accident of his discovery about his replacement? The importance of his disappearance? His playing with the musical group in the hotel and his aplomb in meeting Postant and Neville again?
15. The effect of Calvero's disappearance on Terry? Her sorrow? The collage of her international success? Her change and maturity when she sought out Calvero again? The tenderness of their meeting, the bonds between them?
16. The build-up to the benefit night? Terry's hopes, Postant's expectations? A chance for Calvero to assert himself and be appreciated? The preparation, the sequences in the dressing room, the significance of Buster Keaton and his performance?
17. The nostalgia of his success? The humour of the performance? Chaplin and Buster Keaton working together? The build-up and his falling into the drum with the consequent Injury?
18. The pathos of his illness? The sentiment of his success and appreciation and imminent death? Terry and her dancing as he died? The optimism in Calvero's dying happy?
19. How well-delineated were the characters, as part of their environment, as types for the themes explored?
20. The value in Chaplin's comic style and its mellowed presentation of man, woman, ballerina and clown, age, success and failure, redemption, love, beauty and humour?
