THE CIRCUS

US, 1928, 71 minutes, Black and white.
Charles Chaplin, Al Garcia, Merna Kennedy, Harry Crocker, George Davis, Henry Bergman.
Directed by Charles Chaplin.

There is a great deal of plot in the seventy-one minutes of Charlie Chaplin’s The Circus. It came at the end of the silent era, although Chaplin never really gave up the silent techniques, capitalising on them in his sound films, especially in the 1930s with City Lights and Modern Times.

Once again he is the tramp, at a circus, chased by the police who think he is a pickpocket. During the pursuit, he is in the big top and everybody appreciates the humour. The difficulty is that the tramp cannot deliberately be funny so the circus manager has to create situations where he is being pursued and funny. There is also a love story, with the daughter of the acrobat who is abused by her father and who is torn between a dashing suitor and the tramp.

The film is considered one of Chaplin’s masterpieces – as most of his films are.

1. A Chaplin classic? His final silent film? His silent techniques in terms of acting, miming, visual composition, photography? The importance of the musical commentary added?

2. Chaplin's contribution to the films acting, screenplay, direction, music? How marked is the film as a work by Chaplin?

3. The portrayal of the little fellow, the tramp? What did it symbolise in Chaplin's view of humanity, comedy, success and failure?

4. How important the visuals, especially the world of the circus, the humour, the danger, the pathos, interrelationships?

5. How successful were Chaplin's particular comedy routines in this film? His own miming, sense of humour, circus atmosphere?

6. The world of the circus and audience response, happiness, yet masks for clowns? A way of life, fulfilment?

7. The little man and his place here, transient, not succeeding ultimately with people, standing back while others achieved success? The importance of the equestrienne as a heroine? Her charm, attraction for the tramp? For the hero? Rex as a convincing hero or not? For this kind of film?

8. The portrait of the other people at the circus and their contribution to plot, comedy, sentiment?

9. The finale and the tramp sitting back? Humour, pathos and sadness?

10. How much insight into human nature through these comedy situations, comic presentation of human foibles, blend of comedy with sentiment?