Director: Charlie Chaplin,
Cast: Charlie Chaplin, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray
Have I Seen it Before: Oh, sure.
Did I Like It: Once again I’m stuck as I try to review a film featured as a retrospective exhibition with a complete inability to review a film itself, but the need to review the experience of watching it. While this film certainly is mired in the Chaplin’s early impulse to make features with only the loosest of narrative threads, so that it can be a showcase of several short subjects. But between the dance of the dinner rolls and the deliciously demented expression on Mack Swain’s face when he sees the chicken, the film will be viewed and heralded not only long after Chaplin has passed away, but probably long after I am dead, too.
But I had something of a revelation while seeing this film again during one of Circle Cinema’s Second Silent Saturdays. In previous screenings, any reminder that I am relegated to live in the 21st century would eliminate the illusion of the organist that I might actually be taking in this movie in the 1920s. It really annoyed the crap out of me. During this screening, things were going pretty well, but there was a need of several people to comment on what was taking place on the screen.
A typical exchange, in a scene where Big Jim McKay takes a swig of whisky when they return to their cabin in the film’s later scenes:
“What is that?” said Audience Member #1.
“Oh, it’s whiskey,” says their companion. We’ll call them Audience Member #2.
“Well, how did they get that?”
I might have been irritated that they were ruining the movie for everyone—forget the fact that the film’s 1942 re-release has Chaplin providing narration throughout—and being a perfect example of everything that is wrong with film audiences of this stupid, stupid 21st century.
But then I realized in all likelihood there were absolute clods filling movie theaters 100 years ago as well that had to bring some sense to what they were watching and didn’t care who heard it.
So, thanks. Thanks for keeping up the illusion.