The Kid (1921)

The Kid (1921) Charlie Chaplin’s masterpiece about a tramp who finds an abandoned baby and raises the boy himself.  As time goes by, the boys past will resurface, threatening the life they have created together.

Directed by Charlie Chaplin                                         Starring Charlie Chaplin, Jackie Coogan

This is a momentous movie from a variety of standpoints.  For Coogan, it launched him on a long acting career.  For Chaplin, it marked the beginning of his life as a major star.  This was his first full-length film that he wrote and directed.  It would be a major hit, finishing in second place among the highest grossing movies of the year.  And it would create classic moments at the movies.

When you discuss the very best of silent movies, this is the kind of movie you’re talking about.  The interplay of music (the soundtrack you hear today was written by Chaplin) and the visual action tell the story so well that you will not miss the words.  Every shot is perfect.  Every motion is purposeful and clear.  Chaplin Tramp makes both physical comedy and profound drama seem perfectly normal melded within a single character.  The scene where the boy is taken away from his adoptive father by the authorities is heartbreaking.  Chaplin said that the boy’s tears were real.  Coogan’s father was threatening to abandon the boy to a real workhouse if he didn’t cry.  While I can’t advocate the method, the final effect is devastating.

Chaplin spent an immense amount of time getting every scene just right.  The end result doesn’t miss a beat and never sets a foot wrong.  Almost a century later this movie still holds its own.

The modern edit (with the Chaplin score) is under an hour.  The movie will stay with you forever, I think.

Why I Liked It – Watching a movie maker at the pinnacle of his craft.  Chaplin scores on the script, the direction, the acting, even the score.

Why You Will Like It – Coogan and Chaplin find magic together and it carries the movie along.

Rating – ***** A Must See