For Home Viewing April 2008

THE KID

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The Kid (Charles Chaplin, 1921) is an assigned film for home viewing. (The spring break allows more time to do this, though you may choose to wait until the break is over.)
    It was directed by, and stars, Charlie Chaplin, who also wrote and produced the film and (later) added a musical score. The Kid is famous for Chaplin's blending of comedy and pathos along with social commentary.
    Every film student should know Chaplin's cinema. For he is, without doubt, one of the great artists of the twentieth century, and, with director D. W. Griffith, one of the first great artists of the cinema.
    We study this film from many points of view, but our focus will be on traditional presentational acting technique, different from today's "naturalistic" and representational acting styles (see study pictures).
    Chaplin had no equal as a mime artist and was one of the early cinema's great directors. His stories (staged by himself) were well plotted; his cinematography, while not fancy, was functional (it captured each key moment).
    Chaplin summed up camera scale with the motto, "Long shot for comedy, close-up for tragedy." This is not exactly true, but as a general principle it holds true.
    Born in England, Chaplin migrated to America and helped make Hollywood the world center of the new cinema. As much as any one person, he can be credited with making cinema the great art form of the twentieth century. Only D. W. Griffith, as director, was his equal in forming the basic grammar of film.
    At one time Chaplin was the most famous man in the world. Even his music became famous. "Smile" (from Modern Times) is one of the most recorded songs of all time, while "Eternally" (from Limelight) and "This Is My Song" (from Countess from Hong Kong) are close behind. (Click on the links to hear these famous songs.)
    The longest standing ovation in the history of the Academy Awards (Oscars) was for Charles Spencer Chaplin when he was presented with an honorary Oscar near the end of his long life (he never won a regular Oscar). View this classic clip from the 1971 Oscar broadcast here.
    Attached are study pictures for each of the seven segments of the film on the internet. Click on the link at the top of the page to get started viewing The Kid. Once there you can find the next six segments yourself.

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