The Circus involves several things Charlie Chaplin is most famous for. He plays the hapless Tramp who ends up in a situation he can't control but where he excels with a wide range of acrobatic tricks. The Tramp has arrived at a circus as a penniless property man. He wreaks havoc with this job but it turns out he does it in a way that entertains the circus audience, and he's hired as a member of the crew. He falls in love with the ringmaster's daughter, and he is sure they are to be lovers. - - - I'm not a fan of physical humor but what held my attention in the film is the meta-comments it delivers on humor. What is it to be funny? The tramp is funny without being aware of being so. When he tries to be funny, he no longer is. The hired clowns are dreadful and the rehearsed stunts are perceived to be boring. It's mishaps and the muddles that entertain the audience, but of course the movie itself is a tightly scripted and acted. Still, the moments that I react to as funny are moments where I feel that there is moments of spontaneity, something beyond skillful acrobatics. The Circus could be read as a critique of the contemporary circus industry, but I'm not totally convinced whether that's a plausible reading. On the other hand, this is a film that trades in acrobatics and sentimentality. Perhaps it makes more sense to understand the film as a homage to the era of silent movies that was coming to an end?
Even though the Tramp does not get the girl at the end, there was too little that surprised or moved me in this movie. But I have to admit that I simply could not resist being amused by some of Chaplin's stunts.
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