Chaplin (1992)

Director:

Richard Attenborough

Writers (WGA):

David Robinson (book)
Charles Chaplin (book)

Release Date:

8 January 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

Everyone has a wild side. Even a legend.

Plot:

A film about the troubled and controversial life of the master comedy filmmaker.

Plot Keywords:

Life | Charlie Chaplin | Cult Favorite | Based On Multiple Works | Film Making

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Robert Downey Jr.	...	Charles Spencer Chaplin
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Hannah Chaplin
Paul Rhys	...	Sydney Chaplin
John Thaw	...	Fred Karno
Moira Kelly	...	Hetty Kelly / Oona O'Neill Chaplin
Anthony Hopkins	...	George Hayden
Dan Aykroyd	...	Mack Sennett
Marisa Tomei	...	Mabel Normand
Penelope Ann Miller	...	Edna Purviance
Kevin Kline	...	Douglas Fairbanks
Maria Pitillo	...	Mary Pickford
Milla Jovovich	...	Mildred Harris
Kevin Dunn	...	J. Edgar Hoover
Deborah Moore	...	Lita Grey (as Deborah Maria Moore)
Diane Lane	...	Paulette Goddard

Also Known As:

Charlot (Italy)

Runtime:

143 min

Country:

UK | USA | France | Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Germany:6 | New Zealand:PG | Peru:14 | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Norway:10

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Carolco Pictures

Trivia:

Geraldine Chaplin plays her own real life grandmother.

Goofs:

Factual errors: During the scene where Chaplin demonstrates the power of silent films as Vaslav Nijinsky, he first gives him a high voice before correcting himself. Chaplin would've known very well what Nijinsky sounded like as he had met him numerous times in the 1920s and the two were good friends. (Source: The documentary "Chaplin Today" from the DVD release of City Lights)

Quotes:

[first lines]
George Hayden: Ha ha ha ha ha. Come on Charlie stop messing about, we really have to get down to it now. I just hope our friendship survives the day, that's all.
Charlie Chaplin: Ha George, don't be so melodramatic.
George Hayden: Well it's your autobiography Charlie. And as your editor I have to tell you that parts of the manuscript are pretty vague, to say the least. I mean for instance, your mother. Now when did she first loose control? We need to know those facts.
Charlie Chaplin: It's hard to say. She could be so wonderful, on good days...

Movie Connections:

References Shoulder Arms (1918)

Soundtrack:

Music from 'CITY LIGHTS'

Exceptional bio-pic

An attempt to make a film that is both honest and at the same time shamelessly self-serving about its (auto)biographical subject -- the legendary comedian/director Chaplin -- is pulled off with style. It's fun to see some modern talents inhabit the roles of screen's bygone icons (though in some cases a little less charicature would have been appreciated, especially in the case of Mabel Normand). Kline, surprisingly enough, makes a convincing Fairbanks. The rest of the cast is also well-picked -- X-Files fans should watch closely to catch quite a few glimpses of lower-billed David Duchovny as Chaplin's personal editor.

The direction is very good; I particularly liked how some of the straight scenes were filmed in a comic, surrealist style (Chaplin's escape from the police w/ his cans of "the Kid" reels is staged like a Keystone Komedy), while some of what might have been more comic elements are played straight (Chaplin's attempt to convince his brother that "The Tramp" cannot talk in a movie is both funny and serious, for example). Some of the (perhaps true to life) melodramatic elements are a bit overplayed (the bit with his mom was handled too heavily for my tastes, especially her shouting his name as she's dragged away by the asylum guards), but generally the film avoids genre cliches and "easy" scenes.

Great photography.

Downey Jr. fits the roll well, even rising to many of the physical challenges of the Chaplin mystique.

A superior film of its type, laced with self-conscious humor and self-reflection on the artistic temperament.