Chaplin (1992)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

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:

Attenborough's director's cut was 147 minutes, 12 minutes longer than the version shown in cinemas. Attenborough has said that the cuts damaged the film.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Charlie and his brother visit Fred Karno for Charlie's "interview", the opening shot shows a river with still water and a paddle steamer moves from left to right. The boat is moving a good deal faster than the paddle wheel is moving suggesting another power source.

Quotes:

Douglas Fairbanks: Charles, you're a foreigner; you're still an outsider. You've never understood this country.
Charlie Chaplin: It's a good country underneath, Doug.
Douglas Fairbanks: No, it's a good country on *top*. Underneath, that's what starts showing when we're scared.

Movie Connections:

References The Gold Rush (1925)

Soundtrack:

DON'T DILLY DALLY ON THE WAY

Fantastic Performance By Downey As Chaplin

Wow, this is one of the finest acting jobs I have seen as Robert Downey Jr. portrays the famous Charlie Chaplin. His performance includes some of Chaplin's famous slapstick moves and Downey is tremendous at executing them.

To the film's credit ,it does show both the good and bad sides to this famous man. But it's definitely biased. Just check out how they portray J. Edgar Hoover, a man Hollywood loves to hate (along with any Conservative or Republican). Hoover is pictured as mean-spirited and nasty throughout, and is even blasted in the ending credits! His first speech at a dinner table, intended to show him in a negative actually shows him to be prophetic whether Tinseltown ever admits it or not.

Regarding Chaplin, if the film was the truth (that's always a big "if"), then it WAS a real miscarriage of justice to kick him out of the country for having a baby he didn't produce. Nevertheless, most of the film centers around his career and his wives, most of whom were very pretty with great figures.....but too young, most of them being teenagers!

Also shown nicely in the film are Chaplin's talent, his obsession with work, his great friendship with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (Kevin Kline), the great films he produced and the sympathy he had with the American poor. On the other side, in addition to his pedophile instincts, one wonders why Chaplin never became an American citizen? They certainly did not help his cause.

The movie sports a big-name cast, with Kline probably providing the most likable role next to Downey. The women were very interesting: from Geraldine Chaplin playing Charlie's insane, pathetically-sad mother to beauties like Milla Jovovich, Diane Lane and Moria Kelly, the latter playing Chaplin's final and devoted wife "Oona."

Also in here are some big names: Anthony Hopkins, Dan Ackroyd, Penelope Ann Miller, Marissa Tomei, James Woods, Nancy Travis and Paul Rhys. They all help make this a memorable biography. It's beautifully filmed with a number of stunning scenes and also has a classy soundtrack. The ending is manipulative, but it works. It always brings a tear to my eye.

I liked what they did at the end with the small biographies of all the leading characters and visually showing who played each one. I wish all films did that.