The Kid (1921)

The Kid

If you have a soul, this movie will both bring tears to your eyes and make you laugh out loud. September 7, 2008

One of the most beautifully touching and ultimately complete films I have ever seen...

I'll admit to having shed a few tears when watching the extremely tender and movie film, but I'm not ashamed for this film is one that should reach any fathers heart. I am new to the Chaplin fan club (as I made obvious within my review of `City Lights') and this film has got to be, not only my favorite Chaplin film, but one of my favorite films of all time. Honestly, it is one of the purest expressions of human love and devotion I've seen in a long time, and what makes the film so moving is that it never reaches the saccharine levels of sentiment that so many films feel the need to broach today. Instead, `The Kid' allows your heartstrings to swell from the realness of each and every scene, capturing the love between this man and boy with a natural and realistic (never forced) air.

`The Kid' tells the story of the Tramp who stumbles upon an abandoned baby, a young boy who is left by his mother who is not able to care for him. The Tramp, who is barely able to care for himself, feels sorry for you infant and decides to take him in. The film progresses forward to when the boy is a few years old and is living with the Tramp as father and son. The Tramp is very protective of the boy and very caring of him.

Then events take place that place their relationship in jeopardy when the authorities attempt to separate the two.

The film works brilliantly in creating an attachment with the audience, making us a part of the Tramp and kid's family, moving us to tears at the thought of their separation. The performances by both Chaplin and his `mini-me' Jackie Coogan are utterly fantastic, both of them completely convincing in their respective roles. Little Coogan is a perfect costar for Chaplin, matching him gag for gag, appearing natural and adorable in the process, and Chaplin is so invested in this character (tragic events involving the death of his own child most likely inspiring this very inspired performance) that he reaches the very pit of the audiences soul with his emotional connection. Edna Purviance also delivers a nice performance as the boy's mother who has a change of heart after she has made a name for herself and wishes to reconnect with her long lost son.

`The Kid' is one of those classic films that must be seen and admired by everyone. I don't see how anyone could find their heart not moved by the film and its emotional connective powers, for there are few films made that have the strength this one has. Chaplin was a masterful storyteller, and `The Kid' is truly one of his finest stories. August 29, 2008

Chaplin's genius clearly demonstrated in this short film

The Kid is another one of Charlie Chaplin's great films. What you have to like about the Chaplin films is that they have both humor and morals. In this one, a baby is abandoned by his mother and, when she goes back to find the child when she has second thoughts, it is gone. The Tramp (Chaplin) stumbles upon the child, and, after initially trying to rid himself of the responsibility, decides to keep him after finding a note with a plea to take care of the child. Chaplin's antics are one again numerous in the film, especially as he tries to figure out how to raise a child. The film fast forwards 5 years to the young boy now adjusted to life with the Tramp. However, fates will cross, and the mother who once left a child will reenter the scene.

Chaplin has a way with making something so simple seem hilarious. Take the scene with his son fighting the bully, and then having the older bully's brother show up. Chaplin has a quality of personifying the underdog so much in these kinds of moments, and it makes it that much more entertaining to watch. There are also several scenes where Chaplin must outwit a police officer who is after him.

Although this is a short film, it is a fantastic sample of Chaplin's comedic genius. Even though I enjoyed City Lights and Modern Times more than The Kid , I still consider this film a gem that many modern films don't measure up to.

May 5, 2008

Not Chaplin's Best...But a Borderline Masterpiece

Charlie Chaplin's first full-lenth feature "The Kid" (if you can call 50 minutes full-length) features the same brilliant mix of comedy and pathos that made "City Lights" and "The Circus" so memorable. If "The Kid" isn't as good as these films, it's not from lack of trying. The biggest reason of all is pretty much the fact that it's got less memorable scenes than those Chaplin films. Chaplin is, of course, the Tramp who discovers an abandoned baby and decides to raise it. Now 6 years old, the Kid (Jackie Coogan, very charming) helps the Tramp raise money so they can live. The Kid will heave rocks through windows, while the Tramp just happens by selling window panes. Pretty soon though, the boy's mother returns to retrieve him. On the back of the Chaplin Collection DVD's, it lists the memorable scenes. These are usually pretty accurate. In fact, the scenes that are listed on the back of this DVD are truly the most memorable scenes. The lesson in table manners, the angelic dream, and the fight are all classics...There's also the scene where the Tramp first discovers the baby and feeds it using a teapot suspended from the sky. As well as the scenes where the Kid goes around breaking windows and the Tramp repairs them, until a policeman takes notice. The scene where the Tramp ends up at said policeman's house and is flirting with his wife is also a classic. "City Lights" is his masterpiece and there's other Chaplin films that are better, but "The Kid" does have its share of reasons for being viewed by an audience. It's not his best film, but it's charming and worth watching for sure.

GRADE: B+
October 2, 2007

Laughter and tears

Chaplin is a rare gem. I don't give five stars lightly, and I don't give them to praise old respected classics. Citizen Kane deserved less. A Buster Keaton silent film was nothing compared to Chaplin. He makes you laugh and cry. What more could you ask for in a movie?

There are some similarities to another Chaplin gem, City Lights. He liked to put comic boxing scenes in his movies. He also liked beautiful and loving women. And the cops are always bad guys giving the tramp a hard time.

The Kid, the title character, is very cute, and very well played by Jackie Coogan. He helps to make it a precious film, and I mean that only in a good sense.

I like happy endings too, and Chaplin is happy to oblige. But one thing I'd really like to see is the sequel to this one, to see how the lives of the three main characters develop.

This film is so far superior to almost every movie coming out today. And I'm not one to praise the old simply because it is old. If an old movie is terrible, I'll say so. But this movie right here is far superior to almost every movie in the theatres right now. October 21, 2006

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