One of the very first Chaplin shorts, this 15-minute film is named after its iconic title figure...although I don't believe it was the Tramp's actual film debut. Those looking for the mixture of sophisticated social commentary, touching melodrama and laugh-out-loud comedy that is prevalent in Chaplin's masterpieces
(like City Lights and Modern Times) won't find it here. The Tramp has no ambitions of greatness...it is pure slapstick from beginning to end, but often hilarious nonetheless. It's interesting to note that in the earlier shorts, like Easy Street and this film, Chaplin's protagonist is not so much the loveable outsider as an active troublemaker. Yes, he is still the hero of the film and a charming outcast...but the Tramp in these films has a bit of a mean streak. Since the victims of the Tramp's tomfoolery are usually stuck-up bluebloods, the results are quite often side-splittingly funny.
(BASIC)
January 15, 2004
