A King in New York (1957)
Many Americans look back at the early years of the 50s with much disdain. They had let the idea of a senator and politics of the time to go on a witch hunt on individuals based on frivolous hearsay. All in the name of nationalism and national security, many valuable man-hours were wasted. After all these, one would think that the general public cannot be taken for a ride anymore or can they? Based on turn of events of late, the hoodwinking continues.
Coming closer to our shores, people are being unpatriotic with same flimsy reasons with a hidden agenda behind them. It seem that we will never learn from history. We will have to endure the whole thrust of its mayhem before we look back at yourselves, in years to come, and hopefully laugh at ourselves!
The post WW2 years in America was tumultuous one. The Cold War had started and US of A had slowly taken the rein as the leader of the free world. Free they may be with their capitalistic market forces stance on liberty, the Government was hot under the collar with individuals sympathetic to the course of the left. Charlie Chaplin was one of the many performers blacklisted for being a member of the communist party. During a holiday trip back to his native England, his return visa was cancelled and lived exiled in UK. Anyway, he had not surrendered his British passport.
This last of Charlie Chaplin's film was a sarcastic look at the times that America was in. It poked fun as its anti-communist stance, the pop culture, the over glamorisation of youth, the invasion of privacy, the media frenzied population and the monetisation of everything. In a subtle way, the story shows how the old European values lose out to the demands of the American way of doing things. Chaplin also in a way, tries to re-live his youthful days in some scenes by trying to re-enact some acts from his 1927 'The Tramp'.
A deposed King Shadov of Estrovia, abdicates his throne and finds refuge in New York. Thinking that he could live in high life with his ill-gotten fortunes from his national coffers till the revolution in his country is over, he checks in to The Ritz with his ambassador. He is lured to attend a party where he is tricked to appear in a commercial. He was such a hit that the advertising industry wants more of him.
When he discovers that his fortune had been squandered by his trusted Prime Minister, he is forced to appear in commercials to pay his bills.
It is here that he takes a swipe at the public obsession with youthfulness and plastic surgery. He undergoes plastic surgery with disastrous outcome and reverts back to usual appearance!
He makes an official visit to a school. He befriends a child prodigy, Rupert, whose parents are being tried for involvement in the Communist Party. This child actor is Chaplin's son, Michael. Even though he showed so much calibre as an actor, he apparently went wayward later, living on dole.
Rupert later is on the run from the police for his parents' crimes. He seeks refuge with the King.
The rest of the story shows how the King is wrongly drawn in to the fiasco but is found innocent. He returns to Paris to be with his Queen.
Memorable quote:
"One of the minor annoyances in modern life is a revolution"
Many Americans look back at the early years of the 50s with much disdain. They had let the idea of a senator and politics of the time to go on a witch hunt on individuals based on frivolous hearsay. All in the name of nationalism and national security, many valuable man-hours were wasted. After all these, one would think that the general public cannot be taken for a ride anymore or can they? Based on turn of events of late, the hoodwinking continues.Coming closer to our shores, people are being unpatriotic with same flimsy reasons with a hidden agenda behind them. It seem that we will never learn from history. We will have to endure the whole thrust of its mayhem before we look back at yourselves, in years to come, and hopefully laugh at ourselves!
The post WW2 years in America was tumultuous one. The Cold War had started and US of A had slowly taken the rein as the leader of the free world. Free they may be with their capitalistic market forces stance on liberty, the Government was hot under the collar with individuals sympathetic to the course of the left. Charlie Chaplin was one of the many performers blacklisted for being a member of the communist party. During a holiday trip back to his native England, his return visa was cancelled and lived exiled in UK. Anyway, he had not surrendered his British passport.
This last of Charlie Chaplin's film was a sarcastic look at the times that America was in. It poked fun as its anti-communist stance, the pop culture, the over glamorisation of youth, the invasion of privacy, the media frenzied population and the monetisation of everything. In a subtle way, the story shows how the old European values lose out to the demands of the American way of doing things. Chaplin also in a way, tries to re-live his youthful days in some scenes by trying to re-enact some acts from his 1927 'The Tramp'. A deposed King Shadov of Estrovia, abdicates his throne and finds refuge in New York. Thinking that he could live in high life with his ill-gotten fortunes from his national coffers till the revolution in his country is over, he checks in to The Ritz with his ambassador. He is lured to attend a party where he is tricked to appear in a commercial. He was such a hit that the advertising industry wants more of him.
When he discovers that his fortune had been squandered by his trusted Prime Minister, he is forced to appear in commercials to pay his bills.
It is here that he takes a swipe at the public obsession with youthfulness and plastic surgery. He undergoes plastic surgery with disastrous outcome and reverts back to usual appearance!He makes an official visit to a school. He befriends a child prodigy, Rupert, whose parents are being tried for involvement in the Communist Party. This child actor is Chaplin's son, Michael. Even though he showed so much calibre as an actor, he apparently went wayward later, living on dole.
Rupert later is on the run from the police for his parents' crimes. He seeks refuge with the King.
The rest of the story shows how the King is wrongly drawn in to the fiasco but is found innocent. He returns to Paris to be with his Queen.
Memorable quote:
"One of the minor annoyances in modern life is a revolution"
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