RIFLE RANGE BOY

City Lights (1931) Written, Produced, Directed, Acted: Charlie Chaplin Hailed as one of the best movies of all time, this silent film was released when sound system was already coming to the mainstream. Chaplin also wrote the musical score. The famous musical tune in it, 'La Violetera', was contested for copyright infringement and was won by its Spanish composer Jose' Padilla . Keeping with Chaplin's political views, this story paints a very impersonal picture of modern capitalist living. It is comical to see (besides Chaplin's antics) how the general public is seen in such a hurry to be heading to nowhere. They party in such a meaningless way without actually enjoying themselves. It seems as if the revelry is forced upon them. Almost robotic, they carry on their life after all the merrymaking without any attachments. Town folks only seek for you when they are in dire straits or in need of a shoulder to cry on. Otherwise it just everybody with their ways. ...

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...

The Dictator (1940, B/W) Acted, written, music and directed by: Charlie Chaplin I always thought Charlie Chaplin only acted in silent movies. Obviously, I was wrong. Here, he stars in a dual role. It is actually a satire of Adolf Hitler. At the time of production and well anticipated time of screening, it was considered controversial as US had no bad blood with Germany and was not even involved in WW2 yet. It is interesting to note that years before the the end of Hitler's megalomaniac ambitions, these events and persecution of Jews are shown here. Of course, the non-believers of the existence of holocaust will say it is actually an orchestration by the Jews and Hollywood even before the world was at war! Absent minded barber shaving the whiskers of lady! Chaplin stars in dual role, in a way, to show off to the world of his his ability to  act in two worlds, the silent and the talkies. In the role of a Jewish barber (unnamed), he shows off his slapstick type of acting...

Wow, I always thought that Charlie Chaplin only did slapstick comedies in silent movies. I was pleasantly surprised when I bumped upon an excerpt from his old movie (he does not have new movies anyway) titled 'The Great Dictator'. For indulgence have a listen to the greater orator of all time who managed to transform and hoodwink the minds of the Germans into thinking that they were from the superior Aryan race even though he himself was Austrian. If only the German Institute of Arts had accepted the application of this vegetarian, the world would not had to endure the misery of another great War after the Great Trench War 2 decades afterwards. We would have more pictures to appreciate of the German country side and of Oktoberfest!

Bored of the usual reading and feeling depressed? Why not sit back, relax and a enjoy a short snippet of Charlie Chaplin in a black and white (duh) silent movie?