"The Circus" plays more like a series of vignettes instead of a complete story, although it all does take place in the limited venue of a circus environment. The version I viewed from the Criterion Collection offered a restored 1968 update to the movie, complete with an introductory song written and sung by Chaplin, who is also credited as director and producer to go along with his acting honors. The movie is an enjoyable one, and the way it breezes by you would almost think it's one of his short films. It's difficult to definitively pick out a favorite bit from the picture, although the 'Mirror Maze' segment was quite fun, while the segment with the cop chasing The Tramp on the merry go round has to be notable for the timing and complexity involved. In a nutshell, Chaplin's Tramp character becomes the star of the circus quite by accident when he stumbles into the center ring during the cop chase, and is hired by the Ringmaster (Allan Garcia) to perform for real. However The Tramp can't seem to summon up any humor when he's put on the spot for it; it's only when his instincts take over when he finds himself in sticky situations that he brings the circus audience to life. You really have to credit Chaplin for performing bravely, doing all of his own stunts and often times tempting fate. The high wire act in which his harness suddenly detaches and the monkeys swarm him makes you hold your breath. There's a bit of a side story involving the abused daughter (Merna Kennedy) of the ringmaster, though it doesn't turn into a romance for The Tramp, who's left to wistfully contemplate the circus as it packs up and moves on to the next town.
Though I'm not a Chaplin connoisseur, I do enjoy his films, and of the handful I've seen, my favorite happens to be "City Lights". In an IMDb list of silent films I've watched and reviewed, this one sits in tenth place out of almost three dozen films when ranked in IMDb rating order. The thing is, four of Chaplin's other movies rate higher, with "Modern Times" topping the list. The others are "City Lights", "The Kid", and Gold Rush".
Though I'm not a Chaplin connoisseur, I do enjoy his films, and of the handful I've seen, my favorite happens to be "City Lights". In an IMDb list of silent films I've watched and reviewed, this one sits in tenth place out of almost three dozen films when ranked in IMDb rating order. The thing is, four of Chaplin's other movies rate higher, with "Modern Times" topping the list. The others are "City Lights", "The Kid", and Gold Rush".