Charlie Chaplin – The
Artist In His Prime set (Koch)
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: D Shorts: B
The
Kid/Tillie’s Punctured Romance/The Gold Rush: A- each
The
second of two DVD sets Koch issued on Charles Chaplin in 2000, The Artist In
His Prime, contain nine later short film classics of his from 1914 – 1925,
though the box’s labeling denotes 1918 - 1923.
Most are from his days at First National Pictures, though a few are
directly before or after that stint. In
order of how they appear on the three DVDs in the white box, they are as
follows, with their proper year of release and other studio of issuance where
applicable:
Shoulder Arms
(September 1918)
Sunnyside (1919)
A
Day’s Pleasure
(1919)
The
Cure (1917,
Mutual Films with Chaplin’s Lone Star Studios)
Tillie’s
Punctured Romance
(1914, Keystone/directed by Mack Sennett)
The
Kid (1921)
Idle
Class (1921)
Pay
Day (1922)
The
Gold Rush (1925,
United Artists)
These are
some of the most important films ever made in the silent or any other era. Though there is nothing too fancy or unusual
about the camerawork form in his films until the features start, there is
always a certain flow that separates his work (even when he is not directing)
from that of other comic filmmakers and certainly of all silent directors. No matter how old they are, and The Tramp
character turns 90 this year, his ability to put his ideas onto film are as
priceless to filmmaking as the work of any single artist anywhere in the world
in the silent era, still affecting the artform today.
It should
also be said that through his groundbreaking cinematographers, Chaplin’s
ability to push the limits of the 1.33 X 1 frame is one of the reasons his
images are still so memorable, why the physical comedy comes off as amazing as
it is. For this older box, the transfers
are average at best, some looking a bit off from their analog video
masters. Still, though the features have
been issued by the likes of Image Entertainment, then Warner Home Video, there
has been some issue as to what the Warner copies might be missing. The Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono on both is
disappointing, but the 2.0 Mono here is worse, with the same music pieces being
used over and over and over again. Along
with the same brief text on Chaplin that the last box had, this is only worth
getting at this point for the shorts either way until they are issued in a more
comprehensive set. If you can get this
box cheap, it’s obviously worth your time.
- Nicholas Sheffo
