So what does anyone think about the possibility of this being the first silent masterpiece - first masterpiece of cinema, then! Granted, there is Birth of a Nation, Greed, lalala, but I don't think any of them are real masterpieces in its truest sense; considering from the Virgin Film Guide's point of view, perhaps. Do reply.
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I'll second that. It's also my favorite Chaplin. I've rarely been as touched by a film as by this one.
"This movie is good enough to have been based on a novel."
Birth of the Nation would have to be the FIRST masterpiece, since it fell in 1915. And as for emotions, people used to stand-up and cheer during the battle scenes, especially in the patriotic south.
Greed came out a few years later & therefore is not first.
What about Intolerance (1916). IMO it's a masterpiece, and it was shot 5 years before The Kid
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Tillies Punctured Romance
shareIf you also consider films made outside of USA, than no, it isn't. I've seen only a small fraction of silent movies, but Cabinet of Dr. Caligari for example is a masterpiece made in 1919. And I'm sure there are more. Chaplin's may be the first comedy masterpiece, though.
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seconded Caligari, also Golem, Intolerance, Cabiria, Lang's The Spiders is far from masterpiece but worth mentioning.
shareYou mean Disney Doesn't
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As far as comedy goes, this film was the first to mix drama and comedy like this. Many told Chaplin not to do it because it would be a box-office bomb. Nobody wants drama in a comedy. But Chaplin knew better, and it is the FIRST film of its kind. Films were still just getting started at this time as well, so Chaplin was a first at a lot of things on screen.
In regards to it being good enough to be based on a novel - it sort of is. The novel of Chaplin's life. He grew up very much like the kid in this film, only when they took him away to the home for destitute children, there was no one to rescue him.
Wouldn't a 'masterpiece' refer to the best work of a particular artist? If so, this would be kind of a personal question-what you consider someone's best work, may not be what someone else thinks. Therefore, 'Tillie's Punctured Romance' could, for some, be his masterpiece. On the other hand, it could also be what many people AGREE is the artist's best work.
I certainly loved 'The Kid.' What a gentle and emotional film, I definately cried.
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Masterpiece does not mean the best work of a particular artist. In Fact great artist can make MULTIPLE masterpieces, it is possible. Masterpiece simply means that the piece created demonstrates outstanding artistry, skill, or workmanship. Of course that is judge by personal opinion but does not mean in ones opinion there could not be many of.
IMO, since there is already 20 years and more of cinema before this film and because i would call a few of those films masterpieces, this isn't the first silent film masterpiece ever made.
"The Kid" is definitely not the earliest cinematic "masterpiece", there were others before this. According to Robert Osborne (who just introduced "The Kid" as part of TCM's Silent Sunday Nights series), this was the 2nd highest grossing movie made up to that time (behind "The Birth of a Nation").
share ...for my mind this is definitely the birth of a beautiful Hollywood appreciation; and one that I hope to foster further.
'Birth of a Nation' WAS as epic film, no question, but Chaplin captures a sentiment that, in Griffith's hands, would've turned to ash. (excuse the pun...)
As for "First Silent Masterpiece"... Griffith's got it by some years in the technique and contribution to the notion of "the director" in Hollywood cinema... but I'd say that Chaplin has it in spades for the potential of the birth of the auteur in Hollywood.
Adorable film.
First silent masterpiece??
There were plenty of great movies before this one. For starters, "Intolerance",
"Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari", "Broken Blossoms" "L'Inferno"...many more masterpieces.
It's not being disrespectful to Chaplin or to in any way lessen what he achieved.
I just saw this recently. I don't know about it being a masterpiece at the time, all I can judge is what I thought of it now, and it was a five in ten for me. I guess that's good for how old it is but whatever.
shareI own Caligari and Nation, both for the most part bore the *beep* out of me. The Kid, though, held me riveted the whole time. I almost cried at the end.
share>>I own Caligari and Nation, both for the most part bore the *beep* out of me<<
You mean "Birth Of A Nation"? Yes, that is overrated. Griffith made MUCH better (and less offensive) films, thats for sure. Actually, most of his features were better and more coherent. "Caligari" though? If you have the cheap public domain print, it is a chore to watch. The Image or Kino dvds are a revelation; you can actually see whats going on clearly and it makes a HUGE difference. "The Kid" is a great film, but it's neither Chaplin's best or one of the best silents in my opinion; certainly it is a very popular one.
I don't know about words like 'masterpiece' or 'first', I just know it's my favourite. I have a (replica) poster for it looking down at me as I type this declaring that "This is the great picture upon which the famous comedian has worked a whole year."
Can you imagine that! A whole year!
I don't know if you can call it the first masterpiece, but it certainly holds up to contemporary audiences in a way that none of its forebears did. "Birth of a Nation" and "Intolerance" are masterpieces in a sense, but you cannot dissociate them from their historical context. "The Kid", however, exists outside of time. You can also argue that "The Kid" is a masterpiece of another caliber than those films, just as Chaplin was a more complete and timeless artist than Griffith. At the very least, "The Kid" is the first feature film to operate at the highest level of artistic expression.
shareI don't know if it is the first one, but from the silent movies I've seen I think it is the best one. I liked the fact that this has a really strong story, something I miss in a lot of the other Chaplin movies. This one and The Great Dictator (although that's a talkie) are my favorite Chaplin movies.
For those interested, I've written down my opinion of the movie here
http://myfilmviews.wordpress.com/2010/12/10/the-kid-1921/
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It was definitely one of them.
shareAside from Birth of A Nation, yes, I would have to agree with you. The Kid was the first AND greatest silent film up to that point. But, then again, I can't really get all the way through Birth of A Nation.
shareIt's certainly up there with the Top 5!
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