DVD The Kid (2 Disc Special Edition)
The Kid is one of the purest expressions of Charlie Chaplin's art on film. It unites Chaplin with a boy he had spotted in a vaudeville act, 6-year-old Jackie Coogan--whose life would lead to the child-protective Coogan Act and a role as Uncle Fester on TV. The story has the Tramp adopting an abandoned waif and teaching him streetwise survival skills. The gags are flawless, but for Chaplin the huge advance (other than a running time longer than his two-reelers) was the exploration of a rich vein of sentiment; the emotionally wrenching separation of the Tramp and the Kid is probably the most Dickensian sequence ever captured on film. Chaplin drew on his own rough childhood for the material (and may have been inspired by the death of an infant son immediately before beginning the project). Jackie Coogan's gift for mimicry allowed him to replicate Chaplin's exacting direction, making him the perfect Chaplin co-star. --Robert Horton |
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Review(s): DVD The Kid (2 Disc Special Edition) | |
| Among Chaplin's Best. |  |
I think, while "City Light's" is my favourite of Chaplin's movies, "The Kid" is maybe second. It was the first full length movie Chaplin made, with a time limit here lasting something like 50 minutes. The film co-stars the five-year old, Jackie Coogan. The film also includes Chaplin's leading lady, Edna Purviance. The title at the beginning of the film reads: "A comedy with a smile -- and perhaps a tear". That describes it extremely well. This is a First National production, 6-reels. Released in 1921.Edna Purviance plays a unmarried woman, who abandons her new child, when she leaves him in a strangers limousine, with a note. It was stolen by thieves, and when they discover the child, they take him out and leave him. When the Little Tramp (none other than Chaplin) discovers this child, he tries unsuccesfully leaving him places, with the cop coming past, trying to leave the kid with another woman, etc. Until he gives up, and takes care of the kid himself. When the kid is a little older (he was a baby when the tramp first took him) he goes around throwing rocks at windows, breaking them, so that just on time the little tramp can come along and get paid to fix it. Through these years, Edna has become a huge star, and does work for charitys for poor children, in hope of finding her son again. She does come across the kid a few times, but does not immediately realize its him. The boy is sick, and she has a doctor come to see him. The doctor discovers the note, that Edna had left with the child, upon abandoning him, and he discovers that the tramp is not his father, and so he sends for some people to take the kid away to an orphanage. There is a lot of struggle on the way, and the tramp takes the kid back, just before they get there. The tramp and the kid, go to rest in this place, where the person who works there is reading that there is a reward for this kid. While the tramp is asleep, the man takes the kid, and takes him to his mother, Edna (who by now knows, of course). The tramp is awoken by a policeman, and takes him to Edna's mansion, to see the kid again. And, yeah, the end. This DVD is presented on 2-Discs. A part of the Chaplin Collection. The print of the actual film looks stunning, and the score, composed by Chaplin himself, is wonderful. The extras on the 2 discs, include another film, again lasting around 50 minutes "My Boy". Another Jackie Coogan one, from 1921 (came after "The Kid"). The print for this is watchable, but nothing has really been done for it. No score. Another extra, is "How to Make Movies". A 1918 short where Chaplin shows the building of his brand new studio, and how he makes movies. Again, no score, which is the only bad part to these extras. "Nice and Friendly" is also included. Its a home movie from 1922 with Lord and Lady Mountbatten, Jackie Coogan and Charlie Chaplin, which is great to be able to have on DVD. Among these, are tons of other little things too. This is essential for any Chaplin fan to have in their collection.
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| A Pet Peeve about the presentation |
Theres plenty of reveiws already, I wont go with another one...But my peeve about it is: Why is it on 2 DVD's? The first disc contain's the movie (50 minutes long) and 2 audio selections of 2.0 and 5.1, and a bunch of subtitles..... and then looking on the second DVD there is a few more features , one even longer then the movie! and a couple of 20 minute things, but I know they would all fit onto the one disc. It just makes me wonder why did they put them onto 2 discs, instead of one? These movies are in black and white, i'm sure all of it would have easily fit onto the one disc!
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| The Kid - Timeless Cinema | |
It all begins with a mother who has a child out of wedlock and in despair she leaves her boy in an abandoned vehicle. The car is stolen and the infant is dumped in the garbage. The orphan kid is found by the Tramp (Charles Chaplin) who then attempts to get rid of the kid. However, when the Tramp finds a short, yet affectionate note he decides to care for the child and teach him everything he knows. The Kid is a tragic drama with much humor that will entertain with it's visual imagery and teach valuable lessons with it's many themes. In the end, Chaplin will leave the audience with a timeless and brilliant cinematic experience.
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