简介：NarratedbySydneyPollack,filmcriticRichardSchickel'sdazzlingtwo-hourplusdocumentarytooneofthetoweringfiguresinfilm:CharlesChaplin.HardcoreChaplinfansmaynotfindmuchnewmaterialhere,butmoreunfamiliaradmirerswillgainsomevaluableinformationaboutoneofthemostfamouspersonalitiesofthe20thcentury.SchickelhasconstructedthedocumentaryasachronologicalsurveyofChaplin'swork,startingwithhismostsignificantshortsandcoveringallofhisfeatures.SchickelsupportshisnarrationwithtestimonyfromartistsfamiliarwithChaplin'sworkandfamilymemberswhoofferpersonalinsightsintothecomedian'slife.Thedocumentaryplaysdownbutdoesn'tignorethecontroversiesthatswirledaroundChaplin'sprivatelife.Butthemainfocusisonthefilms.Theyincludesomeofthebest-lovedmoviesofalltime.Clipsfrom"KidAutoRacesatVenice,"the1914KeystoneshortinwhichChaplinfirstusedhisTrampcostume,revealastartlinglymoderntechniqueandsensibility,asifthefilmmakerswerepredictingandmockingrealityTV.SubsequentshortsshowChaplinrefininghis'LittleTramp'characterwhileabsorbingtheessentialsoffilmmaking.Bythetimehemade"EasyStreet,"in1917,ChaplinhadperfectedacombinationofknockaboutfarceandVictoriansentimentthatstillprovesirresistible.Chaplin'searlyfeatures,including"TheKid,""TheGoldRush"and"CityLights,"weresuchblockbusterhitsthathecouldessentiallyignorethecomingofsoundforalmostadecade.ThosemakingappearancesontheprogramincludeWoodyAllen,RichardAttenborough,JeanineBasinger,ClaireBloom,GeraldineChaplin.SydneyChaplin,JohnnyDepp,RobertDowneyJr.,MilosForman,BillIrwin,NormanLloyd,MarcelMarceau,DavidRaksin,DavidRobinson,AndrewSarris,MartinScorseseandJeffreyVance.Writtenbyalfiehitchie…