Charlie Chaplin double feature is holiday treat at Lincoln Center
CITY LIGHTS (Charles Chaplin, 1931) and MODERN TIMES (Charles Chaplin, 1936)
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Walter Reade Theater, 65th St. at Amsterdam Ave.
December 21-23, $11 for one film, $15 for double feature
212-875-5456
www.filmlinc.org
Film Forum is billing their double feature of MODERN TIMES and CITY LIGHTS as Charlie for the Holidays, but it could just as easily be called Charlie for the Recession, as both films deal with such topics as unemployment, the rich vs. the poor, communism, drugs, incarceration, and health care. One of the geniuses of the twentieth century, Charlie Chaplin starred in, wrote, directed, produced, and composed the score for most of his films, which remained silent well into the talkies era. In CITY LIGHTS (1931), he is mistaken for a millionaire by a blind flower girl (Virginia Cherrill) and is terrified of her finding out that he is just a lowly tramp. In MODERN TIMES, he is an unemployed factory worker whose woes grow after helping an orphan girl (Paulette Goddard). The two films are among Chaplin’s finest, mixing slapstick and pathos with harsh social and political realities that are eerily still relevant today. (Chaplin fans can complete a triple play when THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940) opens at the IFC Center for a one-week run December 25-31.)