Customer Reviews

The Artist In His Prime - 3 DVD Set - Starring Charlie Chaplin

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This set literally steals the image from earlier (1980s and early 90s) laserdisc and video editions put out by David Shepard and Kino-- so clumsily it leaves on a credit for Shepard's accompanist when in fact there's a new score on it! Stay away from this cheapie and look for the latest Shepard/Blackhawk Films restorations of the same titles, which have much better print quality-- plus you'll be supporting the people who do the real restoration work, not bootleggers.

The box set for Chaplin: An Artist in his Prime represents a solid value for the price. Collected together on 3 DVDs are 9 separate titles, including such greats as "The Gold Ruch", "The Cure" and "The Kid".

The picture quality for the 9 titles varies slightly, however they are all much improved over ealier versions available on video.

One striking drawback to this DVD collection is that source Koch Vision used for "The Gold Rush" is different than what was available on video tape years ago. As well as missing all the descriptive dialog screens, the film also omits two key sequences: The Death of Black Larson, and the last shot in the movie where Chaplin and Georgia kiss.

I was impressed with the picture quality overall, however what infuriated me was how the makers of this set made the claim that the music in the films was Chaplin's. It was NOT, and yet the titles clearly stated that it was. His music was far, far superior to the music on these DVDs. His music fit the atmosphere of the movies much better. AND, I was also infuritated that they used the 1942 print of Chaplin's reissue of The Gold Rush, but they did not include his narration. Thus, there are no dialogue titles, as someone else noted, for the simple reason that in the 1942 version, Chaplin spoke the narration himself. ...

This DVD collection certainly compiles early masterpieces of the genius known as Charlie Chaplin or "The Little Tramp." The films are crisp and clear.

If I were judging Chaplin's work, this collection would receive 5 stars, no question. The problem with this release though is the sound.

Only two scores are used for the three disk set. One is happy and one is sad. The two are spliced according to the scene but get quite annoying if too many films are watched consecutively. Also, since the scores were not written for the specific films they are used on, the music changes can occur quite abruptly.

The most obvious flaw in the set is The Gold Rush. The film was released as a silent in the 1920s and then was reissued with a voice-over by Chaplin in the 1940s. The new version did not have title cards to tell the story. On this DVD, the second release is included- without the voice-over and without title cards. Lovely.

The Gold Rush is unwatchable. The other films are adequate for moderate Chaplin lovers.

the people at KOCHVISION may not be sticklers for accuracy, but this 3 dvd set is pretty good for the price. most of the films are good quality and the music is good too if you dont mind hearing the same music throughout all 3 discs. the big disapointment here is the GOLD RUSH, which is a copy of the later release which should have narration by chaplin, but does not. Buy that one from Image Entertainment & you will not be let down. This is not a collection for true Chaplin fans but it is a decent set for those who dont want to pay outrageous prices for the same movies, or to just watch an occasional chaplin film.

I think Chaplin was by far the best comedian of the silent era (or any era, come to think of it.) While Buster Keaton may have had excellent gags, Fatty Arbuckle a great performer, and Harold Lloyd some incredible stunts, Chaplin combined all these aspects with pathos and great craftmanship.
Some of his best movies are presented here, including "Shoulder Arms," "The Kid," "Gold Rush," and "The Cure." The transfers are stolen from the David Shepard discs, but that's okay because they looked great anyway. The new music, while not "lavish" as the box indicates, is fine. The included Chaplin bio is good for fans-in-training.
My only quibble is that the 1942 re-issue of "The Gold Rush" is shown without Chaplin's narration. Thus, people seeing is for the first time will be confused by the plot.

I'm not a big Chaplin fan, but I really enjoy "The Kid"; the picture quality appeared to be exceptional. I base this on other black/white "older" movies I've seen on VHS through the years.