As society develops, the arts inevitably develop with it; classic vinyls turn into cassettes that eventually become digitally transferred mp3 files. However, just as Urban Outfitters has created the return of the vinyl by selling the young adult demographic fantasy of the reversion to what the older generation called “real music”; the appeal of black and white films is the fantasy of a simpler time of flapper dresses and men laying their coats down for women to walk over. It is for this nostalgic reason that Charlin Chaplin’s City Lights has survived as a classic silent film for over eighty years. Released in 1931, City Lights is a romantic comedy that follows the story of the Tramp, a clumsy man with a humorous mustache, who develops an
…show more content…
A major way to Chaplin creates humor in City Lights is through the twitchy movements of the Tramp and, while that might have suited the humor of the 1930’s, that childish comedy has not transcended through the centuries and creates a chaotic, childish atmosphere in many of his scenes. In addition, the sole source of body language tends to be the Tramp in most scenes. For example, in City Lights, the camera focuses on the Tramp’s uncomfortable and confused facial expressions in the boxing locker room and his desperation to gain luck from the rabbit’s foot through distressed motions. These facial expressions and desperate gesture alert the audience that he feels out-of-place and unprepared for the oncoming match, causing much hilarity. However, the sole focus of the camera on one character consistently limits the depth of scenes as the audience only sees them through the eyes of a sole character. On the other hand, Hazanavicius usually creates tension through the body language of several extras in a scene. One instance of this is the first major scene in which Peppy accidentally bumps into George at the movie premiere and all the photographers and groupies freeze in anticipation of his response. Through the extras, Hazanavicius builds tension in the scene as the audience …show more content…
While City Lights was merely a 1930’s romantic comedy whose main target was to provide its audience with a quick laugh; The Artist is a 21st century nod to an old style of film that is conscious of the audience’s change in humor due to the passage of time and is more catered towards future audiences looking for an encore of black and white films. Therefore, The Artist will continue to appeal to future audiences searching for nostalgic pieces of “better day” and classic
A major way to Chaplin creates humor in City Lights is through the twitchy movements of the Tramp and, while that might have suited the humor of the 1930’s, that childish comedy has not transcended through the centuries and creates a chaotic, childish atmosphere in many of his scenes. In addition, the sole source of body language tends to be the Tramp in most scenes. For example, in City Lights, the camera focuses on the Tramp’s uncomfortable and confused facial expressions in the boxing locker room and his desperation to gain luck from the rabbit’s foot through distressed motions. These facial expressions and desperate gesture alert the audience that he feels out-of-place and unprepared for the oncoming match, causing much hilarity. However, the sole focus of the camera on one character consistently limits the depth of scenes as the audience only sees them through the eyes of a sole character. On the other hand, Hazanavicius usually creates tension through the body language of several extras in a scene. One instance of this is the first major scene in which Peppy accidentally bumps into George at the movie premiere and all the photographers and groupies freeze in anticipation of his response. Through the extras, Hazanavicius builds tension in the scene as the audience …show more content…
While City Lights was merely a 1930’s romantic comedy whose main target was to provide its audience with a quick laugh; The Artist is a 21st century nod to an old style of film that is conscious of the audience’s change in humor due to the passage of time and is more catered towards future audiences looking for an encore of black and white films. Therefore, The Artist will continue to appeal to future audiences searching for nostalgic pieces of “better day” and classic